Matthew 18:32
in Matthew 18Then the master summoned him and declared, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me:
KJV
Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
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This verse in Matthew 18
Commentary
13 notes on this verseIn these verses the Lord Jesus deals with a deeply important subject, the forgiveness of injuries. We live in a wicked world, and it is vain to expect that we can escape ill-treatment, however carefully we may behave. To know how to conduct ourselves when we are ill-treated is of great moment to our souls. In the first place, the Lord Jesus lays it down as a general rule that we ought to forgive others to the uttermost. Peter put the question, “How oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Till seven times?”
This site's exposition
they were greatly distressed
on Matthew 18:31-35
The fellow servants were greatly distressed and told their master, whose words, I forgave all your debt because you begged me, recall what had been granted before the sentence falls. He is turned over to the jailers until he should repay all that he owed, a debt the parable has shown he could never pay. The closing words, unless you forgive your brother from your heart, rule out a merely outward reconciliation and tie the chapter's teaching into one demand.
This site's exposition
You wicked servant
Remigius of Rheims reads the summons as the call of death that brings each soul to account. Adam Clarke pictures him speechless. The charge of wickedness falls on a man whose own plea had won his freedom.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
It follows, Then his lord called him. He called him by the sentence of death, and bade him pass out of this world, and said unto him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou prayedst me.
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 61 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
Wherefore also He went on to say, "The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, he commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and his children, and all that he had." Then after this man had enjoyed the benefit of mercy, he went out, and "took by the throat his fellow-servant, which owed him an hundred pence;" and having by these doings moved his lord, he caused him to cast him again into prison, until he should pay off the whole. Seest thou how great the difference between sins against man and against God? As great as between ten thousand talents, and a hundred pence, or rather even much more. And this arises both from the difference of the persons, and the constant succession of our sins. For when a man looks at us, we stand off and shrink from sinning: but when God sees us every day, we do not forbear, but do and speak all things without fear. But not hereby alone, but also from the benefit and from the honor of which we have partaken, our sins become more grievous.
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 61 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
"For there was brought unto Him," it saith, "one which owed ten thousand talents, and when he had not to pay, He commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and his children." Wherefore, I pray thee? Not of cruelty, nor of inhumanity (for the loss came back again upon himself, for she too was a slave), but of unspeakable tenderness. For it is His purpose to alarm him by this threat, that He might bring him to supplication, not that he should be sold. For if He had done it for this intent, He would not have consented to his request, neither would He have granted the favor. Wherefore then did He not do this, nor forgive the debt before the account? Desiring to teach him, from how many obligations He is delivering him, that in this way at least he might become more mild towards his fellow servant. For even if when he had learnt the weight of his debt, and the greatness of the forgiveness, he continued taking his fellow-servant by the throat; if He had not disciplined him beforehand with such medicines, to what length of cruelty might he not have gone? What then saith the other? "Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And his Lord was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt." Seest thou again surpassing benevolence? The servant asked only for delay and putting off the time, but He gave more than he asked, remission and forgiveness of the entire debt. For it had been his will to give it even from the first, but he did not desire the gift to be his only, but also to come of this man's entreaty, that he might not go away uncrowned. For that the whole was of him, although this other fell down to him and prayed, the motive of the forgiveness showed, for "moved with compassion" he forgave him. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then his lord, after he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? The master in …
Consequently, the reproach is set forth: then his lord called him, etc. The Lord calls through death. Job 19:16: you will call me, and I will answer you. And he said to him. First he reproaches his wickedness; secondly, the benefit conferred; thirdly, he recalls …
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
It is one thing to give pardon to a brother when he seeks it, that he may live with us in social charity, as Joseph to his brethren; and another to a hostile foe, that we may wish him good, and if we can do him good, as David mourning for Saul. Allegorically; The servant here who owed the ten thousand talents, is the Jewish people bound to the Ten Commandments in the Law. These the Lord oft forgave their trespasses, when being in difficulties they besought His mercy; but when they were set free, they exacted the utmost with great severity from all their debtors; and of the gentile people which they hated, they required circumcision and the ceremonies of the Law; yea, the Prophets and Apostles they barbarously put to death. For all this the Lord gave them over into the hands of the Romans as to evil spirits, who should punish them with eternal tortures.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Then his Lord, after that he had called him,.... Or ordered him to be called, and brought before him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant!
