Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 20:11
And when they had received [it,] they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Murmured – Complained; found fault with.
The goodman of the house – The original here is the same word which in Mat 20:1 is translated householder, and should have been so translated here. It is the old English way of denoting the father of a family. It expresses no moral quality.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. They murmured] The Jews made the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles, a pretence why they should reject that Gospel; as they fondly imagined they were, and should be, the sole objects of the Divine approbation. How they murmured because the Gentiles were made partakers of the kingdom of God; see Ac 11:1, &c., and Ac 15:1, &c.
There are many similitudes of this kind among the Jews, where the principal part even of the phraseology of our Lord’s parable may be found. Several of them may be seen in Schoettgen. Our Lord, however, as in all other cases, has greatly improved the language, scope, design, and point of the similitude. He was, in all cases, an eminent master of the sentences.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
11. And when they had received it,they murmured against the goodman of the houserather, “thehouseholder,” the word being the same as in Mt20:1.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And when they had received it,…. The external privileges of the Gospel dispensation, an inheritance among them that are sanctified, and a right unto it, on the foot of free grace,
they murmured against the good man of the house; who had been so kind and liberal, to those who came last into the vineyard, and had done no injury to them, but gave them a full reward. So the Jews that first believed in Christ, were at first uneasy at the Gospel being preached to the Gentiles, at the calling of them, and their partaking of the same privileges in a Gospel church state with them, without submitting to the ceremonies of the law, as they had done; just as the Pharisees, in Christ’s time, murmured against him; for receiving sinners, and eating with them: though in the latter day, the envy of Ephraim shall depart, and in the ultimate glory there will be no murmuring at each other’s happiness.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
They murmured (). Onomatopoetic word, the meaning suiting the sound. Our words murmur and grumble are similar. Probably here inchoative imperfect, began to grumble. It occurs in old Ionic and in the papyri.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
(11) They murmuredi.e., as the Greek tense shows, with repeated and prolonged murmurs.
The goodman of the house.Better, householder. The Greek word is the same as in Mat. 20:1, and the archaic English phrase is a needless variation.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Murmured The arithmetical spirit of Peter is close akin to quarrelling with Christ, if he, an apostle forsooth, should not be paid with a richer heaven than some Samaritan or Gentile converts. Christians may indeed be rewarded according to their works; but the spirit that sets high value on its work, and claims high pay over others, may find its works very lowly prized with God. That very spirit may destroy the reward; for our final bliss may depend more upon what we are than upon what we do, although what we do will have much effect upon what we are. Good man of the house The householder.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“And when they received it, they murmured continually against the householder, saying, ‘These last have spent but one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ ”
The workers who had worked all day were furious and muttered among themselves, pointing out to each other that they had worked throughout the whole day, bearing the burden of the greater part of the work, and working even when the sun was hottest. And yet this mean-minded, ungrateful rich estate owner had only paid them the same as He had paid those who had only worked from 5:00 pm to nightfall. (They ignored the fact that these others had waited hopelessly in the sun all day with only despair in their hearts). They did not consider it fair. And our hearts are so hardened that we tend to agree with them, for we all like to think in terms of what we deserve, failing to recognise that if we too got what we deserved our case would be hopeless. But the question that will now be answered is, was their attitude right? (Note that this is not a parable about wage negotiations and fairplay. It is a parable about a gracious and good Estate Owner in His dealings with unfortunates and the fact that our attitude should be the same).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 20:11. They murmured against the good man, &c. The , or master of the family. That this was the case with the Jews, upon a general notion of the Gentiles being, according to the Christian scheme, intended to be partakers with them in the same church privileges, is plain from a variety of Scriptures; particularly Act 11:2-3; Act 13:45-50; Act 17:5; Act 17:13; Act 18:6; Act 18:13; Act 22:21-22; Act 28:29. 1Th 2:16. Since no murmurings can happen among the blessed, this must refer to the unbelieving Jews; but as it is certain they will have no place in the kingdom of heaven, we plainly see that it would be very absurd to pretend to draw doctrinal consequences from every incidental circumstance of the parable.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
11 And when they had received it , they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Ver. 11. They murmured, &c. ] They had what they agreed for, some temporal blessings, which is all that carnal men commonly care for. Or if any seek after spiritual things, it is not for any beauty he seeth or taste he findeth in them, but only as a bridge to bring them to heaven; as Spira confessed of himself. It is not good therefore to indent and bargain with God how much he shall give us, either of temporals or spirituals; for so you may have your penny, and yet be discontented that it is but a penny, and no more. Profits, pleasures, honours, appear to be but empty things, when men are to go into another world.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 20:11 . : imperfect; the grumbling went on from man to man as they were being paid; to the overseer, but at ( ) the master, and so that he could overhear.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
against. Greek. kata. App-104.
Goodman = the master of the house.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mat 20:11. , murmured) Cf. Luk 15:28-30.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
they murmured: Luk 5:30, Luk 15:2, Luk 15:28-30, Luk 19:7, Act 11:2, Act 11:3, Act 13:45, Act 22:21, Act 22:22, 1Th 2:16, Jud 1:16
Reciprocal: Job 40:2 – he that reproveth Pro 7:19 – the goodman Isa 58:3 – have we fasted Eze 18:25 – way Mat 24:43 – goodman Mar 14:5 – And they Phi 2:14 – without
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
0:11
They complained to the very man who made the bargain with them in the morning and with whom they found no fault when they hired to him.