independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionaldashed = verbless / suspended
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The laborers in the vineyard — the last first 20:1–16
vv. 1–7 — five hirings, dawn to the eleventh hour
1
Ὁμοία γάρ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ οἰκοδεσπότῃ,independent — the γάρ hooks the parable to 19:30 — the last/first maxim it will unpack; ch. 19's speech continues
ὅστις ἐξῆλθεν ἅμα πρωῒ μισθώσασθαι ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα αὐτοῦ.relative — ὅστις ≈ ὅς — the dawn hiring; the vineyard, Israel's stock image (Isa 5)
2
συμφωνήσας δὲ μετὰ τῶν ἐργατῶν ἐκ δηναρίου τὴν ἡμέρανparticipial — preposed aorist participle — the fixed contract, a denarius the standard day-wage; leans on ἀπέστειλεν
ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα αὐτοῦ.independent — the first group dispatched — theirs alone is a bargained wage
3
καὶ ἐξελθὼν περὶ τρίτην ὥρανparticipial — preposed circumstantial — the second trip, about 9 a.m.; leans on εἶδεν
εἶδεν ἄλλους ἑστῶτας ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ ἀργούς·independent — ἀργούς — workless, not lazy; the perfect ἑστῶτας pictures settled waiting
4
καὶ ἐκείνοις εἶπεν·independent — the speech-frame for the second offer
ὑπάγετε καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα,content — καὶ ὑμεῖς — you too; the command repeated to each new group
καὶ ὃ ἐὰν ᾖ δίκαιον δώσω ὑμῖν.content — no fixed sum — only the pledge of δίκαιον, the parable's moral fulcrum
5
οἱ δὲ ἀπῆλθον.independent — οἱ δέ — trust without a contract
πάλιν δὲ ἐξελθὼν περὶ ἕκτην καὶ ἐνάτην ὥρανparticipial — preposed circumstantial — trips three and four; leans on ἐποίησεν
ἐποίησεν ὡσαύτως.independent — noon and 3 p.m. compressed into one ὡσαύτως
6
περὶ δὲ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ἐξελθὼνparticipial — the last trip, about 5 p.m. — one working hour left; leans on εὗρεν
εὗρεν ἄλλους ἑστῶτας,independent — still the same perfect posture — a whole day of waiting
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς·independent — historic present λέγει — the dialogue quickens
τί ὧδε ἑστήκατε ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀργοί;content — the perfect ἑστήκατε — the day-long idleness pressed as a question
7
λέγουσιν αὐτῷ·independent — historic present — the exchange continues
ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἡμᾶς ἐμισθώσατο.content — causal ὅτι answering the 'why' — idle by neglect, not by choice
λέγει αὐτοῖς·independent — historic present — the fifth sending
ὑπάγετε καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα.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
8
ὀψίας δὲ γενομένηςparticipial — genitive absolute — payday: the Law requires wages by sundown (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:15)
λέγει ὁ κύριος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος τῷ ἐπιτρόπῳ αὐτοῦ·independent — historic present; ὁ κύριος — the owner now 'lord,' the parable's God-figure
κάλεσον τοὺς ἐργάταςcontent — the summons to settlement
καὶ ἀπόδος αὐτοῖς τὸν μισθὸνcontent — ἀπόδος — render what is due; μισθός, the keyword
ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἕως τῶν πρώτων.participial — the payment order is the point — the reversal staged before the first-hired's eyes
9
καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥρανparticipial — preposed participle carrying its subject — leans on ἔλαβον
ἔλαβον ἀνὰ δηνάριον.independent — distributive ἀνά — a full day's wage for one hour
10
καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ πρῶτοιparticipial — the same preposed frame — but a different expectation; leans on ἐνόμισαν
ἐνόμισανindependent — νομίζω — the mistaken inference of proportion
ὅτι πλεῖον λήμψονται·content — future retained in indirect discourse — a bonus assumed
καὶ ἔλαβον τὸ ἀνὰ δηνάριον καὶ αὐτοί.independent — τὸ ἀνὰ δηνάριον — exactly the contracted coin, no more
vv. 11–16 — the grumbling, the defense, the verdict
11
λαβόντες δὲparticipial — preposed aorist participle — pay in hand, protest on lips; leans on ἐγόγγυζον
ἐγόγγυζον κατὰ τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότουindependent — iterative imperfect ἐγόγγυζον — Israel's wilderness murmur-verb (Exod 16)
12
λέγοντες·participial — speech-participle — the frame for the complaint
οὗτοι οἱ ἔσχατοι μίαν ὥραν ἐποίησαν,content — disdainful οὗτοι — μίαν ὥραν fronted against ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν
