Matthew 18:34

18:34 This is how God responds (18:35) to anyone unwilling to forgive. • until he had paid his entire debt: I.e., permanently, because he could never repay.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mat 18:34. Ὀργισθεὶς, wroth) He had not been wroth before, cf. Luk 14:21. Those who have experienced the mercy of God, ought to be very careful of exciting His anger.—τοῖς βασανισταῖς, the tormentors) not merely jailors (custodibus).—ἓως οὗ, until) Such is the enduring character of guilt, founded on the inexhaustible claim of God over His servants.[850]

[850] “Servos.” The word is used with special reference to the parable, and does not indicate “the servants of God,” in the usual meaning of that phrase, but all those who were formed for the service of God, i.e. all His creatures.—(I. B.)

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 18:34 . ὀργισθεὶς : roused to just and extreme anger. βασανισταῖς : not merely to the gaolers, but to the tormentors, with instructions not merely to keep him safe in prison till the debt was paid, but still more to make the life of the wretch as miserable as possible, by place of imprisonment, position of body, diet, bed, etc., if not by instruments of pain. The word, chosen to suit the king’s mood, represents a subjective feeling rather than an objective fact.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors--more than jailers; denoting the severity of the treatment which he thought such a case demanded.

till he should pay all that was due unto him.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 34. Delivered him to the tormentors] Not only continued captivity is here intended, but the tortures to be endured in it. If a person was suspected of fraud, as there was reason for in such a case as that mentioned here, he was put to very cruel tortures among the Asiatics, to induce him to confess. In the punishments of China, a great variety of these appear; and probably there is an allusion to such torments in this place. Before, he and all that he had, were only to be sold. Now, as he has increased his debt, so he has increased his punishment; he is delivered to the tormentors, to the horrors of a guilty conscience, and to a fearful looking for of fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. But if this refers to the day of judgment, then the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is not quenched, are the tormentors.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(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 mediæval 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 Mat_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” (Mat_19:26).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

34. The acquittal is revoked—a point not to be pressed in the interpretation. The truth taught is the impossibility of the unforgiving being forgiven, but the chief lesson is the example of the divine spirit of forgiveness in the act of the king. This example the pardoned slave should have followed.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

Ver. 34. And his lord was wroth] So God is said to be, when he chides and smites for sin, as men used to do in their anger; but somewhat worse than they, for his anger "burneth to the lowest hell," Deu 32:22.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Delivered him to the tormentors - The word “tormentors” here probably means keepers of the prisons. Torments were inflicted on criminals, not on debtors. They were inflicted by stretching the limbs, or pinching the flesh, or putting out the eyes, or taking off the skin while alive, etc. It is not probable that anything of this kind is intended, but only that the servant was punished by imprisonment until the debt should be paid.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

34. Tormentors — Not jailers only, but inflicters of chastisements. For criminals in prison were often condemned to scourging. Pay all — See on Mat_18:30. Of course it was impossible for the bankrupt in prison to pay his fifteen million dollars.

The king, it must be observed, imprisons him for the debt which he had at first forgiven. The old forgiven sin of the apostate sinner springs up anew and condemns him. A man is finally punished for all the sins of his life. It helps him not one jot that at one time he was pardoned, but rather aggravates his case.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Was wroth. This, as we said above, is the prerogative of God. Man is pained and grieved at sin; God is angry. Tormentors; basanistaiv : 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 (ewv ou apodw ). Some editors omit or bracket ou , 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 Mat_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 Mat_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". (Ecc_9:10) All that was due unto him (pan to ofeilomenon autw). Modern editors reject autw : 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 Eze_18:24, Eze_18:26)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

His Lord delivered him to the tormentors - Imprisonment is a much severer punishment in the eastern countries than in ours. State criminals, especially when condemned to it, are not only confined to a very mean and scanty allowance, but are frequently loaded with clogs or heavy yokes, so that they can neither lie nor sit at ease: and by frequent scourgings and sometimes rackings are brought to an untimely end. Till he should pay all that was due to him - That is, without all hope of release, for this he could never do. How observable is this whole account; as well as the great inference our Lord draws from it:

