Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 20:7
They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, [that] shall ye receive.
Verse 7. No man hath hired us.] This was the reason why they were all the day idle.
And whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.] Ye may expect payment in proportion to your labour, and the time ye spend in it; but this clause is wanting in some of the best MSS., versions, and fathers.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They say unto him, because no man hath hired us,…. This may be fitly applied to the Gentiles, who hundreds of years were neglected by God; he overlooked the times of their ignorance, took no notice of them in their state of stupidity, blindness, and irreligion; but suffered them to walk in their own ways, sent no prophets to instruct them, nor messages, nor messengers to them; till at length the Jews, having rejected and crucified the Messiah, and persecuted his apostles, and contradicted, and blasphemed the Gospel, they were ordered to go to the Gentiles, and preach it to them:
he saith unto them, go ye also into the vineyard: the Gospel was made the power of God unto salvation to them; they were called by grace, became of the same body the church, were fellow heirs with the believing Jews, partakers of the same promises and privileges, in a Gospel church state, and were equally labourers in the Lord’s vineyard:
and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive; with the rest of the labourers in it. This clause is left out in the Vulgate Latin, and in Munster’s Hebrew Gospel; nor is it in Beza’s most ancient Greek copy, though in all the rest; nor is it in the Persic version, which has added, “and they went”, as they were bidden, into the vineyard, the call being effectual; but is retained in the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(7) Because no man hath hired us.This, again, is one of the salient points of the parable. The last called labourers had not rejected any previous summons, and when called they obeyed with alacrity. They, too, came in full unquestioning faith.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. No man hath hired us As the question implies a call, so this answer implies an obedient response. These are men of a receptive faith, ready to comply with the offer of grace; saying, like Saul of Tarsus, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” To such men the call will come, and the path of duty will be made plain. Whatsoever is right receive These humble servitors do not, like Peter, ask, What are we to have? They go upon bounty, not upon wages. They know that it is grace that engages them, grace that sets any value upon their labours, and grace that at last gives rather than pays the result.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“They say to him, ‘Because no man has hired us.’ He says to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ ”
So they inform the landowner that the reason that they are still there, (having stood there be it noted through the heat of the day), is because no one has hired them. We can imagine how they were feeling, and even more their great delight when the landowner hires them at a time when they were past hope. Their pay for work at the end of the day might be small, but it will be better than nothing, and they are grateful. It may at least buy some stale barley bread for their families to feed on.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Ver. 7. Go ye also into, the vineyard ] At this hour the penitent thief was sent in, and he bestirred him; for he justifies Christ, condemns himself, chides his fellow for railing, prays for a part in Paradise, &c.; he lived much in a little time. Howbeit, this is a singular example, one of the miracles wherewith Christ would honour the ignominy of his cross. Neither is it often seen or read about, that old men are converted. They are usually so set in sin, that they are hardly removed; such a hoof they have over their hearts, that scarce anything will affect them. Abraham in the Old Testament, and Nicodemus in the New, were called in their old age. Name a third he that can. Conversion (as divines observe) usually occurs between 18 years of age and 28, when men have less of the world, which afterward steals away affection.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 20:7 . : these words said this time with marked emphasis = you too go , though it be so late. This employer would probably be talked of among the workers as a man who had a hobby a character; they might even laugh at his peculiar ways. The clause about payment in T. R. is obviously out of place in this case. The pay the last gang were entitled to was not worth speaking about.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
no man = no one.
us. These were the heralds of the gospel of the kingdom, immediately before the close of the dispensation of the Acts. See Act 17:34; Act 18:2, Act 18:8, Act 18:10, Act 18:18, Act 18:24; Act 19:6-8, Act 19:20; Act 20:1, Act 20:4, Act 20:17; Act 21:8, Act 21:16. But, as the Nation refused the call to repent (Act 28:25, Act 28:26), “the eleventh hour” is still future, awaiting the proclamation foretold in Mat 24:14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mat 20:7. , us) This suits the Gentiles.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Because: Act 4:16, Act 17:30, Act 17:31, Rom 10:14-17, Rom 16:25, Eph 2:11, Eph 2:12, Eph 3:5, Eph 3:6, Col 1:26
Go: Mat 22:9, Mat 22:10, Ecc 9:10, Luk 14:21-23, Joh 9:4
and: Eph 6:8, Heb 6:10
Reciprocal: Mat 20:3 – standing Mat 20:9 – they received
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
20:7
He asked them why they were idle and they said that no man had offered them any work. That being a valid explanation, the house holder engaged them to work with the same promise he made the ones hired from the third hour and on through the day. The use that is made of the “eleventh hour” item is entirely off of the purpose of the parable, but because of the widespread idea existing concerning it, I think it will be well to give some notice to It. The error to which I refer is the doctrine that a person professing repentance on his deathbed should be compared to these men in the eleventh hour. There is no comparison for these men went to work as soon as they had an opportunity while the deathbed man had been offered work by the Gospel ever since he was of responsible age. Also, these men had whatever was left of the eleventh hour and all of the twelfth to work, while the deathbed man has let the whole day of life go by and he has no opportunity to work at all.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 20:7. Because no man hired us. The eleventh hour laborers are accepted, but they were mainly those who had no opportunity at an earlier period.