So the disciples here did, when they asked, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? They suppose that all who have a place in that kingdom are great, for it is a kingdom of priests. Note, Those are truly great who are truly good; and they will appear so at last, when Christ shall own them as his, though ever so mean and poor in the world.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
In these verses the Lord Jesus deals with a deeply important subject, the forgiveness of injuries. We live in a wicked world, and it is vain to expect that we can escape ill-treatment, however carefully we may behave. To know how to conduct ourselves when we are ill-treated is of great moment to our souls. In the first place, the Lord Jesus lays it down as a general rule that we ought to forgive others to the uttermost. Peter put the question, “How oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Till seven times?” He received answer: “I say, not unto thee till seven times, but until seventy times seven.” The rule here laid down must of course be interpreted with sober-minded qualification. Our Lord does not mean that offenses against the law of the land and the good order of society are to be passed over in silence; he does not mean that we are to allow people to commit thefts and assaults with impunity. All that he means is that we are to study a general spirit of mercy and forgivingness towards our brethren. We are to bear much, and to put up with much, rather than quarrel; we are to overlook much, and submit to much, rather than have any strife; we are to lay aside everything like malice, strife, revenge and retaliation. Such feelings are only fit for heathens: they are utterly unworthy of a disciple of Christ. What a happy world it would be if this rule of our Lord’s was more known and better obeyed! How many of the miseries of mankind are occasioned by disputes, quarrels, lawsuits, and an obstinate tenacity about what men call “their rights”! How many of them might be altogether avoided if men were more willing to forgive, and more desirous for peace! Let us never forget that a fire cannot go on burning without fuel; just in the same way it takes two to make a quarrel. Let us each resolve, by God’s grace, that of these two we will never be one.
His lord, after that he had called him - Alas! how shall he appear! Confounded. What shall he answer? He is speechless!
The words behind it
19 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Τότε | tote | Then | G5119 → | 160 times |
| προσκαλεσάμενος | proskalesamenos | having called to | G4341 → | 28 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κύριος | kurios | master | G2962 → | 711 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| λέγει | legei | says | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| αὐτῷ· | auto | to him; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| δοῦλε | doule | Servant | G1401 → | 129 times |
| πονηρέ, | ponere | evil, | G4190 → | 78 times |
| πᾶσαν | pasan | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀφειλὴν | opheilen | debt, | G3782 → | |
| ἐκείνην | ekeinen | that [one] | G1565 → | 260 times |
| ἀφῆκά | apheka | I forgave | G863 → | 143 times |
| σοι | soi | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐπεὶ | epei | because | G1893 → | 26 times |
| παρεκάλεσάς | parekalesas | you begged | G3870 → | 108 times |
| με. | me | me. | G3165 → | 1936 times |
ΤότεThen
toteG5119 →160 times
προσκαλεσάμενοςhaving called to
proskalesamenosG4341 →28 times
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
κύριοςmaster
kuriosG2962 →711 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
λέγειsays
legeiG3004 →1325 times
αὐτῷ·to him;
autoG846 →5565 times
δοῦλεServant
douleG1401 →129 times
πονηρέ,evil,
ponereG4190 →78 times
πᾶσανall
pasanG3956 →1235 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ὀφειλὴνdebt,
opheilenG3782 →
ἐκείνηνthat [one]
ekeinenG1565 →260 times
ἀφῆκάI forgave
aphekaG863 →143 times
σοιyou
soiG4771 →2973 times
ἐπεὶbecause
epeiG1893 →26 times
παρεκάλεσάςyou begged
parekalesasG3870 →108 times
με.me.
meG3165 →1936 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
it leads to
- Galatians 3:10
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
- Galatians 3:22–23
But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.
- Romans 2:12–18
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
- Romans 3:9
What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.
- Galatians 5:18
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
- Galatians 3:10
Through
Matthew 25:26‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.
it leads to
- Job 15:5–6
For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Job 15:5–6
Through
Luke 19:22His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 1:16
For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood be on your own head because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’”
- Matthew 12:37
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
- 2 Samuel 1:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Matthew
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 61; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Remigius of Rheims, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.