Matthew:20

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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 ). rwp @Matthew:20:17 @{Apart } (\kat ' idian \). This is the prediction in Matthew of the cross (16:21 ; strkjv @17:22 ; strkjv @20:17 |). "Aside by themselves " (Moffatt ). The verb is \parelaben \. Jesus is having his inward struggle (Mark:10:32 |) and makes one more effort to get the Twelve to understand him . rwp @Matthew:20:19 @{And to crucify } (\kai staur “sai \). The very word now . The details fall on deaf ears , even the point of the resurrection on the third day . rwp @Matthew:20:20 @{Then } (\tote \). Surely an inopportune time for such a request just after the pointed prediction of Christ 's crucifixion . Perhaps their minds had been preoccupied with the words of Jesus (19:28 |) about their sitting on twelve thrones taking them in a literal sense . The mother of James and John , probably Salome , possibly a sister of the Master 's mother (John:19:25 |), apparently prompted her two sons because of the family relationship and now speaks for them . {Asking a certain thing } (\aitousa ti \). "Asking something ," "plotting perhaps when their Master was predicting " (Bruce ). The "something " put forward as a small matter was simply the choice of the two chief thrones promised by Jesus (19:28 |). rwp @Matthew:20:22 @{Ye know not what ye ask } (\ouk oidate ti aiteisthe \). How often that is true . \Aiteisthe \ is indirect middle voice , "ask for yourselves ," "a selfish request ." {We are able } (\dunametha \). Amazing proof of their ignorance and self-confidence . Ambition had blinded their eyes . They had not caught the martyr spirit . rwp @Matthew:20:23 @{Ye shall drink } (\piesthe \). Future middle from \pin “\. Christ 's cup was martyrdom . James was the first of the Twelve to meet the martyr 's death (Acts:12:2 |) and John the last if reports are true about him . How little they knew what they were saying . rwp @Matthew:20:24 @{Moved with indignation } (\ˆganakt ˆsan \). A strong word for angry resentment . In the papyri . The ten felt that James and John had taken advantage of their relation to Jesus . rwp @Matthew:20:25 @{Called them unto him } (\proskalesamenos autous \). Indirect middle again , calling to him . rwp @Matthew:20:26 @{Would become great } (\hos an thel ˆi megas genesthai \). Jesus does not condemn the desire to become great . It is a laudable ambition . There are "great ones " (\megaloi \) among Christians as among pagans , but they do not "lord it over " one another (\katakurieuousin \), a LXX word and very expressive , or "play the tyrant " (\katexousiazousin \), another suggestive word . {Your minister } (\h –m “n diakonos \). This word may come from \dia \ and \konis \ (dust ), to raise a dust by one 's hurry , and so to minister . It is a general word for servant and is used in a variety of ways including the technical sense of our "deacon " in Php . strkjv @1:1 |. But it more frequently is applied to ministers of the Gospel (1Corinthians:3:5 |). The way to be "first " (\pr “tos \), says Jesus , is to be your "servant " (\doulos \), "bond-servant " (verse 27 |). This is a complete reversal of popular opinion then and now . rwp @Matthew:20:28 @{A ransom for many } (\lutron anti poll “n \). The Son of man is the outstanding illustration of this principle of self-abnegation in direct contrast to the self-seeking of James and John . The word translated "ransom " is the one commonly employed in the papyri as the price paid for a slave who is then set free by the one who bought him , the purchase money for manumitting slaves . See examples in Moulton and Milligan 's _Vocabulary_ and Deissmann 's _Light from the Ancient East_ , pp . 328f . There is the notion of exchange also in the use of \anti \. Jesus gave his own life as the price of freedom for the slaves of sin . There are those who refuse to admit that Jesus held this notion of a substitutionary death because the word in the N .T . occurs only here and the corresponding passage in strkjv @Mark:10:45 |. But that is an easy way to get rid of passages that contradict one 's theological opinions . Jesus here rises to the full consciousness of the significance of his death for men . rwp @Matthew:20:29 @{From Jericho } (\apo Iereich “\). Songs:Mark:10:46 |. But Luke (Luke:18:35 |) places the incident as they were drawing near to Jericho (\eis Iereich “\). It is probable that Mark and Matthew refer to the old Jericho , the ruins of which have been discovered , while Luke alludes to the new Roman Jericho . The two blind men were apparently between the two towns . Mark (Mark:10:46 |) and Luke (Luke:18:35 |) mention only one blind man , Bartimaeus (Mark ). In Kentucky there are two towns about a half mile apart both called Pleasureville (one Old Pleasureville , the other New Pleasureville ). rwp @Matthew:20:30 @{That Jesus was passing by } (\hoti I ˆsous paragei \). These men "were sitting by the wayside " (\kath ˆmenoi para ten hodon \) at their regular stand . They heard the crowd yelling that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by (\paragei \, present indicative of direct discourse retained in the indirect ). It was their one opportunity , now or never . They had heard of what he had done for other blind men . They hail him as "the son of David " (the Messiah ). It is just one of many such incidents when Jesus stood still and opened their eyes , so many that even the multitude was impatient with the cries of these poor men that their eyes be opened (\anoig “sin \, second aorist passive subjunctive ). rwp @Matthew:20:34 @{Touched their eyes } (\h ˆpsato t “n ommat “n \). A synonym for \ophthalm “n \ in strkjv @Mark:8:23 | and here alone in the N .T . In the LXX and a common poetic word (Euripides ) and occurs in the papyri . In modern Greek \matia mou \ (abbreviation ) means "light of my eye ," "my darling ." The verb \haptomai \ is very common in the Synoptic Gospels . The touch of Christ 's hand would sooth the eyes as they were healed .

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