In περὶ δὲ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ἐξελθὼν εὗρεν ἄλλους ἑστῶτας ἀργούς, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· τί ὧδε ἑστήκατε ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀργοί; (Matthew 20:6), Jesus continues the parable of the vineyard workers, and once again Greek grammar brings out theological and narrative depth. At the heart of this verse is the perfect tense form ἑστήκατε, echoing the earlier participle ἑστῶτας. These forms of the verb ἵστημι (“to stand”) do far more than describe posture — they offer insight into a grammatical phenomenon unique to Greek: the perfect stative aspect, expressing a resultant state that still endures. Unlike the aorist or present, the perfect captures the tension between past action and present condition — a kind of grammatical pause in time, well-suited to a parable about waiting.
Morphological Breakdown
- περὶ {perí, (Erasmian: perí)} –
Root: περί
Form: preposition + accusative
Lexical Meaning: “around,” “about”
Contextual Notes: Temporal usage; “around the eleventh [hour].” - δὲ {the, (Erasmian: dè)} –
Root: δέ
Form: postpositive conjunction
Lexical Meaning: “and,” “but”
Contextual Notes: Connects with prior temporal actions. - τὴν ἑνδεκάτην {tin endekátin, (Erasmian: tēn hendekátēn)} –
Root: ἑνδεκάτη
Form: accusative feminine singular adjective (substantival use)
Lexical Meaning: “eleventh” (hour)
Contextual Notes: Refers to the eleventh hour of the day (about 5 PM). - ἐξελθὼν {ekselthón, (Erasmian: exelthṓn)} –
Root: ἐξέρχομαι
Form: aorist active participle, nominative masculine singular
Lexical Meaning: “having gone out”
Contextual Notes: Introduces the temporal clause; the landowner goes out again. - εὗρεν {évren, (Erasmian: heûren)} –
Root: εὑρίσκω
Form: aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
Lexical Meaning: “he found”
Contextual Notes: Typical aorist narrative form for sudden discovery. - ἄλλους {állous, (Erasmian: állous)} –
Root: ἄλλος
Form: accusative masculine plural adjective
Lexical Meaning: “others”
Contextual Notes: Refers to a new group not yet hired. - ἑστῶτας {estótas, (Erasmian: hestṓtas)} –
Root: ἵστημι
Form: perfect active participle, accusative masculine plural
Lexical Meaning: “standing”
Contextual Notes: Indicates a resultant state: they are not just standing now — they have been standing. - ἀργούς {argús, (Erasmian: argoús)} –
Root: ἀργός
Form: accusative masculine plural adjective
Lexical Meaning: “idle,” “inactive”
Contextual Notes: Paired with ἑστῶτας; shows their condition is one of waiting without work. - καὶ {ke, (Erasmian: kaí)} –
Root: καί
Form: coordinating conjunction
Lexical Meaning: “and”
Contextual Notes: Connects narrative actions. - λέγει {léyi, (Erasmian: légei)} –
Root: λέγω
Form: present active indicative, 3rd person singular
Lexical Meaning: “he says”
Contextual Notes: Present tense used for vivid narrative or dramatic immediacy. - αὐτοῖς {aftís, (Erasmian: autoîs)} –
Root: αὐτός
Form: dative masculine plural pronoun
Lexical Meaning: “to them”
Contextual Notes: Indirect object of λέγει. - τί {ti, (Erasmian: tí)} –
Root: τίς
Form: nominative/accusative neuter singular interrogative pronoun
Lexical Meaning: “why,” “what”
Contextual Notes: Used interrogatively — “why?” - ὧδε {óthe, (Erasmian: hṓde)} –
Root: ὧδε
Form: adverb
Lexical Meaning: “here,” “in this place”
Contextual Notes: Sets the location of the action. - ἑστήκατε {estíkate, (Erasmian: hestḗkate)} –
Root: ἵστημι
Form: perfect active indicative, 2nd person plural
Lexical Meaning: “you have stood” / “you are standing (still)”
Contextual Notes: The perfect tense emphasizes a state resulting from earlier action — they’ve been standing and are still standing. - ὅλην {ólin, (Erasmian: hólēn)} –
Root: ὅλος
Form: accusative feminine singular adjective
Lexical Meaning: “whole,” “entire”
Contextual Notes: Modifies ἡμέραν. - τὴν ἡμέραν {tin iméran, (Erasmian: tēn hēméran)} –
Root: ἡμέρα
Form: accusative feminine singular noun with definite article
Lexical Meaning: “day”
Contextual Notes: Indicates the duration of the inactivity. - ἀργοί {argí, (Erasmian: argoí)} –
Root: ἀργός
Form: nominative masculine plural adjective (predicate position)
Lexical Meaning: “idle,” “inactive”
Contextual Notes: Predicate adjective describing the subject ὑμεῖς implied in ἑστήκατε.
Perfect Tense as Narrative Stillness
In Koine Greek, the perfect tense — especially when used with verbs of posture like ἵστημι — often conveys a blend of past action and present result. The participle ἑστῶτας describes their continued position at the time they are found. But ἑστήκατε, a perfect indicative form, adds a rhetorical weight: “Why have you stood here all day?” — not just asking what they’re doing now, but subtly implying they’ve done nothing and remained unchanged. This highlights a subtle accusatory tone in the question: an appeal to responsibility.
The perfect tense is perfect for parables. It does not just narrate events, it suspends the listener in a moment of existential observation. These men have been standing, waiting, not working — a theological image of those still outside the kingdom’s labor, yet still invited in grace at the eleventh hour.
The Stillness Before the Call
In the vineyard’s final summons, perfect verbs reveal perfect grace. ἑστήκατε suggests not laziness, but persistence; not sin, but readiness. The grammar suspends the audience between judgment and mercy — a place where those who stand idle may yet receive the same reward. In Koine Greek, even posture is theology, and the perfect tense makes it linger.
