King James Version
Matthew 20
34 verses with commentary
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.</strong> This opening verse introduces one of Jesus' most provocative parables about grace, reward, and kingdom priorities. The phrase "the kingdom of heaven is like" (<em>homoia gar estin hē basileia tōn ouranōn</em>) signals a parable revealing how...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**XX.**
(1) **For the kingdom.**—The division of the chapter is here singularly unfortunate, as separating the parable both from the events which gave occasion to it and from the teaching which it illustrates. It is not too much to say that we can scarcely understand it at all unless we connect it with the history of the young ruler who had great possessions, and the claims which the disciples had...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except, &c.--**See on Mt 5:32.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. penny: the Roman penny is the eighth part of an ounce, which after five shillings the ounce is seven pence halfpenny; about fourteen cents
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KJV Study Commentary
This text illustrates key Reformed principles: sola Scriptura, sola gratia, and sola fide. The passage demonstrates how God's Word speaks authoritatively to human need, revealing both our depravity and God's merciful provision through Christ.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **A penny a day.**—Measured by its weight, the “penny—*i.e.,* the Roman *denarius,* then the common standard of value in Palestine—was, as nearly as possible, sevenpence-halfpenny of our coinage. Its real equivalent, however, is to be found in its purchasing power, and, as the average price of the unskilled labour of the tiller of the soil, it may fairly be reckoned as equal to about half-a-cr...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry--**that is, "In this view of marriage, surely it must prove a snare rather than a blessing, and had better be avoided altogether."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse reveals profound theological truth central to Reformed understanding of Scripture. The passage demonstrates God's sovereignty and grace working through human circumstances. Christ's teaching here challenges contemporary religious assumptions while pointing to deeper spiritual realities.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **About the third hour.**—Reckoning the day after the Jewish mode, as beginning at 6 A.M., this would bring us to 8 A.M. The “market-place” of a town was the natural place in which the seekers for casual labour were to be found waiting for employment. In the meaning which underlies the parable we may see a reference to those who, like St. Matthew (Matthew 9:9) and the disciples called in Matth...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given--**that is, "That the unmarried state is better, is a saying not for everyone, and indeed only for such as it is divinely intended for." But who are these? they would naturally ask; and this our Lord proceeds to tell them in three particulars.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This text illustrates key Reformed principles: sola Scriptura, sola gratia, and sola fide. The passage demonstrates how God's Word speaks authoritatively to human need, revealing both our depravity and God's merciful provision through Christ.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Whatsoever is right.**—The absence of a definite contract in hiring the labourers who did less than the day’s work obviously involved an implicit trust in the equity of the householder. They did not stipulate for wages, or ask, as the disciples had asked, “What shall we have therefore?” The implied lesson thus suggested is, that a little work done, when God calls us, in the spirit of trust, ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12. For there are some eunuchs which were so born from their mother's womb--**persons constitutionally either incapable of or indisposed to marriage.
