Matthew 18 32

Matthew 18:32 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:

Matthew 18:32 nkjv

Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

Matthew 18:32 niv

"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.

Matthew 18:32 esv

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

Matthew 18:32 nlt

Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.

Matthew 18 verses

Matthew 18 32 Meaning

This verse marks the master's direct and stern rebuke of the unforgiving servant in Jesus' parable. It highlights the stark contrast between the immeasurable mercy the master freely bestowed upon the servant, and the servant's cruel refusal to extend a minuscule portion of that same mercy to a fellow servant. The master explicitly reminds the servant of the totality of the debt forgiven and the simple, humble plea that prompted such grace, emphasizing the wickedness of his ingratitude and lack of compassion.

Matthew 18 32 Context

Matthew chapter 18, often referred to as "the discourse on humble discipleship" or "life in the Kingdom of Heaven," opens with Jesus teaching about humility, childlikeness, and avoiding causes of stumbling. He then discusses the value of "the little ones" through the Parable of the Lost Sheep, emphasizing God's desire that none should perish. This leads directly to instructions on church discipline—how believers should address and reconcile with a sinning brother. Peter's question in verse 21, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" serves as the immediate prompt for Jesus' Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Mt 18:23-35).

Matthew 18:32 is a crucial turning point within this parable. The parable describes a servant forgiven an astronomical, unpayable debt by his master. However, this same servant then cruelly refused to forgive a small debt owed to him by a fellow servant, having him imprisoned. The master hears of this, and in verse 32, summons the wicked servant for a reckoning. Historically, large debts often led to imprisonment or indentured servitude. The astronomical sum (10,000 talents) highlighted the infinite nature of the "debt" (sin) humanity owes to God, making the forgiveness portrayed an act of unimaginable grace. The much smaller sum (100 denarii) emphasizes the relative insignificance of human offenses against each other compared to our offense against God.

Matthew 18 32 Word analysis

• Then his master: The term "master" (Greek: despotēs) signifies an absolute owner or sovereign. This choice of word highlights the supreme authority and unchallengeable right of the one representing God in the parable, emphasizing the gravity of his disappointment.
• after he had called him: The Greek proskalesamenos means "to summon to oneself" or "to call to one's side." This implies a deliberate and authoritative action. The master wasn't randomly encountering the servant; he purposefully called him to account for his actions, highlighting that actions against others have repercussions and are known to the Lord.
• said to him: A direct and confrontational address, signaling a significant moment of reckoning and judgment for the servant.
• 'You wicked servant!':
  • Wicked (Greek: ponēre): This is a strong moral condemnation. It implies more than just "naughty" or "wrong"; it denotes moral evil, maliciousness, and worthlessness, indicating an intrinsic depravity exposed by the servant's actions. His wickedness lies in the fundamental contradiction between the vast grace received and the absence of grace shown.
  • Servant (Greek: doule): Reinforces his position of complete dependence and obligation to the master. He was utterly beholden to the master, underscoring the severity of his ingratitude.
• 'I forgave you': The Greek aphēka (from aphiemi) means "I sent away," "I released," or "I let go." The perfect tense emphasizes a completed action with lasting effect. The forgiveness was real, total, and irreversible. The personal pronoun "I" is emphatic, highlighting the master's direct and generous act.
• 'all that debt':
  • All (Greek: pasan): Denotes totality, emphasizing that no part of the vast 10,000-talent debt was left unforgiven. This stands in stark contrast to the servant's refusal to forgive a mere fraction.
  • Debt (Greek: opheilēn): Literally refers to what is owed, both financially and morally. In the parable, it represents the immeasurable sin debt owed to God.
• 'because you begged me.': The Greek parekalesas me (from parakaleo) means "you pleaded with me" or "you earnestly implored me." This clarifies the basis of the forgiveness—it was granted in response to a humble plea for mercy, not because the servant deserved it or could earn it. This draws a parallel to the repentance and faith through which believers receive God's forgiveness.

Words-group analysis:

• "Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant!'": This phrase establishes the divine authority and intention behind the rebuke. The master's specific choice to call the servant reflects divine omniscience and a direct confrontation of hypocrisy. The harsh descriptor "wicked" immediately sets the tone, conveying deep displeasure and righteous anger at the servant's character as revealed by his actions.
• "I forgave you all that debt because you begged me": This central statement succinctly contrasts the master's immense grace with the servant's profound ingratitude. It lays bare the absolute contradiction in the servant's behavior. The phrase highlights that the reason for the original forgiveness was not merit, but the servant's humble request, implying that the servant knew the experience of being desperately needy and receiving unmerited favor. His subsequent actions therefore revealed not just a lack of mercy, but a deeper wickedness in disregarding the grace he himself depended upon.

Matthew 18 32 Bonus section

• The master's immediate wrath and subsequent delivery of the servant to the tormentors (Mt 18:34-35) underscore that this isn't just about earthly justice, but about a spiritual reality regarding the kingdom of heaven and accountability before God.
• The massive scale of the first debt (10,000 talents) often calculated to be centuries of labor or immense national treasure, serves to magnify the incredible, impossible debt of sin we owe to God, and thus, the immeasurable magnitude of His forgiveness towards us. The subsequent small debt (100 denarii) makes the servant's unforgiveness all the more outrageous.
• This parable and verse align closely with the teaching in the Lord's Prayer ("Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors") and reinforces the idea that the genuineness of our faith, and indeed our experience of God's continuing forgiveness, is intrinsically linked to our willingness to forgive others.
• The parable addresses an underlying attitude problem: The "wicked servant" not only lacked mercy but seemingly forgot the crushing burden of his own past debt and the magnanimity of his master's pardon. His actions reveal a disconnect between the receipt of grace and its transformational impact on his character.

Matthew 18 32 Commentary

Matthew 18:32 is the moral core of the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. The master's rebuke cuts to the heart of the servant's character, branding him "wicked." This "wickedness" isn't abstract; it's manifested by his profound ingratitude and his uncompassionate spirit, especially when contrasted with the measure of grace he himself received. The master's lament articulates the stunning hypocrisy: "I forgave you all that debt because you begged me." The servant understood desperation, received immeasurable mercy, yet withheld a negligible mercy from another. This reveals that the spiritual state of an unforgiving person may indicate a deep failure to grasp or genuinely appreciate the immensity of God's forgiveness for their own unpayable sin debt. This verse serves as a powerful warning that divine grace, though freely given, brings with it a solemn obligation to mirror that grace towards others. Failure to forgive does not revoke God's initial grace, but it demonstrates a heart out of alignment with His character and the very nature of His kingdom, with severe consequences as shown in the concluding verses of the parable.