Matthew:20:1-16

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rwp @Matthew:20:1 @{For } (\gar \). The parable of the house illustrates the aphorism in strkjv @19:30 |. {A man that is a householder } (\anthr “p “i oikodespot ˆi \). Just like \anthr “p “i basilei \ (18:23 |). Not necessary to translate \anthr “p “i \, just "a householder ." rwp @Matthew:20:1 @{Early in the morning } (\hama pr “i \). A classic idiom . \Hama \ as an "improper " preposition is common in the papyri . \Pr “i \ is just an adverb in the locative . At the same time with early dawn , break of day , country fashion for starting to work . {To hire } (\misth “sasthai \). The middle voice aorist tense , to hire for oneself . rwp @Matthew:20:2 @{For a penny a day } (\ek d ˆnariou t ˆn h ˆmeran \). See on ¯18:28 |. "Penny " is not adequate , "shilling " Moffatt has it . The \ek \ with the ablative represents the agreement (\sunph “n ˆsas \) with the workmen (\ergat “n \). "The day " the Greek has it , an accusative of extent of time . rwp @Matthew:20:3 @{Standing in the marketplace idle } (\hest “tas agor ƒi argous \). The market place was the place where men and masters met for bargaining . At Hamadan in Persia , Morier in _Second Journey through Persia_ , as cited by Trench in his _Parables_ , says : "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 ." rwp @Matthew:20:4 @{Whatsoever is right } (\ho ean ˆi dikaion \). "Is fair " (Allen ), not anything he pleased , but a just proportionate wage . Indefinite relative with subjunctive \ean =an \. rwp @Matthew:20:6 @{All the day idle } (\hol ˆn t ˆn h ˆmeran argoi \). Extent of time (accusative ) again . \Argoi \ is \a \ privative and \ergon \, work , no work . The problem of the unemployed . rwp @Matthew:20:10 @{Every man a penny } (\ana d ˆnarion kai autoi \). Literally , "themselves also a denarius apiece " (distributive use of \ana \). Bruce asks if this householder was a humorist when he began to pay off the last first and paid each one a denarius according to agreement . False hopes had been raised in those who came first who got only what they had agreed to receive . rwp @Matthew:20:11 @{They murmured } (\egogguzon \). Onomatopoetic word , the meaning suiting the sound . Our words murmur and grumble are similar . Probably here inchoative imperfect , began to grumble . It occurs in old Ionic and in the papyri . rwp @Matthew:20:12 @{Equal unto us } (\isous autous h ˆmin \). Associative instrumental case \h ˆmin \ after \isous \. It was a regular protest against the supposed injustice of the householder . {The burden of the day and the scorching wind } (\to baros t ˆs h ˆmeras kai ton kaus “na \). These last "did " work for one hour . Apparently they worked as hard as any while at it . A whole day 's work on the part of these sweat-stained men who had stood also the sirocco , the hot , dry , dust-laden east wind that blasted the grain in Pharaoh 's dream (Genesis:41:6 |), that withered Jonah 's gourd (Jonah:4:8 |), that blighted the vine in Ezekiel 's parable (Ezekiel:17:10 |). They seemed to have a good case . rwp @Matthew:20:13 @{To one of them } (\heni aut “n \). Evidently the spokesman of the group . "Friend " (\hetaire \). Comrade . Songs:a kindly reply to this man in place of an address to the whole gang . strkjv @Genesis:31:40 ; strkjv @Job:27:21 ; strkjv @Hosea:13:15 |. The word survives in modern Greek . rwp @Matthew:20:14 @{Take up } (\aron \). First aorist active imperative of \air “\. Pick up , as if he had saucily refused to take it from the table or had contemptuously thrown the denarius on the ground . If the first had been paid first and sent away , there would probably have been no murmuring , but "the murmuring is needed to bring out the lesson " (Plummer ). The \d ˆnarius \ was the common wage of a day labourer at that time . {What I will } (\ho thel “\). This is the point of the parable , the _will_ of the householder . {With mine own } (\en tois emois \). In the sphere of my own affairs . There is in the _Koin ‚ _ an extension of the instrumental use of \en \. rwp @Matthew:20:15 @{Is thine eye evil ?} (\ho ophthalmos sou pon ˆros estin ?\) See on ¯6:22-24 | about the evil eye and the good eye . The complainer had a grudging eye while the householder has a liberal or generous eye . See strkjv @Romans:5:7 | for a distinction between \dikaios \ and \agathos \. rwp @Matthew:20:16 @{The last first and the first last } (\hoi esch ƒtoi pr “toi kai hoi pr “toi eschatoi \). The adjectives change places as compared with strkjv @19:30 |. The point is the same , though this order suits the parable better . After all one 's work does not rest wholly on the amount of time spent on it . "Even so hath Rabbi Bun bar Chija in twenty-eight years wrought more than many studious scholars in a hundred years " (Jer . _Berak . _ ii . 5c ).

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