Matthew 20:15

Authorized King James Version (1611)

‹Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?›

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἢ οὐκ ἔξεστίν μοι ποιῆσαι ὃ θέλω ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς; εἰ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου πονηρός ἐστιν, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἀγαθός εἰμι;

Transliteration

Or not is it exestin for me to poiēsai what I thelō with the things emois? If the ophthalmos of you ponēros estin, because I agathos eimi?

Grammar Details

• *ē*: conjunction - or
• *exestin*: present, 3rd singular - it is lawful/permitted
• *poiēsai*: aorist infinitive - to do
• *thelō*: present, 1st singular - I wish/want
• *emois*: dative, neuter, plural - my own things
• *ei*: conditional particle - if
• *ophthalmos*: nominative, masculine, singular - eye
• *ponēros*: nominative, masculine, singular - evil/bad
• *estin*: present, 3rd singular - is
• *hoti*: conjunction - because
• *agathos*: nominative, masculine, singular - good
• *eimi*: present, 1st singular - I am

Word Meanings

• *exestin*: is lawful/is permitted/is allowed
• *ponēros*: evil/bad/envious
• *ophthalmos ponēros*: evil eye (idiom for envy/jealousy)
• *agathos*: good/generous

Referenced Verses

• Deut 15:9 : 9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
• Matt 6:23 : 23 ‹But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great› [is] ‹that darkness!›
• Mark 7:22 : 22 ‹Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:›
• Prov 23:6 : 6 ¶ Eat thou not the bread of [him that hath] an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
• Rom 9:15-24 : 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 [What] if God, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
• Rom 11:5-6 : 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then [is it] no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if [it be] of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
• 1 Cor 4:7 : 7 ¶ For who maketh thee to differ [from another]? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive [it], why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received [it]?
• Eph 1:11 : 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
• Eph 2:1 : 1 ¶ And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;
• Eph 2:5 : 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
• Jas 1:18 : 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
• Jas 5:9 : 9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
• Prov 28:22 : 22 ¶ He that hasteth to be rich [hath] an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
• Jer 27:5-7 : 5 I have made the earth, the man and the beast that [are] upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. 6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. 7 And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
• Jonah 4:1-4 : 1 ¶ But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, [was] not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou [art] a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for [it is] better for me to die than to live. 4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
• Deut 28:54 : 54 [So that] the man [that is] tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave:
• 1 Chr 28:4-5 : 4 Howbeit the LORD God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah [to be] the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make [me] king over all Israel: 5 And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
• Exod 33:19 : 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
• Deut 7:6-8 : 6 For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
• John 17:2 : 2 ‹As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.›
• Acts 13:45 : 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
• Matt 11:25 : 25 ¶ At that time Jesus answered and said, ‹I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.›