**and there are some eunuchs which were made eunuchs of men--**persons rendered incapable by others.
**and there be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake--**persons who, to do God's work better, deliberatel...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour</strong> (πάλιν ἐξελθὼν περὶ ἕκτην καὶ ἐνάτην ὥραν, <em>palin exelthōn peri hektēn kai enatēn hōran</em>)—The master's repeated going out (ἐξέρχομαι, <em>exerchomai</em>) emphasizes his active, persistent seeking of laborers. The sixth hour (noon) and ninth hour (3 PM) represent half-day and late-afternoon hirings, still offering substantial...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And about the eleventh hour he went out</strong> (περὶ δὲ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν ἐξελθών, <em>peri de tēn hendekatēn hōran exelthōn</em>)—The eleventh hour, approximately 5 PM in a workday that began at 6 AM, represents the final opportunity before sunset when work ceased. The master's going out at this late hour demonstrates grace's extravagance, seeking workers when only one hour remains. Th...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **About the eleventh hour.**—The working day, which did not commonly extend beyond twelve hours (John 11:9), was all but over, and yet there was still work to be done in the vineyard, all the more urgent because of the lateness of the hour. The labourers who had been first hired were not enough. Is there not an implied suggestion that they were not labouring as zealously as they might have don...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Because no man hath hired us</strong> (ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἡμᾶς ἐμισθώσατο, <em>hoti oudeis hēmas emisthōsato</em>)—The workers' response exonerates them from charges of laziness; they were available but overlooked. The verb μισθόω (<em>misthoō</em>, to hire) indicates contractual employment. Their exclusion was not moral failure but lack of opportunity—a situation mirroring Gentiles and sinners wh...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(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.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>So when even was come</strong> (ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης, <em>opsias de genomenēs</em>)—Evening marked the workday's end and, according to Mosaic law, the time when day-laborers must be paid (Lev. 19:13, Deut. 24:15). This timing emphasizes the master's legal righteousness and foreshadows eschatological judgment when each receives recompense.<br><br><strong>Call the labourers, and give them thei...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **When even was** **come.**—It was one of the humane rules of the Mosaic law that the day-labourer was to be paid by the day, and not made to wait for his wages (Deuteronomy 24:15). This law the householder keeps, and his doing so is a feature in his character.
**Beginning from the last unto the first.**—The order is not without its significance. It was a practical illustration of the words wh...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny</strong> (καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν ἔλαβον ἀνὰ δηνάριον, <em>kai elthontes hoi peri tēn hendekatēn hōran elabon ana dēnarion</em>)—The denarius (δηνάριον, <em>dēnarion</em>) was a full day's wage for agricultural labor, sufficient for a family's daily needs. The eleventh-hour workers r...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(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 day’s wages for their fraction of a day’s work. The standard of payment was qua...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more</strong> (καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ πρῶτοι ἐνόμισαν ὅτι πλεῖον λήμψονται, <em>kai elthontes hoi prōtoi enomisan hoti pleion lēmpsontai</em>)—The verb νομίζω (<em>nomizō</em>, to suppose, assume) indicates expectation based on human reasoning, not the master's promise. They had contracted for a denarius (v. 2), yet witnessing ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more.**—Up to this time we may think of the disciples as having listened with an eager interest, yet only half-perceiving, if at all, the drift of the parable, looking, it may be, for some payment to the first-called labourers proportionate to the duration of their service. Now, unless they were altogether blind, they mus...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house</strong> (λαβόντες δὲ ἐγόγγυζον κατὰ τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου, <em>labontes de egonguzon kata tou oikodespotou</em>)—The verb γογγύζω (<em>gonguzō</em>, to murmur, grumble) is the same used for Israel's wilderness complaints against God (Exod. 16:7-8, LXX). Their murmuring is not against fellow workers but <strong>agains...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **They murmured**—*i.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 Matthew 20:1, and the archaic English phrase is a needless variation.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. have wrought: or, have continued one hour only
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Saying, These last have wrought but one hour</strong> (λέγοντες ὅτι οὗτοι οἱ ἔσχατοι μίαν ὥραν ἐποίησαν, <em>legontes hoti houtoi hoi eschatoi mian hōran epoiēsan</em>)—The workers' complaint emphasizes the disparity: <em>one hour</em> versus a full day. Their calculation is mathematically accurate but spiritually blind. They reduce Kingdom service to time-tracking and merit-accumulation, ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **But one hour.**—Literally, in what was probably the technical language of labourers, *made but one hour:*
**The burden and heat of the day.**—The word rendered “heat” is elsewhere used—as in James 1:11, and the LXX. of Jonah 4:8—for the “burning wind” that often follows on the sunrise, and makes the labour of the first half of the day harder than that of the latter.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
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KJV Study Commentary
Reformed theology emphasizes the divine initiative evident in this text. The verse connects to broader biblical themes of covenant, redemption, and God's unchanging character. Understanding this passage requires recognizing both its historical context and its application to Christian life.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **Friend.**—The word so translated (literally, *comrade, companion*) always carries, with it in our Lord’s lips a tone of reproof. It is addressed to the man who had not on a wedding garment (Matthew 22:12), and to the traitor Judas (Matthew 26:50).
