St Matthew Chapter XX : Verses 1-16
Contents
- Matt. xx. 1-16. Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
- Notes on the text.
Matt. xx. 1-16
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| The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. Rembrandt. 1637. The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia. |
Simile est regnum cælorum homini patrifamilias, qui exiit primo mane conducere operarios in vineam suam.
2 And having agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Conventione autem facta cum operariis ex denario diurno, misit eos in vineam suam.
3 And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market place idle.
Et egressus circa horam tertiam, vidit alios stantes in foro otiosos,
4 And he said to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and I will give you what shall be just.
et dixit illis : Ite et vos in vineam meam, et quod justum fuerit dabo vobis.
5 And they went their way. And again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did in like manner.
Illi autem abierunt. Iterum autem exiit circa sextam et nonam horam : et fecit similiter.
6 But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he saith to them: Why stand you here all the day idle?
Circa undecimam vero exiit, et invenit alios stantes, et dicit illis : Quid hic statis tota die otiosi?
7 They say to him: Because no man hath hired us. He saith to them: Go you also into my vineyard.
Dicunt ei : Quia nemo nos conduxit. Dicit illis : Ite et vos in vineam meam.
8 And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward: Call the labourers and pay them their hire, beginning from the last even to the first.
Cum sero autem factum esset, dicit dominus vineæ procuratori suo : Voca operarios, et redde illis mercedem incipiens a novissimis usque ad primos.
9 When therefore they were come, that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Cum venissent ergo qui circa undecimam horam venerant, acceperunt singulos denarios.
10 But when the first also came, they thought that they should receive more: and they also received every man a penny.
Venientes autem et primi, arbitrati sunt quod plus essent accepturi : acceperunt autem et ipsi singulos denarios.
11 And receiving it they murmured against the master of the house,
Et accipientes murmurabant adversus patremfamilias,
12 Saying: These last have worked but one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, that have borne the burden of the day and the heats.
dicentes : Hi novissimi una hora fecerunt, et pares illos nobis fecisti, qui portavimus pondus diei, et æstus.
13 But he answering said to one of them: Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny?
At ille respondens uni eorum, dixit : Amice, non facio tibi injuriam : nonne ex denario convenisti mecum?
14 Take what is thine, and go thy way: I will also give to this last even as to thee.
Tolle quod tuum est, et vade : volo autem et huic novissimo dare sicut et tibi.
15 Or, is it not lawful for me to do what I will? is thy eye evil, because I am good?
Aut non licet mihi quod volo, facere? an oculus tuus nequam est, quia ego bonus sum?
16 So shall the last be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.
Sic erunt novissimi primi, et primi novissimi. Multi enim sunt vocati, pauci vero electi.
Notes
Note. — This parable must be taken in connection with the last verse of the preceding chapter, which it illustrates, and concludes: [Vide: 30 And many that are first, shall be last: and the last shall be first.
Multi autem erunt primi novissimi, et novissimi primi.]
Our Lord here gives a more fully developed answer to St Peter’s question, What therefore shall we have ?
1. The kingdom of heaven is like, etc. God acts towards those whom He calls to the Faith, much as a householder deals with vinedressers whom he hires to work in his vineyard. Whenever the kingdom of heaven is likened to a person or thing, it represents the Church militant. (See xiii. 24, 44.)
who went out, etc. The labourers do not apply for work. So it is in the kingdom of heaven. God chooses and calls souls to Himself. Cf. A man cannot receive anything unless it he given him from heaven (St John iii. 27). You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you (Ibid., xv. 16).
early in the morning. Lit. “with the dawn”(ἅμα πρωῒ). He went out at the close of the last night-watch.
to hire labourers. Morier, in his Second Journey through Persia, p. 265, mentions having noted in the market-place at Hamadam a custom like that mentioned in the parable : — “ Here we observed every morning, before the sun rose, that a numerous band of peasants were collected, with spades in their hands, waiting to be hired for the day to work in the surrounding fields. This custom struck me as a most happy illustration of our Saviour’s parable, particularly when, passing by the same place late in the day, we still found others standing idle, and remembered His words, “ Why stand ye here all the day idle ?” as most applicable to their situation ; for, on putting the very same question to them, they answered us, “ Because no man hath hired us.”
into his vineyard. We find elsewhere the same comparison used by our Lord (see xxi. 28, 33). In the Old Testament the Church is also likened to a vineyard (see Ps. Ixxix. 9 ; Is. v. 1 ; Jer. xii. 10).
At the time of the vintage there was a great demand for labourers, but this does not seem to be the case contemplated here, as so many labourers were standing idle.
2. a penny a day. A denarius, a silver coin worth from 7½d. to 8½d. of our English money. In the time of our Lord this was the daily wage of a Roman soldier (Tacitus, Annal., i. 17). This sum would have purchased more in those times, when money had a higher value than now.
3. third hour. The Jews divided the day into four principal divisions, called “hours.” These “great ’’hours at the vernal equinoxes (when the Pasch was celebrated) were as follows : —
First hour, 6-9 a.m.
