Matthew 21 · Verse 29

Matthew 21:29

He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
Matthew 21:29, King James Version

Matthew 21:29 in other translations

BSB‘I will not,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went.
WEBHe answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went.
ASVAnd he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented himself, and went.
YLTAnd he answering said, ‘I will not,' but at last, having repented, he went.
DARBYAnd he answering said, I will not; but afterwards repenting himself he went.
BBEAnd he said in answer, I will not: but later, changing his decision, he went.
WebsterHe answered and said, I will not; but afterward he repented, and went.

What does Matthew 21:29 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
29. He answered and said, I will not--Trench notices the rudeness of this answer, and the total absence of any attempt to excuse such disobedience, both characteristic; representing careless, reckless sinners resisting God to His face.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 29. Mt 21:28

(r) "but afterward" 2Chr 33:12,13, 1Cor 6:11, Eph 2:1-13

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 29 I will not - This is the general reply of every sinner to the invitations of God; and, in it, the Most High is treated without ceremony or respect. They only are safe who persist not in the denial.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 21:28-32

Parables which give reproof, speak plainly to the offenders, and judge them out of their own mouths. The parable of the two sons sent to work in the vineyard, is to show that those who knew not John's baptism to be of God, were shamed by those who knew it, and owned it. The whole human race are like children whom the Lord has brought up, but they have rebelled against him, only some are more plausible in their…

Read the full comment on Matthew 21:28-32 →

Matthew 21:29 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
εἶπεν·eipenhe said;G2036
οὐouNotG3756
θέλω·thelōI want to;G2309
ὕστερονhusteronAfterwardG5306
δὲdehoweverG1161
μεταμεληθεὶςmetamelētheishaving repentedG3338
ἀπῆλθεν.apēlthenhe went.G565

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

Cross references for Matthew 21:29

  • Ezekiel 18:28-32

    Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? …

  • Daniel 4:34-37

    And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

  • Ephesians 2:1-13

    And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, …

  • Matthew 3:2-8

    And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, …

  • Isaiah 1:16-19

    Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

  • Jonah 3:2

    Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

  • Acts 26:20

    But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

  • 2 Chronicles 33:10-19

    And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God. …

  • Jonah 3:8-10

    But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

  • Jeremiah 44:16

    As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee.

  • Matthew 21:31

    Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

  • Ephesians 4:17-19

    This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I will not.
31; Jer 44:16; Eph 4:17-19
he repented.
3:2-8; 2Ch 33:10-19; Isa 1:16-19; 55:6,7; Eze 18:28-32; Da 4:34-37
Jon 3:2,8-10; Lu 15:17,18; Ac 26:20; 1Co 6:11; Eph 2:1-13

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

Context

  • Matthew 21:28

    But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

  • Matthew 21:29

    He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

  • Matthew 21:30

    And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

Read all of Matthew 21

Matthew 21:29 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y respondiendo él, dijo: No quiero; mas después, arrepentido, fué.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et lui, répondant, dit: Je ne veux pas; mais après, ayant du remords, il y alla.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Er aber antwortete und sprach: Ich will nicht; danach aber gereute es ihn, und er ging hin.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Ille autem respondens, ait: Nolo. Postea autem, pœnitentia motus, abiit.