Mat 20:8, Luk 10:7, 1Ti 5:18 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 8. When even was come . That is, when the twelfth hour was come; the day was ended, and the time of payment was come. The steward . A steward is one who transacts business in the place of another. He was one who had the administration of affairs in the absence of the householder; who provided for the family; and who was entrusted with the payment of labourers and servants. He was commonly the most trusty and faithful of the servants, raised to that station as a reward for his fidelity. Beginning from the last unto the first . It was immaterial where he began to pay, provided he dealt justly by them. In the parable, this order is mentioned to give opportunity for the remarks which follow. Had those first hired been first paid, they would have departed satisfied, and the point of the parable would have been lost. (a) "and give"

Matthew 20:8

Verse 8. When even was come. That is, when the twelfth hour was come; the day was ended, and the time of payment was come.

The steward. A steward is one who transacts business in the place of another. He was one who had the administration of affairs in the absence of the householder; who provided for the family; and who was entrusted with the payment of labourers and servants. He was commonly the most trusty and faithful of the servants, raised to that station as a reward for his fidelity.

Beginning from the last unto the first. It was immaterial where he began to pay, provided he dealt justly by them. In the parable, this order is mentioned to give opportunity for the remarks which follow. Had those first hired been first paid, they would have departed satisfied, and the point of the parable would have been lost.

(a) "and give" Lk 10:7

Luke 10:7

Verse 7. Mt 10:11. On this passage Dr. Thomson (The Land and the Book, vol. i. p. 534) remarks: "The reason [for the command, 'Go not from house to house']

is very obvious to one acquainted with Oriental customs.

When a stranger arrives in a village or an encampment,

the neighbours, one after another, must invite him to

eat with them. There is a strict etiquette about it,

involving much ostentation and hypocrisy, and a failure

in the due observance of this system of hospitality is

violently resented, and often leads to alienations and

feuds among neighbours; it also consumes much time,

causes unusual distraction of mind, leads to levity,

and every way counteracts the success of a spiritual

mission."

(h) "the labourer is" 1Cor 9:4-14, 1Timm 5:18 (i) "Go not from house" 1Timm 5:13

1 Timothy 5:18

Verse 18. For the Scripture saith. This is adduced as a reason why a church should show all due respect and care for its ministers. The reason is, that as God took care to make provision for the labouring ox, much more should due attention be paid to those who labour for the welfare of the church.

Thou shalt not muzzle the ox. See this passage explained, and its bearing on such an argument shown, 1Cor 9:8. 1Cor 9:9; 1Cor 9:10.

And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. This expression is found substantially in Mt 10:10, Lk 10:7. It does not occur in so many words in the Old Testament, and yet the apostle adduces it evidently as a quotation from the Scriptures, and as authority in the case. It would seem probable, therefore, that he had seen the gospel by Matthew or by Luke, and that he quoted this as a part of Scripture, and regarded the. Book from which he made the quotation as of the same authority as the Old Testament. If so, then this may be regarded as an attestation of the apostle to the inspiration of the "Gospel" in which it was found.