One of them is understood by some scholars to mean “a certain one of them,” referring to the one who was objecting the most. But no translation renders in this way, which is probably the wisest choice.

Friend is a polite way of addressing someone whose name is unknown (though it may also be used of one’s close companions); it indicates that the person who uses it is both friendly and approachable. The word occurs only two other times in the New Testament (Matt 22.12; 26.50), and in each of these three occurrences the person addressed is in the wrong. “My friend” will be better in some languages.

I am doing you no wrong is somewhat awkward for English speakers. Good News Translation has “I have not cheated you,” New English Bible “I am not being unfair to you,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “I do you no injustice.”

Did you not agree with me for a denarius? translates a rhetorical question which expects the answer “Yes.” For speakers of English the question form and the word order (did you not) are somewhat difficult; but it is possible to do away with both the question and the unusual negative construction: “you agreed to do a day’s work for one silver coin” (Good News Translation). Other restructurings are also possible. For example, “you agreed” may be made to read either “you agreed with me” or “we agreed.” One may also translate “We agreed that you would work a full day, and I would pay you a full day’s wages.” Perhaps the most natural way in English is to add a negative question at the end of the statement, as in “You agreed to work for a denarius (or, a normal day’s pay), didn’t you? (or, isn’t that so?)”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .