Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
Parallel translations
- WEB Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants.
- KJV Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
- BSB Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
- NASB “For this reason the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.
- NLT “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus likens the kingdom to a king settling accounts with his servants. The parable will illustrate God's mercy and the obligation it places on the forgiven.
Overview
The settling of accounts pictures the reckoning each person has before God. The kingdom of heaven operates by mercy received and mercy extended. This opening frame prepares for a story that measures our debt to God against the small debts others owe us, teaching the necessity of forgiveness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Matt 13:24He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,
- Rom 14:12So then each one of us will give account of himself to God.
- Matt 3:2“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
- Matt 13:44–45“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
- Matt 13:47“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind,
- Luke 16:1–2He also said to his disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his possessions.
- Luke 19:12–27He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
- 1 Cor 4:5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God.
- Matt 13:52He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things.”
- 2 Cor 5:10–11For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
- Matt 13:33He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened.”
- Matt 25:14“For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them.
- Matt 13:31He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;
- Matt 25:1“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.
- Matt 25:19–30“Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 18:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.