Matthew 20:8

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and moving on to the first.’

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — At sunset, the vineyard owner instructs his foreman to summon the laborers for wage distribution.

The words — ὀψίας (opsias) denotes evening, marking the transition to payment, while κύριος (kurios) identifies the employer as the master who issues the command.

The thread — Deuteronomy 24:15 requires wages to be paid before sunset, establishing a baseline for fair compensation. The vineyard owner’s directive to begin with the last hired diverges from standard labor customs.

Why it lands — It demands that workers accept the employer’s payment order without demanding precedence based on tenure. The text establishes that distribution sequence is controlled by the one who holds the purse.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 24:15 You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
1 Peter 4:10 As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.
Romans 2:6 God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”
Genesis 15:2 But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
Genesis 39:4 Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.
Genesis 43:19 So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
Leviticus 19:13 You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.
Matthew 13:39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Matthew 25:19 After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
Matthew 25:31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.