**I do thee no wrong.**—The answer of the house holder is that of one who is just where claims are urged on the ground of justice, generous where...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
Reformed theology emphasizes the divine initiative evident in this text. The verse connects to broader biblical themes of covenant, redemption, and God's unchanging character. Understanding this passage requires recognizing both its historical context and its application to Christian life.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **Take that thine is, and go thy way.**—The tone of dismissal is natural and intelligible in the parable. The question, What answers to it in God’s dealings with men? is not so easy to answer. If the “penny” which each received was the gift of eternal life, did those who answered to the murmuring labourers receive that, or were they excluded by their discontent from all share in it? Was the m...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This text illustrates key Reformed principles: sola Scriptura, sola gratia, and sola fide. The passage demonstrates how God's Word speaks authoritatively to human need, revealing both our depravity and God's merciful provision through Christ.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Is it not lawful** . . .?—The question is not that of one who asserts an arbitrary right; it appeals tacitly to a standard which none could question. As far as the labourer was concerned, the householder had a right to give freely of what was his own. He was responsible to God only. In the interpretation of the parable, God was Himself the Householder, and men ought to have sufficient faith...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus concludes the vineyard parable with 'the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.' This encapsulates sovereign grace—God rewards according to His generosity, not human merit. The phrase 'many be called, but few chosen' distinguishes external gospel call from effectual calling. Reformed doctrine of election sees here God's sovereign choice determining salva...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **So the last shall be first.**—This, then, is the great lesson of the parable, and it answers at once the question whether we are to see in it the doctrine of an absolute equality in the blessedness of the life to come. There also there will be some first, some last, but the difference of degree will depend, not on the duration of service, nor even on the amount of work done, but on the temp...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 20
Chapter Outline
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.(1-16)
Jesus again foretells his sufferings.(17-19)
The ambition of James and John.(20-28)
Jesus gives sight to two blind men near Jericho.(29-34)
**Verses 1-16**
The direct object of this parable seems to be, to show that though the Jews were first called into the vineyard, at length the gospel shoul...
Read full commentary →Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time
And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Jesus going up to Jerusalem</strong> (ἀναβαίνων εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα)—The verb <em>anabainōn</em> (going up) is geographically accurate, as Jerusalem sits 2,500 feet above sea level, but carries theological weight: this is the final ascent to the cross. <strong>Took the twelve disciples apart</strong> (παρέλαβεν τοὺς δώδεκα)—Jesus deliberately isolates the Twelve for private revelation, usin...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **And Jesus going up to Jerusalem.**—The narrative is not continuous, and in the interval between Matthew 20:16-17 we may probably place our Lord’s “abode beyond Jordan” (John 10:40), the raising of Lazarus, and the short sojourn in the city called Ephraim (John 11:54). This would seem to have been followed by a return to Persea, and then the journey to Jerusalem begins. The account in St. Ma...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-19**
Christ is more particular here in foretelling his sufferings than before. And here, as before, he adds the mention of his resurrection and his glory, to that of his death and sufferings, to encourage his disciples, and comfort them. A believing view of our once crucified and now glorified Redeemer, is good to humble a proud, self-justifying disposition. When we consider the ne...
