Matthew 20:6
New International Version
About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

New Living Translation
“At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’

English Standard Version
And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’

Berean Standard Bible
About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked.

Berean Literal Bible
And about the eleventh having gone out, he found others standing, and says to them, 'Why do you stand here all the day idle?'

King James Bible
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

New King James Version
And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’

New American Standard Bible
And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’

NASB 1995
“And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’

NASB 1977
“And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’

Legacy Standard Bible
And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’

Amplified Bible
And about the eleventh hour (5:00 p.m.) he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’

Christian Standard Bible
Then about five he went and found others standing around and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing? ’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then about five he went and found others standing around, and said to them, Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’

American Standard Version
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing; and he saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

Contemporary English Version
Finally, about five in the afternoon the man went back and found some others standing there. He asked them, "Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?"

English Revised Version
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing; and he saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
About 5 p.m. he went out and found some others standing around. He said to them, 'Why are you standing here all day long without work?'

Good News Translation
It was nearly five o'clock when he went to the marketplace and saw some other men still standing there. 'Why are you wasting the whole day here doing nothing?' he asked them.

International Standard Version
About five o'clock he went out and found some others standing around. He asked them, 'Why are you standing here all day long without work?'

Majority Standard Bible
About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing idle. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked.

NET Bible
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?'

New Heart English Bible
About five that afternoon he went out, and found others standing. He said to them, 'Why do you stand here all day idle?'

Webster's Bible Translation
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith to them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

Weymouth New Testament
And going out about five o'clock he found others loitering, and he asked them, "'Why have you been standing here all day long, doing nothing?'

World English Bible
About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And about the eleventh hour, having gone forth, he found others standing idle and says to them, Why have you stood here idle all day?

Berean Literal Bible
And about the eleventh having gone out, he found others standing, and says to them, 'Why do you stand here all the day idle?'

Young's Literal Translation
And about the eleventh hour, having gone forth, he found others standing idle, and saith to them, Why here have ye stood all the day idle?

Smith's Literal Translation
And about the eleventh hour, having gone out, he found others standing idle, and he says to them, Why stand ye here idle the whole day?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he saith to them: Why stand you here all the day idle?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Yet truly, about the eleventh hour, he went out and found others standing, and he said to them, ‘Why have you stood here idle all day?’

New American Bible
Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’

New Revised Standard Version
And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And towards the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and he said to them, Why do you stand all day idle?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And towards the 11th hour he went out and he found others who were standing and were idle, and he said to them, 'Why are you standing and are idle all day?'
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said to them, Why do you stand here all the day idle?

Godbey New Testament
And about the eleventh hour having gone out, he found others standing; and says to them, Why stand ye here idle all the day?

Haweis New Testament
But about the eleventh hour, going out, he found others standing unemployed, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

Mace New Testament
at last, about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said to them, why do you stand idling thus all day long?

Weymouth New Testament
And going out about five o'clock he found others loitering, and he asked them, "'Why have you been standing here all day long, doing nothing?'

Worrell New Testament
And about the eleventh hour, going forth, he found others standing, and he says to them, 'Why stand ye here all the day idle?'

Worsley New Testament
And going out about the eleventh hour, he found others standing without work, and saith to them, Why stand ye here all the day doing nothing?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Parable of the Workers
5So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked. 7‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. So he told them, ‘You also go into my vineyard.’…

Cross References
Matthew 9:37-38
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. / Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.”

Luke 10:2
And He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.

John 4:35
Do you not say, ‘There are still four months until the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest.

Romans 13:11
And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Ephesians 5:16
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Colossians 4:5
Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.

James 4:14
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

1 Peter 4:7
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray.

Revelation 3:2
Wake up and strengthen what remains, which is about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God.

Proverbs 6:6-11
Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise. / Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler, / it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest. ...

Proverbs 10:5
He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 20:4
The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

Isaiah 55:6
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.


Treasury of Scripture

And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said to them, Why stand you here all the day idle?

the eleventh.

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Luke 23:40-43
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? …

John 9:4
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Why.

