Matthew 20 · Verse 2

Matthew 20:2

And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Matthew 20:2, King James Version

Matthew 20:2 in other translations

BSBHe agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
WEBWhen he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
ASVAnd when he had agreed with the laborers for a shilling a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
YLTand having agreed with the workmen for a denary a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
DARBYAnd having agreed with the workmen for a denarius the day, he sent them into his vineyard.
BBEAnd when he had made an agreement with the workmen for a penny a day, he sent them into his vine-garden.
WebsterAnd when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

What does Matthew 20:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny--a usual day's hire. he sent them into his vineyard.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 2. A penny a day. The coin here referred to was a Roman coin, equal in value to about 14 cents, [about 7d.] The original denotes the Roman denarius, δηναριου a silver coin, which was originally equivalent to ten asses, (a brass Roman coin,) whence its name The consular denarius bore on one side a head of Rome, and an X or a star to denote the value in asses, and a chariot with either two or four horses. At a later period the casts of different deities were on the obverse; and these were finally superseded by the heads of the Caesars. Many specimens of this coin have been preserved. The preceding cuts will show the usual appearance of the coins.

It was probably at that time the price of a day's labour. See Tobit v. 14. This was the common wages of a Roman soldier. In England, before the discovery of the mines of gold and silver of South America, and consequently before money was plenty, the price of labour was about in proportion. In 1351, the price of labour was regulated by law, and was a penny a day. But provisions were of course proportionally cheap; and the avails of a man's labour in articles of food were nearly as much as they are now.

(x) "penny" Mt 18:28

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 A penny - A Roman coin, as noted before, Mat 18:28, worth about seven-pence halfpenny or seven-pence three farthings of our money, and equal to the Greek drachma. This appears to have been the ordinary price of a day's labor at that time. See Tobit 5:14. In 1351 the price of labor was regulated in this country by parliament; and it is remarkable that "corn-weeders and hay-makers, without meat, drink, or other courtesy demanded," were to have one penny per day! In 1314 the pay of a chaplain to the Scotch bishops, who were then prisoners in England, was three halfpence per day. See Fleetwood's Chronicon Precios, p. 123, 129. This was miserable wages, though things at that time were so cheap that twenty-four eggs were sold for a penny, p. 72; a pair of shoes for four-pence, p. 71; a fat goose for two-pence halfpenny, p. 72; a hen for a penny, p. 72; eight bushels of wheat for two shillings, and a fat ox for six shillings and eight-pence! Ibid. In 1336, wheat per quarter, 2s.; a fat sheep 6d.; fat goose, 2d. and a pig, 1d., p. 75.

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 20:2 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.

συμφωνήσαςsumphōnēsasHaving agreedG4856
δὲdethenG1161
μετὰmetawithG3326
τῶνtōntheG3588
ἐργατῶνergatōnworkmenG2040
ἐκekforG1537
δηναρίουdēnarioua denariusG1220
τὴνtēnfor theG3588
ἡμέρανhēmerandayG2250
ἀπέστειλενapesteilenhe sentG649
αὐτοὺςautousthemG846
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὸνtontheG3588
ἀμπελῶναampelōnavineyardG290
αὐτοῦ.autouof him.G846

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

Cross references for Matthew 20:2

  • Exodus 19:5-6

    Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

  • Matthew 22:19

    Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.

  • Luke 10:35

    And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

  • 2 Timothy 3:15

    And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

  • Matthew 18:28

    But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

  • 1 Samuel 2:18

    But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

  • 1 Kings 18:12

    And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth.

  • 1 Samuel 2:26

    And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.

  • 1 Samuel 16:11-12

    And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

  • 1 Kings 3:6-11

    And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? …

  • 2 Chronicles 34:3

    For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

  • Ecclesiastes 12:1

    Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he had.
13; Ex 19:5,6; De 5:27-30
a penny."The Roman penny is the eighth part of an ounce, which after five shillings the ounce is sevenpence halfpenny."
18:28; 22:19; *margins
Lu 10:35; Re 6:6
he sent.
1Sa 2:18,26; 3:1,21; 16:11,12; 1Ki 3:6-11; 18:12; 2Ch 34:3; Ec 12:1
Lu 1:15; 2Ti 3:15

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

Context

  • Matthew 20:1

    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.

  • Matthew 20:2

    And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

  • Matthew 20:3

    And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

Read all of Matthew 20

Matthew 20:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y habiéndose concertado con los obreros en un denario al día, los envió á su viña.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et étant tombé d’accord avec les ouvriers pour un denier par jour, il les envoya dans sa vigne.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Nachdem er aber mit den Arbeitern um einen Denar den Tag übereingekommen war, sandte er sie in seinen Weinberg.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Conventione autem facta cum operariis ex denario diurno, misit eos in vineam suam.