Matthew 20:16 — King James Version← Study notes

“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”

Matthew 20:16 — Greek Interlinear

Greek · Matthew 20:169 words

GreekMeaning

οὕτωςhoutōs

ThusadverbG3779

ἔσονταιesontai

will beverbG1510

οἱhoi

thearticleG3588

ἔσχατοιeschatoi

lastadjectiveG2078

πρῶτοιprōtoi

firstadjectiveG4413

καὶkai

andwordG2532

οἱhoi

thearticleG3588

πρῶτοιprōtoi

firstadjectiveG4413

ἔσχατοιeschatoi

lastadjectiveG2078

ℹGreek text from the SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT). Transliteration follows SBL Academic conventions.

Church Fathers on Matthew 20:16

To establish the truth of this saying, 'There are many first that shall be last, and last first,' the Lord subjoins a similitude.
Remigius · 9th century

The Master of the household is Christ, whose house are the heavens and the earth; and the creatures of the heavens, and the earth, and beneath the earth, His family. His vineyard is righteousness, in which are set divers sorts of righteousness as vines, as meekness, chastity, patience, and the other virtues; all of which are called by one common name righteousness.
Pseudo-Chrysostom · 5th century

Or; The Master of the household, that is, our Maker, has a vineyard, that is, the Church universal, which has borne so many stocks, as many saints as it has put forth from righteous Abel to the very last saint who shall be born in the end of the world. To instruct this His people as for the dressing of a vineyard, the Lord has never ceased to send out His labourers; first by the Patriarchs, next by the teachers of the Law, then by the Prophets, and at the last by the…
Gregory the Great · 6th century · Hom. in Ev., xix, 1

Read all 47 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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David ChenNote3mo ago

Many Are Called but Few Chosen

So the last will be first, and the first will be last. For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew's word on election and priority. I used to read this as: few will be saved. But in context it's...