Proverbs 19:15
Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

Ezekiel 16:49
Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

Acts 17:21
(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

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Matthew 20
1. Jesus, by the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, shows that God is debtor unto no man;
17. foretells his passion;
20. by answering the mother of Zebedee's children, teaches his disciples to be humble;
29. and gives two blind men their sight.














About the eleventh hour
The phrase "about the eleventh hour" refers to a time late in the day, approximately 5 PM, as the Jewish day began at 6 AM. In the context of the parable of the workers in the vineyard, this indicates a time when most laborers would have given up hope of finding work. Theologically, this suggests God's grace and mercy extend even to those who come to Him late in life or at the last moment. The Greek word for "hour" (ὥρα, hōra) emphasizes a specific time, underscoring the urgency and unexpectedness of the landowner's call.

he went out
The landowner's action of going out again signifies God's proactive pursuit of humanity. The Greek verb "went out" (ἐξελθὼν, exelthōn) implies initiative and purpose. This reflects the divine nature of seeking the lost and offering opportunities for redemption, regardless of the time or circumstances.

and found others standing idle
The word "found" (εὗρεν, heuren) indicates a deliberate search, suggesting that God actively seeks those who are not yet engaged in His work. The term "idle" (ἀργούς, argous) can imply being without purpose or direction. Historically, day laborers depended on daily work for survival, so being idle was not a choice but a condition of need. Spiritually, this represents those who have not yet found their place in God's kingdom.

and asked, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'
The landowner's question is both an invitation and a challenge. The Greek word for "asked" (λέγει, legei) is in the present tense, indicating an ongoing conversation. This reflects God's continuous call to individuals to engage in His work. The phrase "doing nothing" (οὐδὲν, ouden) highlights the potential for wasted time and opportunity. In a broader sense, it serves as a reminder of the urgency to respond to God's call and the importance of being active in faith and service.

(6) About the eleventh hour.--The working day, which did not commonly extend beyond twelve hours (John 11:9), was all but over, and yet there was still work to be done in the vineyard, all the more urgent because of the lateness of the hour. The labourers who had been first hired were not enough. Is there not an implied suggestion that they were not labouring as zealously as they might have done? They were working on their contract for the day's wages. Those who were called last of all had the joy of feeling that their day was not lost; and that joy and their faith in the justice of their employer gave a fresh energy to their toil.

Verse 6. - The eleventh hour; the hour before sunset, say about 5 p.m., leaving only one hour for work, when it would be most unusual to engage labourers. Idle. The word is omitted in some manuscripts. There is some reproach in the master's question. Where were they earlier in the day, when he was hiring labourers for his vineyard? Why were they not in the marketplace, like their comrades, looking out for employment? Such questions, like many, others in the parable, are left unanswered. We see from the universal use of the term, "the eleventh hour," to express the close of the day of grace, how widely has prevailed the interpretation of the parable which applies it to the various stages of the life of the individual. (See on this below.)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
About
Περὶ (Peri)
Preposition
Strong's 4012: From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

eleventh [hour]
ἑνδεκάτην (hendekatēn)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1734: Eleventh. Ordinal from hendeka; eleventh.

he went out
ἐξελθὼν (exelthōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1831: To go out, come out. From ek and erchomai; to issue.

[and] found
εὗρεν (heuren)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2147: A prolonged form of a primary heuro, which heureo is used for it in all the tenses except the present and imperfect to find.

still others
ἄλλους (allous)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 243: Other, another (of more than two), different. A primary word; 'else, ' i.e. Different.

standing [around].
ἑστῶτας (hestōtas)
Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2476: A prolonged form of a primary stao stah'-o; to stand, used in various applications.

‘Why
Τί (Ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

have you been standing
ἑστήκατε (hestēkate)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2476: A prolonged form of a primary stao stah'-o; to stand, used in various applications.

here
ὧδε (hōde)
Adverb
Strong's 5602: From an adverb form of hode; in this same spot, i.e. Here or hither.

all
ὅλην (holēn)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3650: All, the whole, entire, complete. A primary word; 'whole' or 'all', i.e. Complete, especially as noun or adverb.

day [long]
ἡμέραν (hēmeran)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

doing nothing?’
ἀργοί (argoi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 692: Idle, lazy, thoughtless, unprofitable, injurious. (by implication) lazy, useless.

he asked.
λέγει (legei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.


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