Read full commentary →Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Behold, we go up to Jerusalem</strong> (Ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν)—The imperative <em>idou</em> (behold) demands attention for this climactic revelation. <strong>The Son of man shall be betrayed</strong> (παραδοθήσεται)—The divine passive <em>paradothēsetai</em> indicates God's sovereign hand behind Judas's treachery (Acts 2:23). <strong>Unto the chief priests and unto the scribes</strong>—The reli...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **Behold, we go up to Jerusalem.**—The words repeat in substance what had been previously stated after the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:22), but with greater definiteness. Jerusalem is to be the scene of His suffering, and their present journey is to end in it, and “the chief priests and scribes” are to be the chief actors in it, and “the Gentiles” are to be their instruments in it. The mockin...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-19**
Christ is more particular here in foretelling his sufferings than before. And here, as before, he adds the mention of his resurrection and his glory, to that of his death and sufferings, to encourage his disciples, and comfort them. A believing view of our once crucified and now glorified Redeemer, is good to humble a proud, self-justifying disposition. When we consider the ne...
Read full commentary →And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse reveals profound theological truth central to Reformed understanding of Scripture. The passage demonstrates God's sovereignty and grace working through human circumstances. Christ's teaching here challenges contemporary religious assumptions while pointing to deeper spiritual realities.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **And the third day he shall rise again.**—This, as before, came as a sequel of the prediction that seemed so terrible. The Master looked beyond the suffering to the victory over death, but the disciples could not enter into the meaning of the words that spoke of it. St. Luke, indeed (as if he had gathered from some of those who heard them what had been their state of feeling at the time), re...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-19**
Christ is more particular here in foretelling his sufferings than before. And here, as before, he adds the mention of his resurrection and his glory, to that of his death and sufferings, to encourage his disciples, and comfort them. A believing view of our once crucified and now glorified Redeemer, is good to humble a proud, self-justifying disposition. When we consider the ne...
Read full commentary →A Mother's Request
Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children</strong> (προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἡ μήτηρ)—Salome, likely Mary's sister and thus Jesus's aunt (compare Matthew 27:56, Mark 15:40, John 19:25), approaches with her sons James and John. <strong>Worshipping him</strong> (προσκυνοῦσα)—The participle <em>proskunousa</em> denotes reverent obeisance, yet the subsequent request reveals misunderstanding of J...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children.**—The state of feeling described in the previous Note supplies the only explanation of a request so strange. The mother of James and John (we find on comparing Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40, that her name was Salome) was among those who “thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear” (Luke 19:11); and probably the words so recent...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-28**
The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be...
Read full commentary →And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
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KJV Study Commentary
Reformed theology emphasizes the divine initiative evident in this text. The verse connects to broader biblical themes of covenant, redemption, and God's unchanging character. Understanding this passage requires recognizing both its historical context and its application to Christian life.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **The one on thy right hand.**—The favour which had already been bestowed might, in some degree, seem to warrant the petition. John was known emphatically as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; John 19:26; John 20:2), and if we may infer a general practice from that of the Last Supper (John 13:23), he sat near Him at their customary meals. James was one of the chosen three who had be...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-28**
The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be...
Read full commentary →But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Ye know not what ye ask</strong> (οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε)—Jesus's response exposes their fundamental ignorance; <em>ouk oidate</em> (you do not know) reveals spiritual blindness deeper than the physical blindness healed in verses 30-34. <strong>Are ye able to drink of the cup</strong> (δύνασθε πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριον)—The <em>potērion</em> (cup) metaphor saturates Old Testament judgment language...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **Ye know not what ye ask.**—The words come to us as spoken in a tone of infinite tenderness and sadness. That nearness to Him in His glory could be obtained only by an equal nearness in suffering. Had they counted the cost of that nearness?
**To drink of the cup that I shall drink of.**—The words that follow, “to be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with,” are not found in many of...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-28**
The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be...
Read full commentary →And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Ye shall drink indeed of my cup</strong> (τὸ μὲν ποτήριόν μου πίεσθε)—The emphatic <em>men</em> particle confirms their future martyrdom; Jesus prophesies that James and John will participate in His sufferings. Church history validates this: James was beheaded by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:2), becoming the first apostolic martyr; John suffered imprisonment and exile, likely dying naturally i...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) I**s not mine to give.**—The words in italics are, of course, not in the Greek, and they spoil the true construction of the sentence. Our Lord does not say that it does not belong to Him to give what the disciples asked, but that He could only give it according to His Father’s will and the laws which He had fixed. Considered as a prediction, there was a singular contrast in the forms of its f...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-28**
The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be...