καὶ ἴσους ἡμῖν αὐτοὺς ἐποίησας τοῖς βαστάσασι τὸ βάρος τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τὸν καύσωνα.content — ἴσους — the offense is equality, not underpayment; the grievance at grace
13
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς ἑνὶ αὐτῶν εἶπεν·independent — the Semitic 'answered and said' — one grumbler stands for all
ἑταῖρε, οὐκ ἀδικῶ σε·content — ἑταῖρε — courteous but distancing (cf. 22:12; 26:50); justice denied as the issue
οὐχὶ δηναρίου συνεφώνησάς μοι;content — the contract of v. 2 recalled — honored to the letter
14
ἆρον τὸ σὸνcontent — τὸ σόν — the wage that is rightfully his
καὶ ὕπαγε·content — the dismissal — the case is closed
θέλω δὲ τούτῳ τῷ ἐσχάτῳ δοῦναι ὡς καὶ σοί·content — θέλω — the sovereign will that grounds the generosity
15
ἢ οὐκ ἔξεστίν μοι ὃ θέλω ποιῆσαι ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς;content — the owner's right over his own — the editions divide over the word order here
ἢ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου πονηρός ἐστινcontent — the 'evil eye' — Semitic idiom for envy (Deut 15:9; Matt 6:23)
ὅτι ἐγὼ ἀγαθός εἰμι;cause — ἀγαθός — begrudged not for injustice but for sheer goodness
16
οὕτως ἔσονται οἱ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι καὶ οἱ πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι.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
17
Καὶ ἀναβαίνων ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμαparticipial — preposed present participle — the pilgrim ascent underway; leans on παρέλαβεν
παρέλαβεν τοὺς δώδεκα μαθητὰς κατ' ἰδίαν,independent — κατ' ἰδίαν — the passion is insiders' teaching
καὶ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς·independent — ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ — on the road of the cross; the speech-frame
18
ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα,content — ἰδού + futuristic present — the destination named, the disciples included
καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθήσεται τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ γραμματεῦσιν,content — παραδοθήσεται — the passion keyword as divine passive
καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτὸν θανάτῳ,content — the Sanhedrin's sentence — stage one of the prediction
19
καὶ παραδώσουσιν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσινcontent — stage two — Jewish court to Roman executioners; παραδίδωμι doubled
εἰς τὸ ἐμπαῖξαι καὶ μαστιγῶσαι καὶ σταυρῶσαι,purpose — εἰς τό + three infinitives — crucifixion named for the first time in Matthew
καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθήσεται.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
20
Τότε προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἡ μήτηρ τῶν υἱῶν Ζεβεδαίου μετὰ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῆςindependent — Τότε — hard on the passion prediction; Matthew gives the request to the mother (in Mark 10:35 the sons ask outright)
προσκυνοῦσα καὶ αἰτοῦσά τι ἀπ' αὐτοῦ.participial — προσκυνοῦσα — homage before petition; the τι held back a beat
21
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ·independent — the invitation to name the request
τί θέλεις;content — the question that will return at v. 32 — put here to ambition
λέγει αὐτῷ·independent — historic present — the petition voiced
εἰπὲcontent — εἰπέ — she asks for a decree
ἵνα καθίσωσιν οὗτοι οἱ δύο υἱοί μου εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν σου καὶ εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων σου ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου.content — ἵνα-content of the decree — the two thrones flanking the Messiah, sought at the brink of the cross
22
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν·independent — the answer goes past the mother to the sons (plural οἴδατε)
οὐκ οἴδατεcontent — the diagnosis — ignorance, not merely presumption
τί αἰτεῖσθε.content — indirect question — the middle αἰτεῖσθε, asking for themselves
δύνασθε πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριονcontent — the ποτήριον — the OT cup of suffering and wrath (Isa 51:17; cf. 26:39)
ὃ ἐγὼ μέλλω πίνειν;relative — μέλλω — the passion imminent; the baptism clause of the later text (from Mark 10:38) is not read
λέγουσιν αὐτῷ·independent — historic present — the brothers answer for themselves
δυνάμεθα.content — glib assent — they will learn what the cup holds
23
λέγει αὐτοῖς·independent — historic present — the μέν…δέ verdict
