But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Parallel translations
- WEB “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius?
- BSB But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Did you not agree with me on one denarius?
- NKJV But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
- NASB But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?
- NLT “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The landowner answers one worker, calling him 'friend,' and points out that he has done him no wrong. The master has fully kept his agreement.
Overview
The master gently but firmly reminds the complainer that he received exactly what was promised—a denarius. No injustice has been done; the grievance is really about generosity shown to others. This defends the truth that God's grace to some takes nothing away from what others justly receive.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Matt 22:12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
- Matt 26:50And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
- Rom 9:14–15What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
- Job 40:8Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
- Job 35:2Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?
- Job 34:17–18Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
- Job 34:8–12Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
- Gen 18:25That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
- Rom 9:20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 20:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.