Matthew 20:9 kjv
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Matthew 20:9 nkjv
And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.
Matthew 20:9 niv
"The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.
Matthew 20:9 esv
And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
Matthew 20:9 nlt
When those hired at five o'clock were paid, each received a full day's wage.
Matthew 20 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mat 20:10 | Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more... | Shows the expectation challenged by Mat 20:9. |
| Mat 20:12 | saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us...’ | The reaction to the equal payment. |
| Mat 20:13 | He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?’ | Landowner's justness to the initial agreement. |
| Mat 20:14 | ‘Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker the same as I give to you.’ | Sovereignty and generosity of the landowner. |
| Mat 20:15 | ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ | God's sovereign right and grace. |
| Mat 20:16 | So the last will be first, and the first last. | Core principle of the parable. |
| Mat 19:30 | But many who are first will be last, and the last first. | Similar teaching preceding the parable. |
| Lk 13:30 | And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last. | Luke's parallel teaching on reversal. |
| Rom 11:6 | But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. | Salvation is grace, not earned by works. |
| Eph 2:8-9 | For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. | Salvation as a gift of grace. |
| Tit 3:5 | he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy... | Mercy as the basis of salvation. |
| Rom 4:4-5 | Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes... his faith is counted as righteousness. | Righteousness is by faith, not works. |
| Isa 55:1 | Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. | God's free provision and invitation. |
| Lk 18:14 | I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. | Humility over self-righteousness. |
| Rom 9:15-16 | For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God... | God's sovereign right to extend mercy. |
| Dan 4:35 | he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” | God's absolute sovereignty. |
| 1 Cor 4:7 | What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? | All blessings are received gifts. |
| Phil 2:3 | Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. | Principle of humility, opposing envy. |
| Gal 3:28 | There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. | Equality in receiving Christ's blessings. |
| Jn 1:16 | For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. | All recipients of God's overflowing grace. |
| Ps 103:8 | The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. | Character of God, abundant in grace. |
| Jam 4:5 | Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? | Addresses spiritual envy within the parable context. |
| Rom 3:23-24 | for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus... | All equally needing and receiving grace. |
Matthew 20 verses
Matthew 20 9 Meaning
Matthew 20:9 states that "when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius." This verse is a pivotal moment in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, demonstrating the unexpected outcome of the vineyard owner's generosity. It highlights that the workers hired last, who toiled for only a short period (typically one hour, as the day ended at the twelfth hour), received the same payment as those who had worked all day, a full day's wage (a denarius). This action sets the stage for the revelation of the landowner's character and the nature of God's kingdom.
Matthew 20 9 Context
Matthew 20:9 is part of the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, spoken by Jesus immediately after a rich young man chose not to follow Him, which prompted Peter to ask what rewards the disciples would receive for their sacrifices. Jesus prefaces the parable by reiterating the kingdom principle: "But many who are first will be last, and the last first" (Mat 19:30). The parable illustrates God's economy of grace within the "kingdom of heaven." The setting is a vineyard, a common agricultural scene in ancient Israel. A denarius was a standard daily wage for a laborer, signifying sufficiency for the day. The core message challenges conventional notions of fairness and merit-based rewards, presenting a radical understanding of divine generosity that operates on God's terms, not human effort or expectation. Historically, this narrative confronts a prevailing understanding among some Jewish groups who believed that strict adherence to the Mosaic Law earned favor and reward from God.
Matthew 20 9 Word analysis
- And (Καὶ - kai): This simple conjunction links the actions within the parable, showing a continuation from the hiring of the last workers to their payment. It denotes a direct consequence of the landowner's prior instruction.
- when those came who were hired (ἐλθόντες οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν - elthontes hoi peri tēn hendekatēn hōran):
- ἐλθόντες (elthontes): "Having come" or "having arrived." It indicates their presence at the time of reckoning, suggesting they presented themselves for payment.
- οἱ (hoi): "The ones." This pronoun specifically refers back to the group of workers mentioned in verse 6, highlighting their distinct category as those who arrived very late.
- περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν (peri tēn hendekatēn hōran): "About the eleventh hour." The day was typically counted from 6 AM, so the eleventh hour would be 5 PM, meaning they worked for roughly one hour until 6 PM (the twelfth hour). This specific detail emphasizes their minimal labor compared to others.
- they each received (ἔλαβον ἀνὰ - elabon ana):
- ἔλαβον (elabon): "They received." The verb "to receive" (from lambano) here implies something given to them, not something they earned or took by right. It suggests reception of a gift or benefit.
- ἀνὰ (ana): "Each," or "apiece," "individually." This distributive adverb underscores that every single one of these eleventh-hour workers, without exception, got the full amount, reinforcing the uniformity of the gift despite their short service.
- a denarius (δηνάριον - dēnarion): A Roman silver coin, commonly recognized as a fair wage for a full day's labor for a common worker during Jesus' time (cf. Mat 20:2). In the parable, it signifies the full, complete blessing or reward associated with belonging to the kingdom of heaven or eternal life, which is bestowed freely, regardless of the 'length' of one's service or works.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "those came who were hired about the eleventh hour": This phrase identifies the specific group of workers who are at the heart of the landowner's seemingly "unjust" generosity. Their late arrival is critical to the parable's lesson, signifying individuals who come to God late in life, or those who might appear to have contributed less effort, yet receive the full blessing.
- "they each received a denarius": This is the unexpected and challenging element of the verse. The equality of the payment (a denarius each) despite the vast difference in labor duration highlights the landowner's immense grace and magnanimity, rather than a system based on strict merit. It establishes a divine economy where grace trumps human concepts of earned reward, setting the stage for the complaints from the "first" workers and the landowner's justification of his sovereign good will.
Matthew 20 9 Bonus section
The shock value of this verse's revelation (payment of the eleventh-hour workers) is crucial to the parable's purpose. It immediately disarms any preconceived notions of proportional reward or a quid pro quo relationship with God. The vineyard owner is a picture of God, whose actions are driven by an expansive, abundant goodness that transcends human calculations of fairness. This grace is poured out without jealousy towards those who "deserved" less in human eyes, yet receive fully. The verse subtly foreshadows the murmuring of the "first" workers, which will expose their misunderstanding of God's character and His kingdom, where envy for another's blessing reveals a lack of understanding of the grace that saves them all.
Matthew 20 9 Commentary
Matthew 20:9 presents the striking outcome of the vineyard owner's surprising decision to pay the latest hires the same wage as those who bore the brunt of the day's heat. This is not a lesson on fair labor practices or economics but a profound spiritual truth about the kingdom of God. The denarius, representing the full blessing of belonging to God's kingdom or eternal life, is given out of the owner's free will and generosity, not as a direct compensation for work performed. It profoundly challenges a works-based understanding of salvation or divine favor, demonstrating that God's grace is undeserved and unmerited. The principle highlighted is that access to God's blessing is not measured by the length or intensity of one's spiritual labor, but by the landowner's sovereign good pleasure and bountiful grace. This reveals God's nature as supremely gracious and merciful, welcoming all, regardless of when they answer His call, into the fullness of His provision. Examples include the thief on the cross who came to faith in his last moments and received a promise of paradise, or the Prodigal Son, welcomed back into full fellowship and blessing despite his minimal 'work' for his father.