Matthew 18 24

Matthew 18:24 kjv

And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

Matthew 18:24 nkjv

And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

Matthew 18:24 niv

As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.

Matthew 18:24 esv

When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

Matthew 18:24 nlt

In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.

Matthew 18 verses

Matthew 18 24 Meaning

Matthew 18:24 introduces a pivotal element in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. It states that as a king began to settle accounts with his servants, one particular servant was brought before him who owed an astonishing sum of ten thousand talents. This immense and unpayable debt is crucial to the parable's meaning, symbolizing the incalculable debt of sin that humanity owes to God, a debt so vast that it is humanly impossible to ever repay or earn forgiveness for it by one's own merits or actions. It underscores the utter helplessness of the debtor and sets the stage for the king's unimaginable mercy.

Matthew 18 24 Context

Matthew 18:24 is the foundational verse for the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-35), which Jesus narrates immediately after teaching his disciples about forgiveness. The chapter begins with discussions on humility (the greatest in the Kingdom, Matt 18:1-4), the dangers of causing others to stumble (Matt 18:5-7), and the importance of discipline within the community (Matt 18:15-20). The preceding verses, Matt 18:21-22, record Peter asking Jesus about the limits of forgiveness ("How many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?"), to which Jesus replies, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." This astounding command of unlimited forgiveness then sets the stage for the parable, with verse 23 introducing it: "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants." Verse 24 is the very first detail of that accounting process, establishing the immense debt of the first servant, which then serves as the critical reference point for the smaller, yet still significant, debt owed to him by a fellow servant in the subsequent verses. Historically, such debt systems, including potential enslavement for unpaid debts, were common in the ancient Near East, making the parable deeply relatable to Jesus' audience.

Matthew 18 24 Word analysis

• And (Καὶ - Kai): A simple conjunction connecting this verse directly to the preceding narrative setup (v. 23). It signals a continuation and introduction of the first detail in the king's reckoning.

• when he had begun to settle (ἀρξαμένου δὲ αὐτοῦ συναίρειν - arxamenou de autou synairein):

  • ἀρξαμένου (arxamenou): Aorist participle from archomai (ἄρχομαι), meaning "to begin." It indicates the commencement of an action, implying the process of auditing and reconciliation has just started. It's not a one-off event, but a new phase.
  • συναίρειν (synairein): Infinitive of synairō (συναιρέω), literally "to take together" or "to gather up." In context, it specifically means "to reckon," "to settle accounts," or "to compute." This term points to an orderly financial review by the king, bringing everyone to accountability. This process implies a systemic check of what is owed and what is due.

• one (εἷς - heis): Indefinite numeral, meaning "one" or "a certain one." It refers to a specific, unnamed individual, highlighting that this servant is chosen from many and becomes the immediate focus.

• was brought unto him (προσηνέχθη αὐτῷ - prosēnechthē autō):

  • προσηνέχθη (prosēnechthē): Aorist passive of prospherō (προσφέρω), meaning "to bring to," "to offer," or "to present." The passive voice implies that this servant did not voluntarily come forward but was compelled or officially presented to the king. This could suggest he was summoned, perhaps because his debt was known, or due to his inability to make payments, requiring an immediate audit.
  • αὐτῷ (autō): Dative case of autos, "him" (referring to the king).

• which owed (ὀφειλέτης - opheiletēs):

  • The Greek actually uses the noun opheiletēs (ὀφειλέτης), meaning "debtor," or a participle opheilōn (ὀφείλων), meaning "owing." Here, it's implied by the construction with "was brought," suggesting he was a debtor or was owing. It describes the continuous state of being indebted. This emphasizes the burden the servant carried and his subordinate position relative to the king.

• him (αὐτῷ - autō): Again, referring to the king, explicitly stating that the debt was to the king himself. This reinforces the king's authority and stake in the settlement.

• ten thousand (μυρίων - myriōn): Genitive plural of myrioi (μύριοι), literally "myriad" or "ten thousand." This number itself was used in Greek as a general term for an innumerable or exceedingly vast quantity, almost beyond counting. This choice of number is hyperbole, emphasizing an immense, impossible scale.

• talents (ταλάντων - talantōn): Genitive plural of talanton (τάλαντον), "talent." A talent was the largest unit of monetary weight in the ancient world, not a coin, but a measure (roughly 60-80 pounds). The value of a talent varied by region (silver or gold), but it consistently represented an enormous sum of money. A single talent of silver was approximately 6,000 denarii (a denarius being a common day laborer's wage). Therefore, 10,000 talents would equate to 60 million denarii, or a labor value of around 164,000 years (60,000,000 days / 365 days/year). This is a truly unpayable amount, far exceeding even royal treasuries or national incomes of the time. This massive debt symbolizes the magnitude of humanity's sin debt against an infinite and holy God.

• "begun to settle... one was brought unto him": This phrasing highlights a process of accountability that is initiated by the king. The debtor doesn't approach voluntarily, but is "brought," suggesting an unavoidable confrontation with his massive obligation. This setting mirrors divine judgment, where humanity is called to account for its trespasses.

• "ten thousand talents": This specific combination of numbers and units is key. It's not just a large debt; it is immeasurably large in ancient economic terms. It points to a debt that is not merely difficult but literally impossible to repay. The hyperbole serves to impress upon the hearers the overwhelming nature of their own debt to God due to sin, which cannot be discharged by human effort or merit. It sets up a stark contrast for the smaller debt later in the parable and prepares the audience for the king's radical forgiveness.

Matthew 18 24 Bonus section

The choice of "ten thousand talents" in the Greek (myriads of talents) might have had an additional layer of meaning for the original audience beyond mere immensity. Myrias (myriad) was not only "ten thousand" but could also mean "countless" or "an infinite number." This reinforces the concept of a debt so huge it literally defies precise calculation. Some scholars note that historical figures of great wealth, like Herod the Great's entire annual income, were in the range of a few hundred to a thousand talents, making 10,000 talents an astronomical figure that highlights its utterly fictional nature in terms of human capability for repayment. It signifies that the king (God) operates on a scale infinitely beyond human comprehension, both in terms of the debt owed to Him and the capacity to forgive. This particular sum thus ensures that no hearer could misunderstand the magnitude of the debt—it unequivocally required radical, sovereign mercy rather than any form of repayment or negotiation.

Matthew 18 24 Commentary

Matthew 18:24 vividly establishes the core premise of the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant: the overwhelming, impossible debt owed by the servant to his king. This single verse effectively sets the colossal stage against which divine grace and human unmercifulness are contrasted. The king's decision to "settle accounts" initiates a process of divine reckoning, bringing the servant, a metaphor for humanity, face-to-face with an incomprehensible obligation. The "ten thousand talents" is not merely a large sum but a hyperbolic figure representing a debt utterly beyond repayment, signifying the vastness of human sin and the absolute impossibility of achieving salvation through one's own efforts or merit. Just as the servant could never earn his way out of such an immense financial burden, so too can humanity never "pay back" its sin debt to a holy God. This verse, therefore, lays the indispensable groundwork for understanding the boundless mercy the king will later extend and the severe implications of not extending similar mercy to others.

• Example: Imagine a student owing the university trillions of dollars; any effort to pay back would be futile. This debt makes it clear that the only way for the student to be free is through a complete pardon by the university president, mirroring God's required act of grace.