Matthew 20


Matthew 20 is the twentieth chapter in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Jesus continues his final journey through Perea and Jericho, heading towards Jerusalem, which he enters in the following chapter.

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 34 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
The New King James Version organises this chapter as follows:
The parable of the workers in the vineyard illustrates the aphorism in : Many who are first will be last, and the last first. Anglican theologian E. H. Plumptre argues that "the division of the chapter is here singularly unfortunate, as separating the parable both from the events which gave occasion to it and from the teaching which it illustrates. It is not too much to say that we can scarcely understand it at all unless we connect it with the history of the young ruler who had great possessions, and the claims which the disciples had made for themselves when they contrasted their readiness with his reluctance". Lutheran Pietist Johann Bengel argues, likewise, that a link is to be made with Peter's enquiry in : "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?"
The appointment of Jesus' twelve disciples to "sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" in "the regeneration" may also be contrasted with the request of the mother of Zebedee's children, possibly Salome, that the seats of Jesus' right and left in the kingdom of heaven to be allocated to James and John.

Verse 2

Bengel notes that the landowner deals with the first group of labourers by legal contract, promising to pay an agreed sum, and with the others more by mere liberality".

Verse 17

This verse continues the journey commenced in.
There are three typical readings of this verse:
The mother of Zebedee's sons, James and John, is known to have been Salome, "as we learn by comparing with ". Her request is described as "ambitious".

Departure from Jericho

Matthew's narrative portrays the healing of two blind men taking place as Jesus, his disciples and a great multitude leave Jericho, although their passage back over the River Jordan and their arrival in Jericho are not described. The Ethiopic version, uniquely, reads here "as they went out from Jerusalem".