Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 20:9
And when they came that [were hired] about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
They received every man a penny – There was no agreement how much they should receive, but merely that justice should be done, Mat 20:4-5, Mat 20:7. The householder supposed they had earned it, or chose to make a present to them to compensate for the loss of the first part of the day, when they were willing to work, but could not find employment.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
9. And when they came that werehired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a pennyafull day’s wages.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour,…. Who were the last that were hired; and signify either such, as are called in their last days, in old age; or Gentile sinners; or the last of God’s elect, that will be called by grace, in the end of the world:
they received every man a penny: the same they first agreed for, that were hired early into the vineyard; and all, and every man alike, not one more and another less. So the same church privileges and immunities are common to all believers, Jews or Gentiles, sooner or later called; and equal title give to the same eternal life and happiness, which will be enjoyed alike, by one saint as another: they are all loved with the same everlasting love by God; they are chosen alike by him in his Son, at the same time, in the same way and manner, and to the same grace and glory; they are interested in the same covenant, in all the promises and blessings of it; they are bought with the same price of a Redeemer’s blood, are justified by the same righteousness, and are called in one hope of their calling; they are equally the sons of God, and their glory and happiness are always expressed by the same thing, as a kingdom, a crown, and inheritance, c. They are all equally heirs of the same kingdom and glory, and are born again to the same incorruptible inheritance, of which they will all be partakers they will all be called to inherit the same kingdom, they will sit on the same throne of glory, and wear the same crown of righteousness, and enjoy the same uninterrupted communion with Father, Son, and Spirit. Now, indeed, they have not the same measures of grace; some have more, others less; but in heaven, it will be alike, complete and perfect in all; and even now, they have the same grace for nature and kind, only it is not in all in the same exercise; now the saints are distinguished by the several stations and places in which they are; though they are members of the same body, they have not the same office, and have gifts differing from one another; but in the other state, all such offices and gifts will cease, and all will be upon an equal foot; be where Christ is, and behold his glory, and will stand in no need of each other’s instruction and help. Now the capacities of man are different, according to the different temperament of their bodies, their different education, opportunities, advantages, and stations in life, but in the other world, where this difference will be no more, every vessel of mercy being prepared for glory, will be equally capable of receiving it: and though there will be degrees of punishment in hell, proportionate to the sins of men, which the justice of God requires, yet it follows not, that there will be degrees in glory; since that is not proportioned to the works of men, but springs from the grace of God, and yet in a way of justice too, through the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ: and since the saints have an equal interest in these things, it seems that upon the foot of justice, they should equally enjoy all that happiness which these entitle them to.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) Every man a penny.The scale of payment rested on the law of a generous equity. The idleness of the labourers had been no fault of theirs, and the readiness with which they came at the eleventh hour implied that they would have come as readily had they been called at daybreak, and therefore they received a full days wages for their fraction of a days work. The standard of payment was qualitative, not quantitative. In the interpretation of the parable, the penny, as before, represents the eternal life of the kingdom of heaven. No true labourer could receive less; the longest life of labour could claim no more.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a denarius.”
When the men who had been employed at the eleventh hour came forward they expected very little, and they must have been astounded when He paid them a denarius. This was not what they had anticipated at all. They had expected only a fraction of a denarius. But we are to gather that the estate owner was a good and righteous man, and recognised that they had been without work through no fault of their own. And He also recognised that they would have families to feed. Thus He had determined to pay them enough to feed their families. The generosity of heart is intended to indicate that he is like God (compare Mat 5:45), and that He will meet sufficiently the needs of all His people (compare Mat 6:30). We are left to imagine the overflowing gratitude and praise that would fill their hearts.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 20:9 ff. . ] that is, those who, according to Mat 20:6 , were sent into the vineyard about the eleventh hour .
] more than a denarius, plainly not more denarii.
] used distributively; Winer, p. 372 [E. T. 496]. The article before ., Mat 20:10 (see critical notes), denotes: the sum amounting in each case to a denarius , so that in analyzing would require to be supplied.
According to Mat 20:10 f., they do not contemptuously decline to lift the denarius (Steffensen), but begin to murmur after receiving it (Mnchmeyer).
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Ver. 9. And when they came ] These last labourers were first paid, because they trusted not to the worth of their own works, but to God’s free grace and goodness; when the other are fumed off in displeasure, with Tolle quod tuum est, et vade: Take thy penny, and be packing.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
9. ] After supply .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 20:9 . , a denarius each ; is distributive = “accipiebant singuli denar.”. For this use of vide Herrmann’s Viger , p. 576.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
every man = each.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
9.] After supply .
