Matthew 18:32

32 Then his lord called him, and said to him, Wicked servant, I forgave to thee all the debt, for thou prayedest me.

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 would not; but went out, and put him into prison [but went and sent him into prison], till he [had] paid all the debt.
31 And his even-servants, seeing the things that were done, [were] sorrowed greatly. And they came, and told to their lord all the things that were done.
32 Then his lord called him, and said to him, Wicked servant, I forgave to thee all the debt, for thou prayedest me.
33 Therefore whether it behooved not also thee to have mercy on thine even-servant [on thy even-servant], as [also] I had mercy on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and took him to tormentors [And his lord wroth, betook him to tormentors], till he [had] paid all the debt.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.