Second hour, 9-12 a.m.
Third hour, 12-3 p.m.
Fourth hour, 3-6 p.m.
As these “great” hours were counted from sunrise to sunset, their length varied with the different seasons. These principal divisions were evidently subdivided (probably by the Romans), since St Matthew speaks of the “eleventh ” hour.
4. I will give you, etc. As one-fourth of the day had passed, these labourers would probably expect three-fourths of the daily wage. The labourers of the later hours made no agreement with the householder.
5. went their way. Better, “ they went off,” — i.e. into the vineyard (οἱ δὲ ἀπῆλθον).
sixth and the ninth hour. These labourers would expect respectively a half and a quarter of a day’s pay.
6. eleventh hour. One hour before sunset, the time for leaving off work. These last comers could not expect very much.
7. because no man hath hired us. Had those men been in the market-place betimes they would have found employment, since the householder on each occasion seems to have engaged those who were standing idle.
8. And when evening, etc. The Mosaic law enjoined that hired labourers should be paid their wages at sunset.
Cf. But thou shalt pay him the price of his labour the same day, before the going down of the sun, because he is poor, and with it maintaineth his life, lest he cry against thee to the Lord and it be reputed to thee for a sin (Deut. xxiv. 15. See also Lev. xix. 13 ; Job vii. 2 ; Tob. iv. 15).
his steward. It was the steward’s office to look after all monetary transactions. The steward represents Jesus Christ. Cf. All things are delivered to me by my Father (supra, xi. 27).
their hire. The penny given to the late-comers was not regarded as a gratuitous bounty, but as their wages.
beginning from the last, etc. The labourers are paid in the reverse order to that in which they were hired.
Note. — There is no mention whatever of some having worked better than others, nor of the first comers having worked negligently.
9. every man a penny. The steward, in giving to each one a penny, obeyed his Lord’s orders. So all receive eternal life, provided they persevere to the end in the service of God, and die in His grace.
But when the first also came, etc. The payment was made, not according to the length of time the labourers had worked, but according to the estimate which the Lord had formed of the value of the services rendered.
they should receive more. Since those who arrived at the eleventh hour received the wages due to a day’s work, those who had begun at dawn expected more than they had agreed to accept.
11. they murmured. Better, “they were murmuring” (ἐγόγγυζον), a word used in the Old Testament to express rebellious and discontented feelings. Cf. They believed not his word, they murmured in their tents (Ps. cv. 25).
12. these last. Their tone is scornful, “these fellows who came last” (Οὗτοι οἱ ἔσχατοι).
burden of the day and of the heats. The Revised Version renders this more correctly, — “ The burden of the day and the scorching heat.” The Greek word (καύσωνα) here translated “of the heats” signifies literally the burning wind. In the noonday hours the intense heat of the sun renders outdoor labour very hard and exhausting. St James speaks of this burning heat (i. 11). Those who only worked one hour, had the coolest part of the day.
13. he answering said to one of them. The lord of the vineyard condescended to expostulate with one of the first comers. He singled out one, perhaps the leader, but the rest would gather round to listen.
Friend. This word does not necessarily imply a friendly feeling. It answers to our word “ comrade,” “ associate.” Here, however, though the master rebukes his labourers, he is favourably disposed towards them, since they have served him well, and he pays them liberally. This same word was addressed to the man who came into the marriage feast not having on a wedding garment (infra, xxii. 12), and also to Judas in the Garden of Gethsemani (xxvi. 50).
14. go thy way. These words merely indicate that the lord of the vineyard declines to speak any more on the subject. He does not dismiss them in anger, nor refuse their services in future.
I will also give. This is the only reason the lord gives— his good pleasure.
15. to do what I will ? The Greek text adds here, “ with regard to what is mine ” (ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς).
is thy eye evil, etc. ? An “ evil eye ” was a synonym for “ envy.” Thus in the book of Proverbs, where the Douay version reads, Eat not with an envious man, the Authorized Version has. Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye (xxiii. 6), and again in xxviii. 22, where the Douay Version gives envieth others, the better rendering is hath an evil eye.
16. So shall the last, etc. This parable closes with the apothegm which introduced it.
many are called, etc. These words are wanting in א, B, and a few other Codices, but there is sufficient ground for accepting them here. Commentators differ considerably as to the meaning of these words, by which our Lord gives the application of the parable.
The two chief views held are as follows : —
(a) Though all the Jews were called to inherit the promises, but few would attain to this happiness.
(b) Many are called to a place of honour in the kingdom of God, i.e. in heaven, but few correspond to the call and attain that place.
Interpretation of the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard.
The Householder. God the Father.
The Market-place. The world.
The Vineyard. The Catholic Church.
The Labourers. The faithful.
The Steward. Jesus Christ.
The first, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hours. The different stages in life when men begin to serve God.
The Evening. The hour of death, or of the final judgment.
The Penny. Eternal life.
Lesson. — (a) Salvation is of grace, not of merit.
(b) Those who turn sincerely to God, even at the eleventh hour, i.e. after a life of sin, may hope for salvation.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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