15
Is it notοὐκlawfulἔξεστίνfor meμοιto doποιῆσαιwhatὃI wantθέλωwithἐνwhat is mine?τοῖς ἐμοῖςOrἢisἐστινyour eyeὁ ὀφθαλμός σουevilπονηρόςbecauseὅτιIἐγὼamεἰμιgood?’ἀγαθός
Matthew 20:15
Study it in the app“Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with what is mine? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’”
With the Greek beneath
Matthew 20:15, word by word
- lawfulἔξεστίνexestin
it is lawful
It is permitted, it is lawful under the law.
Where else “exestin” appears- to doποιῆσαιpoiēsai
do
To carry out an action or cause an effect.
Where else “poiēsai” appears- I wantθέλωthelō
want
To have the desire or the resolve for something.
Where else “thelō” appears- what is mineἐμοῖςemois
my, mine
My, mine.
Where else “emois” appears- isἐστινestin
be
To be: says who or what something is.
Where else “estin” appears- your eyeὀφθαλμόςophthalmos
eye
The organ of sight, in the face.
Where else “ophthalmos” appears- evilπονηρόςponēros
evil
One who does or desires evil, opposed to God and the good.
Where else “ponēros” appears- good?’ἀγαθόςagathos
good
Being as it should be and doing others good; in the full sense, God alone.
Where else “agathos” appears
Translation note
“Evil eye”: in the language of the Bible, envy or stinginess (compare 6:23).
The context
14Take what is yours and go. But I want to give to this last one as I gave also to you.
15 · This verse (above)
16So the last will be first, and the first last.”
To study Matthew 20 in a group
1. What it says
How much did the vineyard owner pay the workers, both those hired in the morning and those in the evening (vv. 9–10)?
2. What it means
What does the owner's reply teach: “Is your eye evil because I am good?” (v. 15)?
3. How I live it
Jesus says whoever wants to be great must serve (vv. 26–28). Whom can you serve today expecting nothing back?