For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man That is, the Gospel dispensation, or times of the Messiah, may fitly be represented by a man that is an householder, or master of a family, as Christ is; (See Gill on Matt.

And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, &c.] These labourers were of that sort that were called (שכיר יום) , “hired for a day”; concerning whom is the following rule [[15]]: “he that is hired for a day, may demand it all the night; and he that is hired for a night may demand it…

And he went out about the third hour About nine o’clock in the morning, and saw others standing idle in the market place: the place where labourers used to be hired: and may design the world, because a place full of people, and of great wickedness, for the whole world lies in it; a place of trade…

And said unto them, go ye also into the vineyard Expressive of a call of divine grace out of the world, into the church; and which arises from mere grace, and good will, without any merit in, or motive from man, as the case here shows: for the householder went out to these men, not they to him; he…

Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour About twelve o’clock, or at noon, and three o’clock in the afternoon. These three last mentioned seasons of the day, were the hours of prayer; see and did likewise: seeing others in the same place, and posture, he called them, and sent them into his…

And about the eleventh hour he went out About five o’clock in the afternoon. The Persic version reads it, “the twelfth hour”, which was six o’clock in the afternoon, the last hour of the day.

They say unto him, because no man hath hired us This may be fitly applied to the Gentiles, who hundreds of years were neglected by God; he overlooked the times of their ignorance, took no notice of them in their state of stupidity, blindness, and irreligion; but suffered them to walk in their own…

So when even was come At six o’clock, or when the sun was set, which was the time of paying labourers their wages: thus in the parable of the Jews, before referred to, which bears some resemblance to this, it is said, “(לעת ערב) , [[17]] that “at evening time” the labourers came to take their…

And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, &c.] Who were the last that were hired; and signify either such, as are called in their last days, in old age; or Gentile sinners; or the last of God’s elect, that will be called by grace, in the end of the world: they received every man a…

But when the first came Who were early hired into the vineyard; and design either the first saints that were in the world; or the Jews that first believed in Christ, either really or nominally; or such, who were called by grace in their early days: they supposed, or “hoped”, as the Syriac version…

And when they had received it The external privileges of the Gospel dispensation, an inheritance among them that are sanctified, and a right unto it, on the foot of free grace, they murmured against the good man of the house; who had been so kind and liberal, to those who came last into the…

Saying, these last have wrought but one hour Thinking it hard, that they should have the same reward for the service of one hour, others had for the service of many.

But he answered one of them Who was the forwardest and loudest in his complaints, and represented the rest; and said, friend, I do thee no wrong; by giving all alike, the same privileges and blessings to the last, as to the first, since nothing was withheld from him.

Take that thine is By agreement, and go thy way; out of my sight, give me no more trouble on this head; which looks like a dismissal from his service, and after privileges; and was true of many among the Jews, who were only nominal professors, and from whom the Gospel and ordinances of it were…

Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? &c.] External gifts and outward privileges, such as enjoying the word and ordinances, are God’s own; and he may, as he does, bestow them on whom he will, and when and where he pleases; as he gave them to the Jews, and continued them many…

So the last shall be first, and the first last As he had asserted in and which is clearly illustrated by this parable, as it may be applied to Jews or Gentiles, or to nominal and real Christians: for many be called; externally, under the ministration of the Gospel, as the Jews in general were, by…

And Jesus going up to Jerusalem Which was situated Took the twelve disciples apart in the way: into some private place, which lay near the road; for it seems that there were others that followed him, besides the twelve; when he was not willing they should hear what he had to say to them, concerning…

Behold, we go up to Jerusalem This is the last time of our going thither; observe, and take notice of what I am about to say; some extraordinary things will come to pass, and, as Luke relates that he said, all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man, shall be accomplished;…

And shall deliver him to the Gentiles To Pilate, an Heathen governor, and to the Roman officers and soldiers under him; see . To mock him, as they did, by putting on him a scarlet robe, platting a crown of thorns, and placing it on his head, and a reed in his hand; and then bowed the knee to him,…

Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children Whose name was Salome, as may be concluded from compared with . She is not called the wife of Zebedee, who might be now dead, but the mother of his children, his two sons, as the Arabic version renders it: James and John, and who were the disciples…

And he said unto her, what wilt thou? &c.] Mark says, “he said unto them”; her two sons, James and John, “what would you that I should do for you?” Both is true; what is this singular favour? what business of moment and importance is it, you would have me do for you, you are so eager and pressing…

But Jesus answered, and said To her two sons, ye know not what ye ask. They were ignorant of the nature of Christ’s kingdom, which is spiritual, and not of this world: or they would never have asked such a question, or sued for that which will never be enjoyed by any and supposing that Christ’s…

And he saith unto them, ye shall drink indeed of my cup Not of the selfsame, but of what was like unto it; meaning, that they should endure much persecution for his name’s sake, as all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must expect in one shape or another.

And when they ten heard it The other ten apostles, who either were within hearing the request made, and Christ’s answer, or had by some means information of it: they were moved with indignation against the two brethren; the two sons of Zebedee, James and John: they were not so much displeased with…

But Jesus called them unto him All his twelve disciples, perceiving that the same ambitious views prevailed in them all: to discourage which, and to prevent their quarrelling one with another, he called them to him, and made use of the following reasonings: and said, ye know that the princes of the…

But it shall not be so among you This is not to be extended to Christian nations, as if there were to be no order of magistracy subsisting in them; but that all must be on a level, and no distinction of princes and subjects, of governors and governed; nor to Christian churches, as if there was no…

And whosoever will be chief among you Or first, or have the pre-eminence, the first place in the kingdom of the Messiah, let him be your servant; or, as in Mark, shall be servant of all: not only a minister, but a servant; not a servant of some only, but of all.

Even as the son of man Meaning himself, the seed of the woman, the son of Abraham, and of David, according to the flesh; and whom he proposes as an example of humility, and as an argument to draw them off from their ambitious views of worldly grandeur, and from all thoughts of the Messiah’s setting…

And as they departed from Jericho Which, was distant about ten parsas, or miles, from Jerusalem [[8]], through which Christ just passed, and had met with Zacchaeus, and called him, and delivered the parable concerning a nobleman’s going into a far country.

And behold, two blind men Mark and Luke make mention but of one; which is no contradiction to Matthew; for they neither of them say that there was but one.

And the multitude rebuked them Who were either the friends or enemies of Christ: if his friends, they might rebuke them, that they might not be so troublesome to him, and judging it unworthy of him to have anything to do with such mean persons, and supposing that their business was only to ask alms…

And Jesus stood still Made a full stop, when he was near, or right against where these blind men sat; which shows the strength of faith, the force of prayer, and the great regard Christ has to both: and called them: himself, being near unto them, and within the reach of his voice; or he commanded…

They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. ] That is, that their sight might be restored to them; for being deprived of that, it was all one as if their eyes were so closed, that they could not open them; and so the recovery of it is expressed by an opening of them.

So Jesus had compassion on them His bowels moved towards them as a man; he pitied their miserable and distressed condition, and discovered the tenderness of his heart towards them by some outward sign, by his looks, or by some gesture or another: and touched their eyes; with his bare hand, without…