In this lesson, we explore a fascinating feature of New Testament Greek grammar through the vivid scene captured in καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν ἔλαβον ἀνὰ δηνάριον from Matthew 20:9. This phrase, rich in grammatical treasures, highlights the power of the aorist tense, aspectual nuances, and the Greek sense of narrative time.
The Greek Text in Focus
καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν ἔλαβον ἀνὰ δηνάριον (Matthew 20:9)
“And those who came around the eleventh hour received a denarius each.”
Grammatical Highlights
This short phrase includes several important grammatical features worth close study:
- ἐλθόντες — an aorist participle of motion (“having come”).
- οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν — a circumstantial phrase marking approximate time (“around the eleventh hour”).
- ἔλαβον — aorist indicative active, third person plural (“they received”).
- ἀνὰ δηνάριον — distributive preposition ἀνὰ with accusative (“a denarius each”).
The Aorist Tense: A Snapshot in Time
Both ἐλθόντες and ἔλαβον are in the aorist tense, one as a participle and the other as a main verb. But what does that tell us?
- The aorist participle ἐλθόντες indicates an action completed prior to the action of the main verb. It tells us: “after coming, they received.”
- The main verb ἔλαβον states the primary action in a narrative past, without stressing duration, repetition, or resulting state. It simply presents the action as a complete event.
This usage showcases the common Greek narrative technique of “backgrounding” actions (with participles) and “foregrounding” key actions (with main verbs), creating a rhythm of storytelling that is distinct from English patterns.
Exploring Distributive ἀνὰ
The preposition ἀνὰ here functions in a distributive sense: “each,” “one apiece.” Though often overlooked, this use is vital for understanding the fairness and irony of the narrative moment: even those hired last received the same wage!
| Word | Form | Function | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἐλθόντες | Aorist Participle, Nom. Pl. Masc. | Background action (coming) | Having come |
| οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν | Definite Article + Prepositional Phrase | Identifies the group (time reference) | Those around the eleventh hour |
| ἔλαβον | Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Plural | Main action (receiving) | They received |
| ἀνὰ δηνάριον | Preposition + Accusative | Distributive sense | A denarius each |
Aspect over Time: A Greek Perspective
In Greek narrative, the aorist tense does not primarily convey when something happened but how it is viewed — as a complete unit. This view focuses on the aspect rather than simply time. Here, the coming and receiving are both momentary, complete events without drawn-out processes. It sharpens the emotional impact of the story: sudden arrival, immediate reward.
In English, we might instinctively think in terms of “past perfect” (“had come”) and “past simple” (“received”), but Greek organizes the flow of action differently, more dynamically, more dramatically.
The Tense That Levels the Field
The use of the aorist in καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν ἔλαβον ἀνὰ δηνάριον from Matthew 20:9 gives a theological and literary punch: all laborers, regardless of when they arrived, complete their action (coming and receiving) in the same aspect — equally. The aorist levels distinctions of time and labor. In the kingdom’s economy, grace is distributed by the Master’s generosity, not by human calculations.
Thus, a simple Greek tense tells a profound story: in a single moment, latecomers receive a full reward, and grammar itself becomes a window into divine generosity.
