Matthew 20 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionaldashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The laborers in the vineyard — the last first 20:1–16

vv. 1–7 — five hirings, dawn to the eleventh hour

For the kingdom of heaven is like a man, a householder,independent — the γάρ hooks the parable to 19:30 — the last/first maxim it will unpack; ch. 19's speech continues

who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.relative — ὅστις ≈ ὅς — the dawn hiring; the vineyard, Israel's stock image (Isa 5)

And having agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day,participial — preposed aorist participle — the fixed contract, a denarius the standard day-wage; leans on ἀπέστειλεν

he sent them into his vineyard.independent — the first group dispatched — theirs alone is a bargained wage

And going out about the third hour,participial — preposed circumstantial — the second trip, about 9 a.m.; leans on εἶδεν

he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,independent — ἀργούς — workless, not lazy; the perfect ἑστῶτας pictures settled waiting

and to them he said:independent — the speech-frame for the second offer

'You also go into the vineyard,content — καὶ ὑμεῖς — you too; the command repeated to each new group

and whatever is right I will give you.'content — no fixed sum — only the pledge of δίκαιον, the parable's moral fulcrum

So they went.independent — οἱ δέ — trust without a contract

Again going out about the sixth and ninth hour,participial — preposed circumstantial — trips three and four; leans on ἐποίησεν

he did likewise.independent — noon and 3 p.m. compressed into one ὡσαύτως

And about the eleventh hour, going out,participial — the last trip, about 5 p.m. — one working hour left; leans on εὗρεν

he found others standing,independent — still the same perfect posture — a whole day of waiting

and he says to them:independent — historic present λέγει — the dialogue quickens

'Why have you stood here idle all day?'content — the perfect ἑστήκατε — the day-long idleness pressed as a question

They say to him:independent — historic present — the exchange continues

'Because no one has hired us.'content — causal ὅτι answering the 'why' — idle by neglect, not by choice

He says to them:independent — historic present — the fifth sending

'You also go into the vineyard.'content — no wage named at all — the Byzantine 'and you will receive what is right' is not read

vv. 8–10 — evening: payment begins from the last

And when evening had come,participial — genitive absolute — payday: the Law requires wages by sundown (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:15)

the lord of the vineyard says to his steward:independent — historic present; ὁ κύριος — the owner now 'lord,' the parable's God-figure

'Call the laborerscontent — the summons to settlement

and pay them their wage,content — ἀπόδος — render what is due; μισθός, the keyword

beginning from the last up to the first.'participial — the payment order is the point — the reversal staged before the first-hired's eyes

And when those of about the eleventh hour came,participial — preposed participle carrying its subject — leans on ἔλαβον

they each received a denarius.independent — distributive ἀνά — a full day's wage for one hour

And when the first came,participial — the same preposed frame — but a different expectation; leans on ἐνόμισαν

they supposedindependent — νομίζω — the mistaken inference of proportion

that they would receive more;content — future retained in indirect discourse — a bonus assumed

and they also received a denarius each.independent — τὸ ἀνὰ δηνάριον — exactly the contracted coin, no more

vv. 11–16 — the grumbling, the defense, the verdict

And on receiving it,participial — preposed aorist participle — pay in hand, protest on lips; leans on ἐγόγγυζον

they grumbled against the householder,independent — iterative imperfect ἐγόγγυζον — Israel's wilderness murmur-verb (Exod 16)

saying:participial — speech-participle — the frame for the complaint

'These last worked one hour,content — disdainful οὗτοι — μίαν ὥραν fronted against ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν

and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'content — ἴσους — the offense is equality, not underpayment; the grievance at grace

But he answered one of them and said:independent — the Semitic 'answered and said' — one grumbler stands for all

'Friend, I am doing you no wrong.content — ἑταῖρε — courteous but distancing (cf. 22:12; 26:50); justice denied as the issue

Did you not agree with me for a denarius?content — the contract of v. 2 recalled — honored to the letter

Take what is yourscontent — τὸ σόν — the wage that is rightfully his

and go.content — the dismissal — the case is closed

But I choose to give to this last one as also to you.content — θέλω — the sovereign will that grounds the generosity

