Matthew 21:28
◄  Matthew 21:28  ►
New International Version (©2011)
"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'

New Living Translation (©2007)
"But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'

English Standard Version (©2001)
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.'

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
"But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, My son, go, work in the vineyard today.'

International Standard Version (©2012)
"But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.'

NET Bible (©2006)
"What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.'

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
“But how does it seem to you? A certain man had two sons and he called the first and said to him, 'My son, go work today in the vineyard.'”

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
"What do you think about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go to work in the vineyard today.'

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard.

American King James Version
But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

American Standard Version
But what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in the vineyard.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and coming to the first, he said: Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

Darby Bible Translation
But what think ye? A man had two children, and coming to the first he said, Child, go to-day, work in my vineyard.

English Revised Version
But what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in the vineyard.

Webster's Bible Translation
But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go, work to-day in my vineyard.

Weymouth New Testament
"But give me your judgement. There was a man who had two sons. He came to the elder of them, and said, "'My son, go and work in the vineyard to-day.'

World English Bible
But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, 'Son, go work today in my vineyard.'

Young's Literal Translation
'And what think ye? A man had two children, and having come to the first, he said, Child, go, to-day be working in my vineyard.'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:28-32 Parables which give reproof, speak plainly to the offenders, and judge them out of their own mouths. The parable of the two sons sent to work in the vineyard, is to show that those who knew not John's baptism to be of God, were shamed by those who knew it, and owned it. The whole human race are like children whom the Lord has brought up, but they have rebelled against him, only some are more plausible in their disobedience than others. And it often happens, that the daring rebel is brought to repentance and becomes the Lord's servant, while the formalist grows hardened in pride and enmity.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But what think you?.... See Gill on Matthew 18:12.

continued...

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But what think ye? - A way of speaking designed to direct them particularly to what he was saying, that they might be self-convicted.

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Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

A certain man had two sons - Under the emblem of these two sons, one of whom was a libertine, disobedient, and insolent, but who afterwards thought on his ways, and returned to his duty; and the second, a hypocrite, who promised all, and did nothing; our Lord points out, on the one hand, the tax-gatherers and sinners of all descriptions, who, convicted by the preaching of John and that of Christ, turned away from their iniquities and embraced the Gospel; and, on the other hand, the scribes, Pharisees, and self-righteous people, who, pretending a zeal for the law, would not receive the salvation of the Gospel.

Geneva Study Bible

But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

People's New Testament

21:28-31 A certain man had two sons. The two sons represent the priests, elders and scribes on the one hand, and the publicans and harlots, the sinners, on the other (Mt 21:31). Both classes were bidden to work in the Lord's vineyard. The publicans and sinners had refused, but repented at the preaching of John. The others professed to obey, but did not. The design of the parable is to show that the publicans and harlots, whom they so much despised, were morally superior to his questioners.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

28. But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first and said, Son, go work to-day in my vineyard-for true religion is a practical thing, a "bringing forth fruit unto God."

Matthew 21:28 Parallel Commentaries
Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


The Parable of the Two Sons
28But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. …

Numbers 10:30 He answered, "No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people."
Matthew 20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
Matthew 21:27 So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
Matthew 21:29 "'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
Matthew 21:33 "Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.