τὸ μὲν ποτήριόν μου πίεσθε,content — μέν — the prophecy honored: James by the sword (Acts 12:2)
τὸ δὲ καθίσαι ἐκ δεξιῶν μου καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν τοῦτο δοῦναι,content — δέ — the articular infinitive as subject; the Son declines what is not his to grant
ἀλλ' οἷς ἡτοίμασται ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός μου.content — elliptical — '[it is given] to those'; ἡτοίμασται, the Father's settled appointment
vv. 24–28 — the ten indignant; greatness inverted, the ransom
24
καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ δέκαparticipial — preposed aorist participle — leans on ἠγανάκτησαν
ἠγανάκτησαν περὶ τῶν δύο ἀδελφῶν.independent — ingressive aorist — their anger is the same ambition in another key
25
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτοὺς εἶπεν·independent — προσκαλεσάμενος — all twelve gathered for the lesson
οἴδατεcontent — the appeal to what they already see in the world
ὅτι οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν ἐθνῶν κατακυριεύουσιν αὐτῶνcontent — κατακυριεύουσιν — the κατά-compound of domination
καὶ οἱ μεγάλοι κατεξουσιάζουσιν αὐτῶν.content — κατεξουσιάζουσιν — the second κατά-compound; greatness as power-over
26
οὐχ οὕτως ἔσται ἐν ὑμῖν,content — imperatival future ἔσται (read against the later ἔστω) — the flat prohibition
ἀλλ' ὃς ἐὰν θέλῃ ἐν ὑμῖν μέγας γενέσθαιconditional — conditional relative (ὃς ἐάν ≈ ἐάν τις) — leans forward on ἔσται
ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος,content — διάκονος — greatness redefined as table-service
27
καὶ ὃς ἂν θέλῃ ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι πρῶτοςconditional — the parallel raised — 'great' intensified to 'first'
ἔσται ὑμῶν δοῦλος·content — δοῦλος — servant deepened to slave; the highest rank, the lowest station
28
ὥσπερ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἦλθεν διακονηθῆναι ἀλλὰ διακονῆσαιcomparative — ὥσπερ — the christological ground: the pattern is his own mission
καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν.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
29
Καὶ ἐκπορευομένων αὐτῶν ἀπὸ Ἰεριχὼparticipial — genitive absolute — the last stop before the ascent's end; leans on ἠκολούθησεν
ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ ὄχλος πολύς.independent — the Passover pilgrims thronging the road up
30
καὶ ἰδοὺ δύο τυφλοὶ καθήμενοι παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν,independent — ἰδού-presentation — the subject suspended until ἔκραξαν; Matthew's two where Mark has one Bartimaeus
ἀκούσαντες ὅτι Ἰησοῦς παράγει,participial — preposed participle with its content clause — the one chance seized; leans on ἔκραξαν
ἔκραξανindependent — ingressive aorist — the shout breaks out
λέγοντες·participial — speech-participle — the frame for the plea
ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, κύριε, υἱὸς Δαυίδ.content — the messianic title from blind mouths — they see what the sighted miss, on the eve of the entry
31
ὁ δὲ ὄχλος ἐπετίμησεν αὐτοῖςindependent — the obstacle — the crowd guards its procession
ἵνα σιωπήσωσιν·purpose — ἵνα — the aim of the rebuke
οἱ δὲ μεῖζον ἔκραξανindependent — adverbial μεῖζον — persistence, the faith the story commends
λέγοντες·participial — the frame repeated
ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, κύριε, υἱὸς Δαυίδ.content — the cry verbatim — only louder
vv. 32–34 — the question, the touch, the following
32
καὶ στὰς ὁ Ἰησοῦςparticipial — στάς — the whole procession halted for two beggars; leans on ἐφώνησεν
ἐφώνησεν αὐτοὺςindependent — the summons — the crowd's barrier overruled
καὶ εἶπεν·independent — the speech-frame
τί θέλετε ποιήσω ὑμῖν;content — τί θέλετε — the very question of v. 21, now put to need rather than ambition; deliberative ποιήσω without ἵνα
33
λέγουσιν αὐτῷ·independent — historic present — the answer is immediate
κύριε, ἵνα ἀνοιγῶσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν.content — ἵνα for the implied 'we ask' — the petition bare and concrete; suspended matrix
34
σπλαγχνισθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦςparticipial — σπλαγχνισθείς — gut-deep pity, the motive named; leans on ἥψατο
ἥψατο τῶν ὀμμάτων αὐτῶν,independent — ὀμμάτων — the rarer, poetic word for eyes; the servant-Lord's touch
καὶ εὐθέως ἀνέβλεψανindependent — εὐθέως — instant and complete
καὶ ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ.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.