Read full commentary →And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation</strong> (ἠγανάκτησαν)—The verb <em>ēganaktēsan</em> (were indignant) reveals intense displeasure, not righteous anger at James and John's presumption, but competitive jealousy. The ten were angry because they wanted the same privileged positions. <strong>Against the two brethren</strong> (περὶ τῶν δύο ἀδελφῶν)—The description <em...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **Against the two brethren.**—Literally, *concerning,* or *about.* The context shows that it was not a righteous indignation, as against that which was unworthy of true followers of Jesus, but rather the jealousy of rivals, angry that the two brothers should have taken what seemed an unfair advantage of our Lord’s known affection for them and for their mother.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 20 Mt 20:1-16. Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard.
This parable, recorded only by Matthew, is closely connected with the end of the nineteenth chapter, being spoken with reference to Peter's question as to how it should fare with those who, like himself, had left all for Christ. It is designed to show that while they would be richly rewarded, a certain equity would still be observed...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-28**
The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be...
Read full commentary →But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
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KJV Study Commentary
This text illustrates key Reformed principles: sola Scriptura, sola gratia, and sola fide. The passage demonstrates how God's Word speaks authoritatively to human need, revealing both our depravity and God's merciful provision through Christ.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles.**—No words of reproof could more strongly point the contrast between the true and the false views of the Messiah’s kingdom. The popular Jewish expectations, shared by the disciples, were really heathen in their character, substituting might for right, and ambition for the true greatness of service.
**Exercise dominion over them.**—Better, as in 1Pet...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny--**a usual day's hire.
he sent them into his vineyard.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-28**
The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be...
Read full commentary →But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus declares 'it shall not be so among you,' contrasting kingdom leadership with worldly power structures. Instead of exercising dominion, Christian leaders serve: 'whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister.' The Greek 'diakonos' (minister/servant) indicates one who serves others' needs. Reformed church government emphasizes servant leadership, not hierarchical domination. Grea...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **Whosoever will be great.**—Better, *whosoever wisheth to be great.* The man who was conscious, as the disciples were, of the promptings of ambition was at once to satisfy and purify them by finding his greatness in active service; not because that service leads to greatness of the type which natural ambition seeks for, but because it is in itself the truest and highest greatness.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. And he went out about the third hour--**about nine o'clock, or after a fourth of the working day had expired: the day of twelve hours was reckoned from six to six.
**and saw others standing idle in the market place--**unemployed.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-28**
The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be...
Read full commentary →And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus intensifies the servant leadership principle: 'whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.' The Greek 'doulos' (servant/slave) is stronger than 'diakonos' (minister) in verse 26—indicating one who belongs entirely to another. The greatest kingdom leaders are the most self-effacing servants. This radically inverts worldly hierarchies. Reformed ecclesiology sees here the patter...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **Whosoever will be chief.**—Better, *first,* as continuing the thought of Matthew 20:16. The “servant” (better, *slave*) implies a lower and more menial service than that of the “minister” of the preceding verse, just as the “chief” or “first” involves a higher position than the “greatness” there spoken of. We introduce a false antithesis if we assign the “service” to this life, and the “gre...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. And said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right--**just, equitable, in proportion to their time.
I will give you. And they went their way.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-28**
The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be...
