"And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace," — Matthew 20:3

Matthew 20:3 · KJV

“And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,”

— Matthew 20:3

And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. {penny: the Roman penny is the eighth part of an ounce, which after five shillings the ounce is seven pence halfpenny; about fourteen cents}

Verse 4

And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

Matthew 20 — Context

For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man {that is} an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

Cross References

1 Timothy 5:13

And withal they learn {to be} idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

Proverbs 19:15

Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

Acts 17:17-21

Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

Matthew 20:6-7

And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

Ezekiel 16:49

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

Matthew 11:16-17

But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,

Acts 2:15

For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is {but} the third hour of the day.

Mark 15:25

And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.