When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and recounted all of this to their master.
Parallel translations
- WEB So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done.
- KJV So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
- NKJV So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.
- NASB So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their master all that had happened.
- NLT “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened.
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
The other servants are grieved by what they see and report it to the king. The community recognizes the wrong and brings it before the master.
Overview
The distress of the fellow servants reflects how plainly unjust the man's behavior is in light of the mercy he received. Their reporting it to the king sets the stage for accountability. It signals that such hypocrisy does not escape the notice of the master who showed mercy.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Rom 12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
- Mark 3:5Jesus looked around at them with anger and sorrow at their hardness of heart. Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored.
- Heb 13:3Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them.
- Luke 14:21The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
- Jer 9:1Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night over the slain daughter of my people.
- Luke 19:41As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it
- Gen 37:2This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
- Ps 119:136My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.
- Heb 13:17Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account. To this end, allow them to lead with joy and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you.
- Ps 119:158I look on the faithless with loathing because they do not keep Your word.
- Rom 9:1–3I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit.
- 2 Cor 11:21To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about.
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 18:31 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.