Matthew 20:11 kjv
And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Matthew 20:11 nkjv
And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,
Matthew 20:11 niv
When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.
Matthew 20:11 esv
And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,
Matthew 20:11 nlt
When they received their pay, they protested to the owner,
Matthew 20 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 16:7-8 | "...then you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt. And what are we? You are not grumbling against us but against the Lord." | Israel grumbling against God. |
| Num 14:27-29 | "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me?... your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness..." | God's severe judgment on constant grumbling. |
| 1 Cor 10:10 | "Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer." | Warning against grumbling, citing Israel's negative example. |
| Matt 20:12 | "...'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'" | Immediate context, explains why they grumbled—feeling of injustice/entitlement. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord." | God's ways are higher than human understanding or expectations of justice. |
| Rom 9:14-21 | "What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!... Who are you, O man, who answers back to God?" | God's sovereign right to show mercy and distribute grace as He wills. |
| Deut 15:9 | "Beware that there is no malicious thought in your heart... lest your eye be hostile toward your poor brother..." | Warning against an "evil eye," connected to envy and grudging thoughts. |
| Prov 23:6 | "Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy of eye..." | Refers to those with an "evil eye," denoting envy or lack of generosity. |
| Rom 1:29 | "...full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice..." | Lists envy as a corrupt attribute, relevant to the workers' mindset. |
| Gal 5:21 | "...envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these..." | Categorizes envy as a work of the flesh, hindering spiritual fruit. |
| James 3:14,16 | "But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart... For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, disorder and every evil thing are there." | Strong warning against jealousy, source of conflict and evil. |
| Phil 2:14 | "Do all things without grumbling or disputing..." | Exhortation to live without complaining. |
| Jude 1:16 | "These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts..." | Describes wicked men as grumblers who live selfishly. |
| 1 Pet 4:9 | "Be hospitable to one another without complaining." | Christian duty to serve others without a grumbling spirit. |
| Luke 15:29-30 | "...'all these years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a commandment of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat... but when this son of yours came..." | The older brother's grumbling against the father's generosity to the prodigal. |
| Eph 2:8-9 | "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." | Highlights salvation as pure grace, not earned by works, echoing the parable's message. |
| Titus 3:5 | "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy..." | Emphasizes God's salvation through mercy, not human effort or merit. |
| Job 40:2 | "Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it." | Confronts the absurdity of humans questioning God's righteousness or actions. |
| Mal 3:14 | "You have said, 'It is useless to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His charge...?'" | Grumbling attitude suggesting God does not reward righteousness equitably. |
| John 6:41 | "Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him because He said, 'I am the bread that came down out of heaven.'" | Example of people grumbling against Jesus himself and His claims. |
| John 6:60-61 | "Many therefore of His disciples, when they heard this, said, 'This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?'... He said to them, 'Does this cause you to stumble?'" | Disciples grumbling/complaining about Jesus' hard teaching. |
| 1 Thess 5:18 | "in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." | Opposite of grumbling – an attitude of gratitude. |
Matthew 20 verses
Matthew 20 11 Meaning
Matthew 20:11 describes the immediate reaction of the workers hired early in the day after they received their full daily wage (a denarius) at the close of the workday. Despite being paid precisely what was agreed upon, they began to complain and murmur against the master of the vineyard, expressing discontent. Their grumbling stemmed from a perceived injustice, feeling that their long hours of labor were undervalued when compared to those who worked significantly less yet received the same compensation.
Matthew 20 11 Context
Matthew 20:11 is part of Jesus's Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matt 20:1-16). This parable directly follows Jesus's declaration about "the last will be first, and the first last" (Matt 19:30). The parable illustrates God's radical generosity and sovereignty in dispensing grace and rewards, challenging conventional human notions of merit and fairness. The landowner (representing God) hires workers at different times of the day, all agreeing to a standard daily wage of a denarius. However, at payment time, all workers, regardless of hours worked, receive the same denarius. This verse describes the reaction of those who worked the full day: discontentment and complaining against the landowner. This highlights a critical theme: God's grace cannot be earned or subjected to human bargaining; it is freely given, often confounding those who believe they have earned more based on their effort or early commitment. The parable stands as a direct challenge to the legalistic mindset prevalent among some Jewish religious leaders who felt they had "earned" their place and were owed greater favor by God than those perceived as sinners or latecomers to faith.
