20:3a
About the third hour: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the third hour refers to the third hour after sunrise. That generally indicates 9 o’clock in the morning. The word About means that this is an approximate time.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
about 9 o’clock (New Century Version)
-or-
About 9 a.m. (God’s Word)
-or-
at mid-morning
he went out: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as went out indicates that the master of the house went outside his house. He left his house and went back to the marketplace.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
the man went to the marketplace (New Century Version)
-or-
he returned to the market
20:3b
saw others: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as others refers to other men. They were men like the ones whom the master of the house first met.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
the man saw some other people (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
he found some more men
standing: The word standing means that the men were present in the marketplace. Some were possibly sitting or squatting as they waited for work. It does not necessarily mean that all the men were actually standing on their feet.
Here is another way to translate this word:
waiting around
in the marketplace: The marketplace was an open space in the middle of the village. It was used for a market. It was also a place where children played and where people gathered for any purpose at all.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
market (Good News Translation)
-or-
public square
doing nothing: In this context, doing nothing means that these men were not working. They were waiting to be hired. Your translation should not imply that they were lazy or did not want to work.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
idle (English Standard Version)
-or-
waiting for a job
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