But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Parallel translations
- KJV But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
- BSB Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.
- ESV And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
- NKJV But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.
- NASB But since he did not have the means to repay, his master commanded that he be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment be made.
- NLT He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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
Unable to pay, the servant and his family are ordered to be sold to settle the debt. The scene shows the just consequence of a debt that cannot be repaid.
Overview
Selling debtors into servitude was a recognized ancient practice for recovering losses. The command underscores the hopelessness of the servant's situation, mirroring our helplessness to pay the debt of sin. It heightens the wonder of the mercy that is about to be shown.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Neh 5:5Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.”
- 2 Kgs 4:1Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead. You know that your servant feared Yahweh. Now the creditor has come to take for himself my two children to be slaves.”
- Luke 7:42When they couldn’t pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?”
- Lev 25:39“‘If your brother has grown poor among you, and sells himself to you; you shall not make him to serve as a slave.
- Neh 5:8I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say.
- Isa 50:1Yahweh says, “Where is the bill of your mother’s divorce, with which I have put her away? or to which of my creditors have I sold you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, and your mother was put away for your transgressions.
- Exod 21:2“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.
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 18:25 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.