“What do you think?
A man had two sons.
He went to the first one.
He said.
‘Son!
Go!
Work
In the vineyard today.’
He answered.
‘I will not!’
But later
He changed his mind.
He went out to work.”
Τί δὲ ὑμῖν δοκεῖ; ἄνθρωπος εἶχεν τέκνα δύο· προσελθὼν τῷ πρώτῳ εἶπεν Τέκνον, ὕπαγε σήμερον ἐργάζου ἐν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι.
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν Ἐγὼ κύριε, καὶ οὐκ ἀπῆλθεν.
This parable is unique to Matthew and is reminiscent of the parable of the day laborers in the vineyard in chapter 20:1-16. Jesus was still talking with the chief priests and elders. Jesus continued with another parable by asking them what did they think (Τί δὲ ὑμῖν δοκεῖ)? In this parable story, a man had two sons (ἄνθρωπος εἶχεν τέκνα δύο). He went to the first one (προσελθὼν τῷ πρώτῳ). He told this first son to go and work in his vineyard that day (εἶπεν Τέκνον, ὕπαγε σήμερον ἐργάζου ἐν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι). However, this first son answered (ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν) that he was not going to go out into the vineyard to work (Ἐγὼ κύριε, καὶ οὐκ ἀπῆλθεν). Interesting enough, most of the Greek manuscript texts do not have the last phrase that this son changed his mind. However, the explanations assume this verse that the first son later or afterwards changed his mind and went out to work in the vineyard (ὕστερον δὲ μεταμεληθεὶς ἀπῆλθεν).
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 