Matthew 18:21-35

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often ¹will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? ²As many as seven times? ”

22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished ³to settle accounts with his servants. ^[a]

24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ⁴ten thousand ⁵talents. ^[b]

25 ⁶And since he could not pay, his master ordered him ⁷to be sold, with his wife and ⁸children and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26 So the servant^{[c] 9}fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. ’

27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and ¹⁰forgave him the debt.

28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred ¹¹denarii, ^[d] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe. ’

29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you. ’

30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.

31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.

32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

33 ¹²And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? ’

34 ¹³And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, ^{[e] 14}until he should pay all his debt.

35 ¹⁵So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother ¹⁶from your heart. ”

Cross References

• 1. 18:21 ver. 15
• 2. 18:21 Luke 17:3, 4; [Col. 3:13]
• 3. 18:23 ch. 25:19
• 4. 18:24 Esth. 3:9
• 5. 18:24 ch. 25:15
• 6. 18:25 [Luke 7:42]
• 7. 18:25 Ex. 21:2; Lev. 25:39
• 8. 18:25 2 Kgs. 4:1; Neh. 5:5
• 9. 18:26 Acts 10:25; See ch. 8:2
• 10. 18:27 [See ver. 25 above]
• 11. 18:28 ch. 20:2; 22:19; Mark 6:37; 14:5; Luke 7:41; 10:35; John 6:7
• 12. 18:33 [ch. 6:12; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13; 1 John 4:11]
• 13. 18:34 See James 2:13
• 14. 18:34 ver. 30; [ch. 5:25, 26]
• 15. 18:35 ch. 6:15; [Prov. 21:13]
• 16. 18:35 1 Pet. 1:22; [Rom. 6:17]

Footnotes

• [a] 18:23 Greek 'bondservants'; also verses 28, 31
• [b] 18:24 A 'talent' was a monetary unit worth about twenty years’ wages for a laborer
• [c] 18:26 Greek 'bondservant'; also verses 27, 28, 29, 32, 33
• [d] 18:28 A 'denarius' was a day’s wage for a laborer
• [e] 18:34 Greek 'torturers'