Matthew 20:14

Mat 20:14. Τὸ σὸν, that which is THINE) There is an evident contrast intended between these words and ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς, with MY OWN, in the following verse.—ὕπαγε, Depart) This expression is not addressed to those who came at the eleventh hour.—θέλω, I will) The force of this word is very great.[882] See Mat 20:15, and cf. Gnomon on Mar 12:38.—ΤΟΎΤῼ Τῷ ἘΣΧΆΤῼ, to this last) The expression is repeated from the speech of the murmurer, but used in the singular number, and applied to the last of the last. Every one who is envious, envies some one individually.—σοὶ, to thee) The addition, “who hast borne the burden and heat of the day,” is not repeated.

[882] i.e. denoting the absolute freedom of GOD’S Grace, and the entire sovereignty of His Will.—(I. B.)

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 20:14 . ἆρον τὸ σὸν , take thine, thy stipulated denarius. It looks as if this particular worker had refused the penny, or was saucily handing it back. θέλω , I choose, it is my pleasure; emphatically spoken. Summa hujus verbi potestas , Beng. τούτῳ τ . ἐσχ .: one of the eleventh-hour men singled out and pointed to.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(14) Take that thine is, and go thy way.—The tone of dismissal is natural and intelligible in the parable. The question, What answers to it in God’s dealings with men? is not so easy to answer. If the “penny” which each received was the gift of eternal life, did those who answered to the murmuring labourers receive that, or were they excluded by their discontent from all share in it? Was the money which they received as “fairy-gold” that turned to a withered leaf in the hands of its thankless possessor? The answer is, perhaps, to be found in the thought that that reward lies in the presence of God to the soul of the disciple, and that this depends for its blessedness on the harmony between the character of the believer and the mind of God. Heaven is not a place, but a state, its happiness is not sensual but spiritual, and those who are in it share its blessedness in proportion as they are like God and see Him as He is. It is only perfect when their charity is like His.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?.... External gifts and outward privileges, such as enjoying the word and ordinances, are God's own; and he may, as he does, bestow them on whom he will, and when and where he pleases; as he gave them to the Jews, and continued them many hundred years, when the Gentiles were utterly with them destitute of them; and as he has bestowed them in a more abundant manner for a long time on the Gentiles, whilst the Jews despise and reject them. Special grace is his own, which he gives to whom he pleases; it is by his own grace, and not the merits of men, that any are chosen, adopted, justified, pardoned, regenerated, and called; that they have faith, hope, love, repentance, or perform new obedience from a new heart, and new principles. Heaven and glory is his own, of his own preparing and giving; and both grace and glory are disposed of, and that very rightly and lawfully, according to his sovereign good will and pleasure: he chooses, adopts, justifies, pardons, regenerates, calls, and sanctifies whom he pleases; and brings what sons to glory he thinks fit, and bestows it equally upon them: and in so doing, does no wrong, or any injustice to any of his creatures; not to the fallen angels, by choosing some of their species, and confirming them in their original constitution; and by leaving them, the fallen angels, in their apostasy; nor by making provision for fallen man, and not them, nor by punishing them with everlasting destruction; nor do they ever complain of any wrong being done them: nor to non-elect men; for none of Adam's race have any right to grace or glory, and therefore no wrong is done to any of them, by withholding them from them, whereby nothing is taken from them, and given to others; and by punishing them for sin; nor to any elect men, by making others partners with them; since they are all alike by nature, unworthy of grace and glory, and deserving of wrath: what is enjoyed by any of them, is of mere grace, and not through merit; and one has not a whit the less, for what the other is possessed of; so that there is no room for envy, murmuring, and complaint:

is thine eye evil because I am good? An "evil eye", is opposed to a good eye, frequently in Jewish writings, as a "good eye" signifies beneficence and liberality; hence it is said (c).

"He that gives a gift, let him give it "with a good eye"; bountifully and generously; and he that devoteth anything, let him devote it with a "good eye",''

cheerfully and freely: so an "evil eye" intends envy and covetousness, as it does here: and the sense is, art thou envious at the good of others, and covetous and greedy to monopolize all to thyself, because I am liberal, kind, and beneficent? Men are apt to complain of God, and charge his procedures in providence and grace, with inequality and injustice; whereas he does, as he may, all things according to his sovereign will, and never contrary to justice, truth, and goodness; though he is not to be brought to man's bar, and men should submit to his sovereignty.

(c) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 65. 1. & 71. 1. & 72. 1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

Ver. 14. Take that thine is, and go] A fearful sentence. David blesseth himself from those men of God’s hand, which have their portion here, and that is all they are to look for, Psa 17:14. Valde protestatus sum, said Luther, when great gifts were offered him, me nolle sic a Deo satiari. A gracious spirit cannot rest satisfied with low things. The Turkish empire, as big as it is, saith the same Luther, is nothing else but a crust of bread, which the goodman of the house casteth to his dogs: Turc. Imp. quantum quantum est, nihil est nisi panis mica, quam dives paterfamilias proiecit canibus. Luther.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Take that thine is - Take what is justly due to you what is properly your own.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

I will also give. Some are called to the service of their God, and to a life of virtue, from their infancy, whilst others, by a powerful call from above, are converted late in life, that the former may have no occasion to glory in themselves, or to despise those who, even in the 11th hour, enter upon the path of rectitude; and that all might learn that there is time sufficient, however short, left them to repair by their diligence and fervour their past losses. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. lxv.) --- Jesus Christ does not count so much the number of years, as the fervour and diligence we employ in his service. Calvin is rather unhappy in his choice of this parable to prove his favourite tenet, that salvation is not the reward of good works, but of faith alone, or predestination, since Jesus Christ represents heaven as given wholly as a just reward of meritorious labour in the vineyard, though some labour a shorter, and others a longer time, and God of his great goodness may give more to some than to others, while to all He gives at least their due. And a truly humble Christian will be ever satisfied with his lot, without envying that of others. (Haydock) --- As star differeth from star in glory in the firmament, (1 Corinthians xv. 41,) so will there be different degrees of glory in heaven. (St. Augustine, de virgin. chap. xxvi.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

14. Go thy way — To a low reward or to none at all, for thy mercenary, exacting, heartless, graceless service.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Take that thine is; thine own. Take your agreed wages, and go; there is nothing more to be said. I will (yelw de) give; but it is my will to give. The lord defends his conduct on the ground that such is his will and pleasure. By it he injures nobody, he benefits many; who should presume to censure him?

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

It is my will to give to this last called among the heathens even as to the first called among the Jews: yea, and to the late converted publicans and sinners, even as to those who, were called long before.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

14.] ἑταῖρε, at first sight a friendly word merely, assumes a more solemn aspect when we recollect that it is used in ch. 22:12 to the guest who had not the wedding garment; and in ch. 26:50 by our Lord to Judas.

ὕπαγε hardly denotes (as Stier in his 1st edn.) expulsion and separation from the householder and his employment: it is here only a word of course, commanding him to do what a paid labourer naturally should do.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14. Take what is thine, and go: it is my will to give to this latest (comer) even as to thee.]

(L)

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Take [αρον] . Lit., as Rev., take up, as if the money had been laid down for him on a table or counter.

I will give [θελω δουναι] . But, as in other cases in the A. V., this may be mistaken for the simple future of the verb; whereas there are two verbs. Therefore, Rev., rightly, It is my will to give. See on Mt 14:32.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.