Matthew 18:32

32 Then the master summoned his servant and said, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt just because you begged me to do it.

Matthew 18:32 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 18:32

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!
Munster's Hebrew Gospel reads, "thou servant of Belial"; thou cruel and hard hearted man to thy fellow servant, and ungrateful creature to me, on whom my goodness to thee has not made any impression, nor taken any effect:

I forgave thee all that debt:
all that vast debt of ten thousand talents, and that freely:

because thou desiredst me:
not to forgive the debt, but to have patience, and give time, and therefore unasked forgave the whole sum, every farthing of it; which was such an instance of pure goodness, as was enough to have wrought upon an heart of stone, and engaged the most tender concern and pity for a fellow creature, as well as filled with thankfulness to the kind benefactor. The favour so lately bestowed on him is justly observed as an aggravation of his wickedness.

Matthew 18:32 In-Context

30 But he refused; instead, he had him thrown in jail until he should repay the debt.
31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were extremely distressed; and they went and told their master every thing that had taken place.
32 Then the master summoned his servant and said, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt just because you begged me to do it.
33 Shouldn't you have had pity on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'
34 And in anger his master turned him over to the jailers for punishment until he paid back everything he owed.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.