Read full commentary →Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus presents Himself as the ultimate example: 'the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.' This verse encapsulates the gospel—Christ's incarnation, servanthood, and substitutionary atonement. The word 'ransom' (Greek 'lutron'—redemption price) indicates payment securing freedom from slavery. Reformed soteriology sees here penal substit...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **Not** **to be ministered unto.**—The words found a symbolic illustration when our Lord, a few days afterwards, washed the feet of the disciples who were still contending about their claims to greatness (John 13:3-4); and the manner in which St. John connects the act with our Lord’s manifested consciousness of His supreme greatness, seems to show that the words which we find here were then p...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour--**about noon, and about three o'clock in the afternoon.
**and did likewise--**hiring and sending into his vineyard fresh laborers each time.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-28**
The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be...
Read full commentary →Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And as they departed from Jericho</strong> (ἐκπορευομένων αὐτῶν ἀπὸ Ἰεριχώ)—The genitive absolute construction marks a geographical and theological transition. Jericho, Israel's gateway city 17 miles from Jerusalem, symbolizes the beginning of the final ascent to Calvary. <strong>A great multitude followed him</strong> (ὄχλος πολὺς)—The <em>ochlos polys</em> (large crowd) consisted of Pass...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **As they departed from Jericho.**—Looking back to Matthew 19:1, which speaks of our Lord having departed “beyond Jordan,” we may believe that He crossed the river with His disciples at the ford near Jericho (Joshua 2:7). On this assumption, the imagery of Matthew 20:22 may have been in part suggested by the locality. The river recalled the memory of His first baptism, by water; that led on t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. And about the eleventh hour--**but one hour before the close of the working day; a most unusual hour both for offering and engaging
**and found others standing idle, and saith, Why stand ye here all the day idle?--**Of course they had not been there, or not been disposed to offer themselves at the proper time; but as they were now willing, and the day was not over, and "yet there was room,"...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 29-34**
It is good for those under the same trial, or infirmity of body or mind, to join in prayer to God for relief, that they may quicken and encourage one another. There is mercy enough in Christ for all that ask. They were earnest in prayer. They cried out as men in earnest. Cold desires beg denials. They were humble in prayer, casting themselves upon, and referring themselves che...
Read full commentary →And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Two blind men sitting by the way side</strong> (δύο τυφλοὶ καθήμενοι παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν)—The <em>typhloì</em> (blind men) represent humanity's spiritual condition; <em>kathēmenoi</em> (sitting) suggests helpless resignation to their state. Their roadside position was strategic for begging from pilgrims. <strong>When they heard that Jesus passed by</strong> (ἀκούσαντες ὅτι Ἰησοῦς παράγει)—Hearin...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **Behold, two blind men sitting.**—Two difficulties present themselves on comparing this narrative with the accounts of the same or a similar event in St. Mark and St. Luke. (1.) The former agrees with St. Matthew as to time and place, but speaks of *one* blind man only, and gives his name as “Bartimseus, the son of Timaeus.” (2.) The latter speaks of one only, and fixes the time of the mirac...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 29-34**
It is good for those under the same trial, or infirmity of body or mind, to join in prayer to God for relief, that they may quicken and encourage one another. There is mercy enough in Christ for all that ask. They were earnest in prayer. They cried out as men in earnest. Cold desires beg denials. They were humble in prayer, casting themselves upon, and referring themselves che...
Read full commentary →And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the multitude rebuked them</strong> (ὁ δὲ ὄχλος ἐπετίμησεν αὐτοῖς)—The verb <em>epetimēsen</em> (rebuked) carries strong censure; the crowd actively silenced the blind men, considering their cries inappropriate or annoying. Religious crowds often obstruct rather than assist those seeking Jesus. <strong>Because they should hold their peace</strong> (ἵνα σιωπήσωσιν)—The purpose clause re...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31) **The multitude rebuked them.**—The silence of our Lord, the hushed reverence of the multitude, led men to look on the eager, clamorous supplication as intrusive. The entry of the Prophet about to claim His kingdom was not to be thus disturbed. But they were not to be silenced, and the litanies of Christendom for centuries have been modelled on the *Kyrie Eleïson* (“Lord, have mercy upon us”)...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. So when even was come--**that is, the reckoning time between masters and laborers (see De 24:15); pointing to the day of final account.
**the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward--**answering to Christ Himself, represented "as a Son over His own house" (He 3:6; see Mt 11:27; Joh 3:35; 5:27).
**Call the labourers and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first--**Re...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 29-34**
It is good for those under the same trial, or infirmity of body or mind, to join in prayer to God for relief, that they may quicken and encourage one another. There is mercy enough in Christ for all that ask. They were earnest in prayer. They cried out as men in earnest. Cold desires beg denials. They were humble in prayer, casting themselves upon, and referring themselves che...
Read full commentary →And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Jesus stood still</strong> (στὰς ὁ Ἰησοῦς)—The aorist participle <em>stas</em> signals an abrupt halt; Jesus, resolutely marching toward Jerusalem and the cross (v. 17), stops for marginalized beggars. This demonstrates His priorities: human need trumps schedule. <strong>And called them</strong> (ἐφώνησεν αὐτούς)—The verb <em>ephōnēsen</em> (called, summoned) indicates personal initiat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(32) **Jesus stood still, and called them.**—Or, as in St. Mark, *“*bade them be called,” the message being given specially to Bartimæus. St. Mark gives, with a graphic fulness, the very words of the message, “Be of good cheer, arise; He calleth thee,” and adds that the blind man flung off his outer cloak, or mantle, and leapt up and came to Jesus. All three Gospels give our Lord’s question in the...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny--**a full day's wages.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 29-34**
It is good for those under the same trial, or infirmity of body or mind, to join in prayer to God for relief, that they may quicken and encourage one another. There is mercy enough in Christ for all that ask. They were earnest in prayer. They cried out as men in earnest. Cold desires beg denials. They were humble in prayer, casting themselves upon, and referring themselves che...
Read full commentary →They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened</strong> (Κύριε, ἵνα ἀνοιχθῶσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν)—The blind men's request is specific, humble, and acknowledges dependence. <strong>That our eyes may be opened</strong> (ἵνα ἀνοιχθῶσιν)—The subjunctive aorist passive <em>anoichthōsin</em> recognizes that only Jesus can open their eyes; they cannot do this themselves. The passive voice im...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(33) **Lord.**—St. Mark (Mark 10:51, in the Greek), after his manner, gives the Hebrew word, Rabboni (comp. John 20:16), which Bartimæus actually uttered.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more--**This is that calculating, mercenary spirit which had peeped out--though perhaps very slightly--in Peter's question (Mt 19:27), and which this parable was designed once for all to put down among the servants of Christ.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 29-34**
It is good for those under the same trial, or infirmity of body or mind, to join in prayer to God for relief, that they may quicken and encourage one another. There is mercy enough in Christ for all that ask. They were earnest in prayer. They cried out as men in earnest. Cold desires beg denials. They were humble in prayer, casting themselves upon, and referring themselves che...
Read full commentary →So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse reveals profound theological truth central to Reformed understanding of Scripture. The passage demonstrates God's sovereignty and grace working through human circumstances. Christ's teaching here challenges contemporary religious assumptions while pointing to deeper spiritual realities.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(34) **So Jesus had compassion.**—Literally, *and Jesus.* It was not His purpose to meet the popular demand for signs and wonders, but compassion drew from Him the work of power which otherwise He would have shrunk from here. And then the two followed Him, glorifying God. In St. Luke’s narrative the incident is followed by the story of Zacchæus and the parable of the Pounds. Possibly (see Note on ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house--**rather, "the householder," the word being the same as in Mt 20:1.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 29-34**
It is good for those under the same trial, or infirmity of body or mind, to join in prayer to God for relief, that they may quicken and encourage one another. There is mercy enough in Christ for all that ask. They were earnest in prayer. They cried out as men in earnest. Cold desires beg denials. They were humble in prayer, casting themselves upon, and referring themselves che...
Read full commentary →