Matthew 18:34 - The Unforgiving Servant

In anger
The master's anger reflects divine justice and righteousness. Throughout Scripture, God's anger is often depicted as a response to sin and injustice (e.g., Psalm 7:11). This anger is not capricious but is a measured response to the servant's failure to show mercy, mirroring the divine expectation of forgiveness as seen in Matthew 6:14-15.

his master
The master in this parable represents God, who is sovereign and just. The relationship between master and servant is a common biblical motif illustrating God's authority over humanity. This reflects the cultural context of the time, where masters had significant control over their servants, paralleling God's ultimate authority over creation.

turned him over to the jailers
The act of turning the servant over to the jailers signifies the consequences of unrepentant sin. In biblical times, jailers were responsible for enforcing punishment, often in harsh conditions. This imagery underscores the severity of divine judgment for those who fail to extend the grace they have received.

to be tortured
Torture here symbolizes the spiritual and emotional torment resulting from separation from God's grace. It reflects the severe consequences of unforgiveness, as seen in the broader biblical narrative where sin leads to suffering and alienation from God (Isaiah 59:2).

until he should repay all that he owed
This phrase highlights the impossibility of repaying the debt, symbolizing the insurmountable debt of sin that humanity owes to God. It echoes the earlier part of the parable where the servant's debt was forgiven, emphasizing the necessity of grace and the futility of attempting to earn salvation through works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Theologically, it points to the need for Christ's atoning sacrifice, as only through Him can the debt of sin be truly settled.

Persons / Places / Events

1. The Unforgiving Servant
This parable character is central to the teaching of Matthew 18:34. He is a servant who, after being forgiven a massive debt by his master, refuses to forgive a fellow servant a much smaller debt.

2. The Master
Represents God in the parable. He initially shows mercy by forgiving the servant's debt but later enacts justice when the servant fails to show the same mercy to others.

3. Fellow Servants
They witness the unforgiving servant's actions and report back to the master, highlighting the communal aspect of accountability.

4. The Jailers
They are tasked with imprisoning the unforgiving servant until he can repay his debt, symbolizing the consequences of unforgiveness.

5. The Kingdom of Heaven
The setting of the parable, illustrating the principles of God's kingdom, particularly regarding forgiveness and mercy.

Teaching Points

The Seriousness of Unforgiveness
Unforgiveness is not a trivial matter; it has serious spiritual consequences, as illustrated by the servant's punishment.

Reflecting God's Mercy
As recipients of God's immense mercy, we are called to extend the same mercy to others, mirroring God's character.

Accountability in Community
The role of the fellow servants shows the importance of community in holding each other accountable to live out Christian values.

The Cost of Unforgiveness
Unforgiveness can lead to spiritual imprisonment, where one is bound by bitterness and resentment, unable to experience true freedom in Christ.

The Call to Forgive
Forgiveness is a command, not an option, for believers. It is a reflection of our understanding and acceptance of God's grace.

Lists and Questions

Top 10 Lessons from Matthew 18Why did Peter sever Malchus's ear?Did Jesus speak secretly? John 18:20 says no, but Mark 4:34 and Matthew 13:10-11 suggest he explained parables privately to his disciples.Matthew 18:3-4 - How is the transformation into a childlike state to enter the kingdom of heaven scientifically or psychologically plausible?What are the Bible's teachings on forgiveness?

(34) Delivered him to the tormentors.--The words seem deliberately vague. We dare not say that the "tormentors" are avenging angels, or demons, though in the hell of mediaeval poetry and art these latter are almost exclusively represented as the instruments of punishment. More truly, we may see in them the symbols of whatever agencies God employs in the work of righteous retribution, the stings of remorse, the scourge of conscience, the scorn and reproach of men, not excluding, of course, whatever elements of suffering lie behind the veil, in the life beyond the grave.

Till he should pay all that was due unto him.--As in Matthew 5:26 (where see Note), the words suggest at once the possibility of a limit, and the difficulty, if not impossibility, of ever reaching it. How could the man in the hands of the tormentors obtain the means of paying the ten thousand talents? And the parable excludes the thought of the debt being, as it were, taken out in torments, a quantitative punishment being accepted as the discharge of what could not otherwise be paid. The imagery of the parable leaves us in silent awe, and we only find refuge from our questionings in the thought that "the things that are impossible with man are possible with God" (Matthew 19:26).

Verse 34. - Was wroth. This, as we said above, is the prerogative of God. Man is pained and grieved at sin; God is angry. Tormentors; βασανισταῖς: tortoribus. These are not the gaolers, prison keepers, but persons who put prisoners to the torture. Neither Jewish nor Roman law at that time recognized any such officials; neither were those in confinement treated thus in either community. The idea is taken from the practice of Oriental despotism, which might thus punish an offence considered supremely detestable. In a mystical sense these are the ministers of Divine vengeance who carry out the behests of the King. Till he should pay; until he should have paid (ἕως οῦ ἀποδῷ). Some editors omit or bracket οῦ, but the sense is the same with or without the relative. The debt never could be paid, so practically the punishment would last forever. Commentators, mediaeval and modern, see here an argument for the eternity of future punishment; others see in the clause an intimation that sin may be forgiven in the other world, though not repented of or pardoned in this present life. The words give no support to the latter interpretation. Until, etc., does not necessarily signify that the condition specified is certain to be fulfilled. As Bengel says, on Matthew 1:25, "Non sequitur ergo post." And in the present case there could be no possibility of payment. A criminal delivered to the tormentors would have no opportunity or means of raising the necessary funds. If this is a picture of the final judgment, it is parallel to our Lord's statement in Matthew 5:26, "Thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing;" for, as the Preacher says, "There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest" (Ecclesiastes 9:10). All that was due [unto him] (πᾶν τὸ ὀφειλόμενον αὐτῷ). Modern editors reject αὐτῷ: Vulgate, universum debitum. This is more general than "all that debt" in ver. 32. It is usually taken to refer to the old debt now redemanded. But a difficulty has been found in the fact that this old debt had been freely forgiven and utterly done away, and therefore could not, in equity, be again exacted. Hence some commentators have explained the clause as referring not at all to the former debt, but to a new debt incurred by a new offence, viz. ingratitude and unmercifulness. But the spiritual truth seems to be that, although sins once absolutely forgiven are not again imputed, they make subsequent sins more heinous, as in a human law court previous conviction increases the penalty of a fresh transgression. Falling from grace, a man passes into enmity with God, and so far cancels his pardon, and is in a state of condemnation (see Ezekiel 18:24, 26). Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

In his anger,
ὀργισθεὶς (orgistheis)
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3710: To irritate, provoke, be angry. From orge; to provoke or enrage, i.e. become exasperated.

his
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

master
κύριος (kyrios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

turned him over
παρέδωκεν (paredōken)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3860: From para and didomi; to surrender, i.e yield up, intrust, transmit.

to the
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

jailers to be tortured,
βασανισταῖς (basanistais)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 930: One who tortures, a tormentor, jailor. From basanizo; a torturer.

until
ἕως (heōs)
Preposition
Strong's 2193: A conjunction, preposition and adverb of continuance, until.

he should repay
ἀποδῷ (apodō)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 591: From apo and didomi; to give away, i.e. Up, over, back, etc.

all
πᾶν (pan)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

that
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

he owed.
ὀφειλόμενον (opheilomenon)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3784: Or, its prolonged form opheileo probably from the base of ophelos; to owe; figuratively, to be under obligation; morally, to fail in duty.

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