Or is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is mine?content — the owner's right over his own — the editions divide over the word order here

Or is your eye evilcontent — the 'evil eye' — Semitic idiom for envy (Deut 15:9; Matt 6:23)

because I am good?'cause — ἀγαθός — begrudged not for injustice but for sheer goodness

So the last will be first, and the first last.independent — the verdict — 19:30 reversed in order and sealed; the Byzantine 'many are called, few chosen' (from 22:14) is not read here

The third passion prediction 20:17–19

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,participial — preposed present participle — the pilgrim ascent underway; leans on παρέλαβεν

he took the twelve disciples aside privately,independent — κατ' ἰδίαν — the passion is insiders' teaching

and on the way he said to them:independent — ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ — on the road of the cross; the speech-frame

'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,content — ἰδού + futuristic present — the destination named, the disciples included

and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes,content — παραδοθήσεται — the passion keyword as divine passive

and they will condemn him to death,content — the Sanhedrin's sentence — stage one of the prediction

and will hand him over to the Gentilescontent — stage two — Jewish court to Roman executioners; παραδίδωμι doubled

to be mocked and scourged and crucified,purpose — εἰς τό + three infinitives — crucifixion named for the first time in Matthew

and on the third day he will be raised.'content — ἐγερθήσεται — the divine passive again; the prediction ends in dawn

The sons of Zebedee — greatness as service 20:20–28

vv. 20–23 — the request and the cup

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons,independent — Τότε — hard on the passion prediction; Matthew gives the request to the mother (in Mark 10:35 the sons ask outright)

kneeling and asking something of him.participial — προσκυνοῦσα — homage before petition; the τι held back a beat

And he said to her:independent — the invitation to name the request

'What do you want?'content — the question that will return at v. 32 — put here to ambition

She says to him:independent — historic present — the petition voiced

'Saycontent — εἰπέ — she asks for a decree

that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.'content — ἵνα-content of the decree — the two thrones flanking the Messiah, sought at the brink of the cross

But Jesus answered and said:independent — the answer goes past the mother to the sons (plural οἴδατε)

'You do not knowcontent — the diagnosis — ignorance, not merely presumption

what you are asking.content — indirect question — the middle αἰτεῖσθε, asking for themselves

Are you able to drink the cupcontent — the ποτήριον — the OT cup of suffering and wrath (Isa 51:17; cf. 26:39)

that I am about to drink?'relative — μέλλω — the passion imminent; the baptism clause of the later text (from Mark 10:38) is not read

They say to him:independent — historic present — the brothers answer for themselves

'We are able.'content — glib assent — they will learn what the cup holds

He says to them:independent — historic present — the μέν…δέ verdict

'My cup you will indeed drink,content — μέν — the prophecy honored: James by the sword (Acts 12:2)

but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give,content — δέ — the articular infinitive as subject; the Son declines what is not his to grant

but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.'content — elliptical — '[it is given] to those'; ἡτοίμασται, the Father's settled appointment

vv. 24–28 — the ten indignant; greatness inverted, the ransom

And when the ten heard it,participial — preposed aorist participle — leans on ἠγανάκτησαν

they were indignant at the two brothers.independent — ingressive aorist — their anger is the same ambition in another key

But Jesus called them to him and said:independent — προσκαλεσάμενος — all twelve gathered for the lesson

'You knowcontent — the appeal to what they already see in the world

that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,content — κατακυριεύουσιν — the κατά-compound of domination

and their great ones exercise authority over them.content — κατεξουσιάζουσιν — the second κατά-compound; greatness as power-over

It shall not be so among you.content — imperatival future ἔσται (read against the later ἔστω) — the flat prohibition

But whoever would be great among youconditional — conditional relative (ὃς ἐάν ≈ ἐάν τις) — leans forward on ἔσται

shall be your servant,content — διάκονος — greatness redefined as table-service

and whoever would be first among youconditional — the parallel raised — 'great' intensified to 'first'

shall be your slave;content — δοῦλος — servant deepened to slave; the highest rank, the lowest station

just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,comparative — ὥσπερ — the christological ground: the pattern is his own mission

and to give his life a ransom for many.purpose — λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν — substitution stated with ἀντί; Isa 53's 'many'; the cross of vv. 17–19 interpreted

