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Matthew

About this book
Chapter 20

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.⁠ 2 And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When it was about nine o’clock in the morning, he went out again and saw others standing around in the marketplace without work. 4 He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. When he went out again about noon and three o’clock that afternoon, he did the same thing. 6 And about five o’clock that afternoon he went out and found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day without work?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go and work in the vineyard too.’ 8 When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages starting with the last hired until the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each received a full day’s pay.⁠ 10 And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each one also received the standard wage. 11 When they received it, they began to complain against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship and burning heat of the day.’ 13 And the landowner replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for the standard wage? 14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last man the same as I gave to you. 15 Am I not permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”⁠ 17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the 12 aside privately and said to them on the way, 18 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law. They will condemn him to death, 19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely and crucified. Yet on the third day, he will be raised.” 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling down she asked him for a favor. 21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, “Permit these two sons of mine to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He told them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right and at my left is not mine to give. Rather, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 Now when the other 10 heard this, they were angry with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. 26 It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed them. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” 31 The crowd scolded them to get them to be quiet. But they shouted even more loudly, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Texts in conversation

Compare Matthew 20:9 and Jerusalem Berakhot 2.8

New Testament · Rabbinic

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Summary

In Matthew 20, Jesus' parable describes an owner who pays his workers the same wage, regardless of when they were hired. A similar parable is found in tractate Berakhot in the Jerusalem Talmud, highlighting a common Jewish method of teaching.

Passages

Matthew 20:9

New Testament
8 When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages starting with the last hired until the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each received a full day’s pay. 10 And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each one also received the standard wage. 11 When they received it, they began to complain against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship and burning heat of the day.’ 13 And the landowner replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for the standard wage? 14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last man the same as I gave to you.
70–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Matthew

Jerusalem Berakhot 2.8

Rabbinic · Jerusalem Talmud
When Rebbi Abun bar Rebbi Ḥiyya One of the frequently quoted authorities of the Jerusalem Talmud, a student of Rebbi Yoḥanan and Rebbi Zeïra; he died young as his eulogy shows. died, Rebbi Zeïra ascended his pulpit and eulogized him: (Eccl. 5:11) “Sweet is the year of the worker.” It does not say here “sleeps” but “whether he eats little or much.” To what can Rebbi Bun bar Ḥiyya be likened? To a king who hired many workers and there was one worker who was exceptionally productive in his work. What did the king do? He took him and walked with him the long and the short. In the evening, the workers came to receive their wages and he gave him his total wages with them. The workers complained and said: we were toiling the entire day and this one did toil only for two hours and he gave him his total wages with us! The king told them: This one produced in two hours more than what you produced all day long. So Rebbi Bun produced in Torah in 28 years what an outstanding Or, with the Arabic ותֹיק “constant, resolute”. student cannot learn in a hundred years.
375–425 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Jerusalem Berakhot

References

"... When evening came, laborers were to be paid on the day they performed the work (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14–15). Owner, Greek “kyrios,” “Lord” (compare Pirkei Avot 2:14). Beginning with the last, the owner sets up the first hired to believe they will receive more than those hired last. 12: You have made them equal to us, the issue is not when one follows Jesus, but that one does so. 13: Friend, not necessarily indicating friendliness (22:12; 26:50). Rabbinic sources offer a similar story of equal wages for differing durations (Jerusalem Berakhot 2:8) ..."
Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds., The Jewish Annotated New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), 36.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Comments

  • The piece from the Jerusalem Berakhot 2.8 is dated 375-425 C.E.
    One commentary I read suggested that this is where where Matthew got the parable in Matt 20.9.
    But that does not fit, does it?

    Hilary Wakeman, August 22, 2023

  • Hilary, the dates here are probably when it was written but the oral traditions go back even further

    Anonymous, September 2, 2023

Matthew 20:9 and Jerusalem Berakhot 2.8

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