And he went to the second and said the same is the third in a series of three events: (1) the father went to the first son and told him to work in the vineyard; (2) the first son went to work in the vineyard; and (3) the father went to the second son and told him to work in the vineyard. But the actual sequence of events would appear to be (1), (3), and then (2). That is, the father would apparently not have gone to the second son if he had known that the first son had already gone to work in the vineyard. If the father in the story somehow represents God, as one feels he does, then it must be concluded that both the narrator and the hearers would have assumed that the father would have known that the first son already went to work in the vineyard at the time that he went to the second son.

There have been translations which have tried to reflect this sequence of events by saying at the beginning of the verse “In the meantime” or “When the first son refused to go.” This is not necessary, however, since the context makes this point clear.

It may be necessary to replace he with “the father,” as in Good News Translation and Barclay.

And said the same may need to be spelled out in more detail, as in “and said the same thing he had to the first son” or even “and said, ‘Son, go and work in my vineyard today.’ ”

I go, sir (Good News Translation, Luther 1984 “Yes, sir”) translates what is a very polite affirmative answer in Greek (literally “I, sir”). A number of translations render “I will, sir” (New English Bible, New International Version, An American Translation), while Barclay and New Jerusalem Bible have “Certainly, sir.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch reflects the politeness in the answer “Yes, father.” It may be necessary to give the answer in more complete form: “I am on my way, sir” (New American Bible).

But did not go means “but he did not go to work in the vineyard” or “… vineyard, as he said he would.”

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 .