The two blind men at Jericho 20:29–34

vv. 29–31 — the cry that will not be silenced

And as they were going out from Jericho,participial — genitive absolute — the last stop before the ascent's end; leans on ἠκολούθησεν

a great crowd followed him.independent — the Passover pilgrims thronging the road up

And behold, two blind men sitting by the road,independent — ἰδού-presentation — the subject suspended until ἔκραξαν; Matthew's two where Mark has one Bartimaeus

when they heard that Jesus was passing by,participial — preposed participle with its content clause — the one chance seized; leans on ἔκραξαν

cried out,independent — ingressive aorist — the shout breaks out

saying:participial — speech-participle — the frame for the plea

'Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!'content — the messianic title from blind mouths — they see what the sighted miss, on the eve of the entry

But the crowd rebuked them,independent — the obstacle — the crowd guards its procession

that they should be silent;purpose — ἵνα — the aim of the rebuke

but they cried out the more,independent — adverbial μεῖζον — persistence, the faith the story commends

saying:participial — the frame repeated

'Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!'content — the cry verbatim — only louder

vv. 32–34 — the question, the touch, the following

And Jesus, stopping,participial — στάς — the whole procession halted for two beggars; leans on ἐφώνησεν

called themindependent — the summons — the crowd's barrier overruled

and said:independent — the speech-frame

'What do you want me to do for you?'content — τί θέλετε — the very question of v. 21, now put to need rather than ambition; deliberative ποιήσω without ἵνα

They say to him:independent — historic present — the answer is immediate

'Lord, that our eyes may be opened.'content — ἵνα for the implied 'we ask' — the petition bare and concrete; suspended matrix

And Jesus, moved with compassion,participial — σπλαγχνισθείς — gut-deep pity, the motive named; leans on ἥψατο

touched their eyes,independent — ὀμμάτων — the rarer, poetic word for eyes; the servant-Lord's touch

and immediately they regained their sightindependent — εὐθέως — instant and complete

and followed him.independent — ἠκολούθησαν — the healed join the road to Jerusalem; the one who came to serve (v. 28) has served to the last

Analysis. Matthew 20 opens mid-speech: the γάρ of v. 1 hooks the vineyard parable straight onto the maxim of 19:30, so the whole parable (vv. 1–16) runs as coordinate discourse lines flush left — there is no verb of saying in this chapter for it to hang under — with its internal dialogue nesting normally beneath the owner's εἶπεν and λέγει (the historic presents flagged as they land). The layout's repeated figure is the preposed aorist participle leaning anchor-less on the verb below (συμφωνήσας, ἐξελθών three times over, ἐλθόντες twice, λαβόντες) — the engine of the owner's five trips to the marketplace and the two pay-lines; the grumbling of vv. 11–12 answers as a complaint catena under λέγοντες, the owner's defense (vv. 13–15) hangs as a run of blue lines under one εἶπεν, and the depth-0 verdict of v. 16 seals it. The passion prediction (vv. 17–19) is a flat catena under εἶπεν, with the triple purpose-string εἰς τὸ ἐμπαῖξαι καὶ μαστιγῶσαι καὶ σταυρῶσαι on its own line — crucifixion named for the first time in Matthew. In the Zebedee scene the parallel indefinite relatives ὃς ἐὰν θέλῃ (vv. 26–27) are treated as forward-leaning conditional protases above their imperatival-future apodoses, and the ransom-saying is set as a ὥσπερ clause grounding δοῦλος, with καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν given its own climactic line. Cruxes the layout inherits: v. 16 stands without the Byzantine 'many are called, few chosen' (drawn from 22:14); vv. 22–23 lack the baptism clause assimilated from Mark 10:38–39; ἔσται in v. 26 is read ('shall be,' an imperatival future) rather than ἔστω; the elliptical ἀλλ' οἷς ἡτοίμασται of v. 23 and the verbless ἵνα-petition of v. 33 are marked suspended, their matrix verbs implied.