Matthew 20 · Verse 13

Matthew 20:13

But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Matthew 20:13, King James Version

Matthew 20:13 in other translations

BSBBut he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Did you not agree with me on one denarius?
WEB“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius?
ASVBut he answered and said to one of them, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a shilling?
YLT‘And he answering said to one of them, Comrade, I do no unrighteousness to thee; for a denary didst not thou agree with me?
DARBYBut he answering said to one of them, My friend, I do not wrong thee. Didst thou not agree with me for a denarius?
BBEBut he in answer said to one of them, Friend, I do you no wrong: did you not make an agreement with me for a penny?
WebsterBut he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny?

What does Matthew 20:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. But he answered one of them--doubtless the spokesman of the complaining party. and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? &c.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 13. Friend, I do thee no wrong. I have fully complied with the contract. We had an agreement; I have paid it all. If I choose to give a penny to another man if he labours little or not at all; if I should choose to give all my property away to others, it would not affect this contract with you. It is fully met. And with my own-- with that on which you have no further claim--may do as I please. So, if Christians are just, and pay their lawful debts, and injure no one, the world has no right to complain if they give the rest of their property to the poor, or devote it to send the gospel to the heathen, or to release the prisoner or the captive. It is their own. They have a right to do with it as they please. They are answerable not to men, but to God. And infidels, and worldly men, and cold professors in the church, have no right to interfere.

(d) "Friend" Mt 22:12

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 Friend, I do thee no wrong - The salvation of the Gentiles can in itself become no impediment to the Jews; there is the same Jesus both for the Jew and for the Greek. Eternal life is offered to both through the blood of the cross; and there is room enough in heaven for all.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 20:1-16

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 should be preached to the Gentiles, and they should be admitted to equal privileges and advantages with the Jews. The parable may also be applied more generally, and shows, 1. That God is debtor to no man. 2. That many who begin last, and promise little in religion, sometimes, by the…

Read the full comment on Matthew 20:1-16 →

Matthew 20:13 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὁho<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheisansweringG611
ἑνὶhenito oneG1520
αὐτῶνautōnof themG846
εἶπεν·eipenhe said;G2036
ἑταῖρε,hetaireFriend,G2083
οὐκouknotG3756
ἀδικῶadikōI do wrongG91
σε·seyou;G4771
οὐχὶouchiSurelyG3780
δηναρίουdēnarioufor a denariusG1220
συνεφώνησάςsunephōnēsasyou did agree withG4856
μοι;moime?G3165

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 20:13

  • Matthew 26:50

    And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

  • Matthew 22:12

    And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

  • Romans 9:14-15

    What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

  • Job 34:8-12

    Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men. For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God. Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. …

  • Job 35:2

    Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

  • Genesis 18:25

    That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

  • Job 34:17-18

    Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just? Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

  • Job 40:8

    Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

  • Romans 9:20

    Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Friend.
22:12; 26:50
I do.
Ge 18:25; Job 34:8-12,17,18; 35:2; 40:8; Ro 9:14,15,20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 20:12

    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.

  • Matthew 20:13

    But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

  • Matthew 20:14

    Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

Read all of Matthew 20

Matthew 20:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y él respondiendo, dijo á uno de ellos: Amigo, no te hago agravio; ¿no te concertaste conmigo por un denario?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et lui, répondant, dit à l’un d’entre eux: Mon ami, je ne te fais pas tort: n’es-tu pas tombé d’accord avec moi pour un denier?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Er aber antwortete und sprach zu einem von ihnen: Freund, ich tue dir nicht unrecht. Bist du nicht um einen Denar mit mir übereingekommen?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		At ille respondens uni eorum, dixit: Amice, non facio tibi injuriam: nonne ex denario convenisti mecum?