And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
MATTHEW 20:9KJVWhat does Matthew 20:9 mean?
Matthew 20:9 describes how the workers who were hired late in the day—about the eleventh hour—each received a full day's wage, a "penny," just like those who had worked all day. This surprises the reader because these latecomers are paid the same as those who worked longer hours.
In this verse, Jesus is telling a parable to His disciples about a landowner hiring workers for his vineyard. The "eleventh hour" means very late in the workday, and yet these workers receive the same payment as those hired earlier. The story sets up a lesson about generosity, fairness, and how God’s ways can be different from human expectations.
The Greek behind Matthew 20:9
- ἑνδεκάτη (hendekátē, "eleventh"): This word marks the time as very late in the day, emphasizing how little these workers contributed compared to others. It highlights the unexpectedness of their reward.
- δηνάριον (dēnarion, "penny"): The "penny" here refers to a Roman denarius, which was the standard daily wage for a laborer. The use of this word shows that the landowner is treating the latecomers with the same generosity as those who worked all day.
Why Matthew 20:9 matters
- Matthew 20:9 challenges common ideas about fairness by showing that the landowner’s generosity does not depend on hours worked but on his own decision to give.
- The verse prepares the reader for the reaction of the earlier workers and the teaching point Jesus will make about the kingdom of heaven in the following verses.
- Understanding the cultural value of a "penny" (denarius) helps clarify that the payment was not a token amount, but a full, fair wage, making the landowner’s actions even more striking.