1. The debtor was freely and fully forgiven;

2. He wilfully and grievously offended;

3. His pardon was retracted, the whole debt required, and the offender delivered to the tormentors forever. And shall we still say, but when we are once freely and fully forgiven, our pardon can never be retracted? Verily, verily, I say unto you, So likewise will my heavenly Father do to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

tormentors

The ground of law, of exact justice. Cf. grace, Rom 3:23; Rom 3:24; Eph 4:30; Joh 1:17 (See Scofield "Joh 1:17")

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

34. His lord … delivered him to the tormenters. This language is to be interpreted by customs that still prevail in the East, where torture is still used to compel debtors to confess where they have hidden treasures that they are suspected of having concealed. In both Greece and Rome torture was used on prisoners to compel confession, and until within a century or two it was still employed in Great Britain and Europe. Till he should pay all. As, however, he never could pay, he was condemned to perpetual imprisonment.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

Connecting Statement:

Jesus concludes his parable about forgiveness and reconciliation.

General Information:

This is the end of the part of the story that began in Matthew 18:1, where Jesus teaches about life in the kingdom of heaven.

His master

"The king"

handed him over

"gave him over." Most likely the king himself did not take the first servant to the torturers. AT: "he ordered his servants to give him over" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

to the torturers

"to those who would torture him"

that was owed

This can be stated in active form. AT: "that the first servant owed the king" (See: Active or Passive)

my heavenly Father

This is an important title for God that describes the relationship between God and Jesus. (See: Translating Son and Father)

to you ... your

All occurrences of these words are plural. Jesus is speaking to his disciples, but this parable teaches a general truth that applies to all believers. (See: Forms of You)

from your heart

Here "heart" is a metonym for a person's inner being. The phrase "from your heart" is an idiom that means "sincerely." AT: "sincerely" or "completely" (See: Metonymy and Idiom)

translationWords

lord

hand

God the Father

brother

heart

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

34. The acquittal is revoked—a point not to be pressed in the interpretation. The truth taught is the impossibility of the unforgiving being forgiven, but the chief lesson is the example of the divine spirit of forgiveness in the act of the king. This example the pardoned slave should have followed.

τοῖς βασανισταῖς. ‘To the keepers of the prison,’ the gaolers, part of whose duty it was to torture (βασανίζειν) the prisoners. Thus in the Greek version of Jer 20:2, by Symmachus, βασανιστήριον is ‘a prison’ (A.V. ‘stocks’). Fischer, de vitiis Lex. N.T., p. 458.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

34. τοῖς βασανισταῖς] not merely the prison-keepers, but the torturers. Remember he was to have been sold into slavery before, and now his punishment is to be greater. The condition following would amount in the case of the sum in the parable to perpetual imprisonment. So Chrysostom, τουτέστι διηνεκῶς· οὔτε γὰρ ἀποδώσει ποτέ. Hom. lxi. 4, p. 617. See note on ch. 5:26.

There is a difficulty made, from the punishment of this debtor for the very debt which had been forgiven, and the question has been asked, ‘utrum peccata semel dimissa redeant.’ But it is the spiritual meaning which has here ruled the form of the parable. He who falls from a state of grace falls into a state of condemnation, and is overwhelmed with ‘all that debt,’ not of this or that actual sin formerly remitted, but of a whole state of enmity to God.

Meyer (Comm. in loc.) well remarks, that the motive held up in this parable could only have full light cast on it by the great act of Atonement which the Lord was about to accomplish. We may see from that consideration, how properly it belongs to this last period of His ministry.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

34. And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was owed.]

(L)

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To the tormentors [βασανισταις] . Livy pictures an old centurion complaining that he was taken by his creditor, not into servitude, but to a workhouse and torture, and showing his back scarred with fresh wounds (ii. 23).

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.