Matthew 20 11 Word analysis
- But (δὲ - de): This conjunction serves as a mild adversative, indicating a shift or transition in the narrative. Here, it introduces the workers' contrary reaction after receiving their pay, setting up the contrast with the landowner's action.
- when they had received it (λαβόντες - labontes): This is an aorist active participle, denoting a completed action preceding the main verb ("grumbled"). It emphasizes that the grumbling occurred after they had fully received the agreed-upon payment, underscoring that their discontent was not about insufficient pay, but about the comparison of pay.
- they grumbled (ἐγόγγυζον - egongyzon): This is the imperfect active indicative of the verb γογγύζω (gongyzo). The imperfect tense suggests a continuous, habitual, or repeated action, implying an ongoing murmuring or complaint, not just a fleeting moment of irritation. This Greek word echoes the Septuagint's use for the Israelites' repeated complaints against Moses and God in the wilderness (e.g., Exod 16; Num 14). It signifies a deep-seated dissatisfaction and disrespect toward authority, a questioning of their rightful governance.
- against (κατά - kata): A preposition indicating direction, often "down against" or "contrary to." Here, it directly expresses antagonism or opposition toward the object, in this case, the landowner.
- the landowner (τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου - tou oikodespotou): Literally "master of the house/household." In the context of the parable, this refers to the owner of the vineyard who hired the workers. He symbolizes God in this divine economy, highlighting that the workers' grumbling is ultimately against divine sovereignty and generosity.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "But when they had received it, they grumbled": This phrase captures the immediate, ingratious response of the long-standing workers. Their receipt of their agreed wage was supposed to satisfy them, yet it instead triggered dissatisfaction. This demonstrates a human tendency to measure divine blessing by comparison with others, rather than by the standard of grace. The juxtaposition of "received it" and "grumbled" highlights the inherent human spiritual failing.
- "they grumbled against the landowner": This crucial phrase signifies not just dissatisfaction with their situation, but an active complaint directed at the very person who provided their livelihood. In the parabolic context, it mirrors humanity's tendency to question God's justice, wisdom, or fairness when His actions do not align with human expectations or perceived deserts, especially regarding salvation or blessing given to others. This spiritual attitude of grumbling challenges divine prerogative and wisdom.
Matthew 20 11 Bonus section
The concept of the "evil eye" (Matt 20:15) is critical for understanding the underlying reason for the workers' grumbling here. Their eye was "evil" because it was filled with envy and a grudging spirit towards the generosity shown to others, rather than gratitude for what they themselves received. This "evil eye" is a spiritual malady, implying that their perspective was twisted by covetousness and a lack of benevolence, reflecting an internal disposition rather than a rational complaint about their wages. The parable strongly conveys that God is entirely within His rights to bestow grace and blessings according to His will, not according to human conceptions of equity based on perceived desert. True discipleship calls for rejoicing in God's goodness to all, rather than comparing and contrasting one's own blessings with those of others.
Matthew 20 11 Commentary
Matthew 20:11 exposes the deeply human struggle with envy, entitlement, and the challenge of accepting God's sovereign grace. The long-hour workers received their due, yet their focus was not on their blessed provision, but on the perceived "undeserved" blessing of others. Their grumbling echoes the spiritual murmuring of Israel in the wilderness against God Himself, signifying a deeper spiritual issue than just a wage dispute—it is a questioning of the benefactor's fairness and right to act as he pleases with his own resources. This verse serves as a potent reminder that God's generosity often confounds human meritocracy. Our tendency is to compare our walk, effort, and perceived worth to others, fostering resentment rather than gratitude. It underscores that God's kingdom operates on principles of grace, not human bargaining or works-based merit, meaning that all receive His unmerited favor not because of what they earn, but because of who He is.
Examples:
- Christians who have served for many years feeling resentment when new converts experience significant blessings or quickly assume positions of prominence.
- Believers becoming bitter when they see others prosper, despite having committed similar "sins" in their past, failing to acknowledge God's sovereign grace at work.
- Church members complaining about new initiatives or changes that benefit those they deem less worthy or "less committed" than themselves.