Matthew 20:7

7 They say to him, For no man hath hired us. He saith to them, Go ye also into my vineyard.

Matthew 20:7 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 20:7

They say unto him, because no man hath hired us
This may be fitly applied to the Gentiles, who hundreds of years were neglected by God; he overlooked the times of their ignorance, took no notice of them in their state of stupidity, blindness, and irreligion; but suffered them to walk in their own ways, sent no prophets to instruct them, nor messages, nor messengers to them; till at length the Jews, having rejected and crucified the Messiah, and persecuted his apostles, and contradicted, and blasphemed the Gospel, they were ordered to go to the Gentiles, and preach it to them:

he saith unto them, go ye also into the vineyard:
the Gospel was made the power of God unto salvation to them; they were called by grace, became of the same body the church, were fellow heirs with the believing Jews, partakers of the same promises and privileges, in a Gospel church state, and were equally labourers in the Lord's vineyard:

and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive;
with the rest of the labourers in it. This clause is left out in the Vulgate Latin, and in Munster's Hebrew Gospel; nor is it in Beza's most ancient Greek copy, though in all the rest; nor is it in the Persic version, which has added, "and they went", as they were bidden, into the vineyard, the call being effectual; but is retained in the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions.

Matthew 20:7 In-Context

5 Again he went out about the sixth hour, and the ninth, and did in like manner.

6 But about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing; and said to them, What stand ye idle here all day [What stand ye here idle all day]?

7 They say to him, For no man hath hired us. He saith to them, Go ye also into my vineyard.

8 And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his procurator, Call the workmen, and yield to them their hire, and begin thou at the last till to the first [beginning at the last till to the first].

9 And so when they were come, that came about the eleventh hour, also they took every each of them a penny. [+Therefore when they came, that had come about the eleventh hour, also they took even-pence, that is, every man a penny.]