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 20:9. , apiece) See Joh 2:6.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
received
(See Scofield “1Co 3:14”). Also, 1Co 9:24; 2Ti 4:7; 2Ti 4:8.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
they received: Mat 20:2, Mat 20:6, Mat 20:7, Luk 23:40-43, Rom 4:3-6, Rom 5:20, Rom 5:21, Eph 1:6-8, Eph 2:8-10, 1Ti 1:14-16
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
20:9
These “eleventh-hour” men did not know how much they were to receive, only that it was to be “whatever is right.” They made no complaint and hence showed a willingness to be fair and agreeable.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 20:9. They received every man a penny, or shilling. More than they expected. God does not measure His reward by the length of mans life, but by the fidelity of his services, for the labor is not to earn the reward but to prepare for it.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Mat 20:9. They that were hired about the eleventh hour Either the Gentiles, who were called long after the Jews into the vineyard, the Church of Christ; or those in every age who did not hear, or at least understand and obey, the gospel call, till their day of life was drawing to a period. Some circumstances of the parable seem best to suit the former, some the latter of these senses. All, whether of Jewish or Gentile race, on believing in Jesus, with their hearts unto righteousness, are admitted to the same gospel blessings of justification, adoption, regeneration, and communion with God on earth; (which, perhaps, may be first and principally intended by the penny a day, given to all that obey the call of Gods messengers, and enter the vineyard:) and all that by a patient continuance in well-doing, after their justification, seek for glory, honour, and immortality, shall undoubtedly obtain eternal life, Rom 2:7; not indeed as wages for the value of their work, but as the gift of God. Though there be degrees of glory in heaven, yet it will be to all a complete happiness. They that come from the east and the west, and so come in late, that are taken from the highways and the hedges, yet shall sit down with Abraham, &c., at the same feast, Mat 8:11. Every vessel will be full, though every vessel be not alike large and capacious. The giving of a whole days wages to those that had not done the tenth part of a days work, is designed to show that God distributes his rewards by grace, and not of debt.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
CONVERSION OF MATTHEW
Mat 20:9; Mar 2:13-14; & Luk 5:27-28. Mark: And He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He continued to teach them. And passing along He saw Levi, the son of Alpheus, sitting at the toll; and He says to Him, Follow Me. And rising, he followed Him. Luke: And leaving all things, rising, he followed Him. Matthew: Jesus, going on from thence, saw a man sitting at the toll called Matthew, and says to him, Follow Me, and rising up, he followed Him. This took place in the city of Capernaum, the home of Jesus, Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew, who is also called Levi. Here we have the very brief account of the conversion and call to the apostleship of Matthew, one of the writers of our Lord’s Gospel. He and John were apostles among the original Twelve, Mark serving as Peter’s amanuensis and Luke that of Paul. Matthew’s conversion, here so briefly given, is quite remarkable. He is not only in the bloom of youth, bat the incumbent of a lucrative office. He is no poor man, but he is rich, living in affluence, with the broadest possibilities of worldly aggrandizement spread out before him. He suddenly and unhesitatingly leaves all for a life of toil, poverty, and persecution, and a cruel death to wind up. Suddenly converted, we never afterward hear of his wavering. In the distribution of the world among the apostles, pursuant to the Commission, receiving Ethiopia as his field of labor, he faithfully went, and preached heroically till he sealed his faith with his blood, and flew up to join his Master in celestial glory.
We have now followed our Lord through the first year of His ministry, all of which He spent in Galilee, His home and favorite field, except about two months at the beginning. The Feast of the Passover, instituted and perpetuated to commemorate the Divine mercy shown to Israel the last night of their sojourn in Egypt, when the destroying angel came down and slew the firstborn in every house in all the land, but in mercy passing over the houses of Israel besprinkled with the blood of the slain lamb, symbolic of the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. Our Savior gave special attention and peculiar honor to this institution, beginning His ministry at a Passover, and winding it up at another three years subsequently, two Passovers intervening in the interim. Now, the first year of His ministry having passed away, the fame of His mighty works having filled Palestine and mightily stirred the Gentile world, till all eyes are turned toward Him, most momentous inquiries are everywhere ringing from the popular lip, Is not this the Shiloh of prophecy, the Christ of God, the Savior of the world, and the Redeemer of Israel? If He is not truly the Messiah who is to come, He is certainly the greatest prophet whom God has ever given to Israel.