Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’
Parallel translations
- KJV Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
- BSB Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’
- NKJV Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’
- NASB Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’
- NLT Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’
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 king asks whether the servant should not have shown the same mercy he received. Forgiven people are obligated to forgive.
Overview
The rhetorical question states the parable's moral: mercy received must overflow into mercy given. God's compassion toward us is meant to reshape how we treat others. To refuse this is to despise the very grace that saved us, a contradiction the king will not tolerate.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Col 3:13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
- Eph 4:32And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
- Matt 6:12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
- Luke 6:35–36But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
- Matt 5:44–45But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 18:33 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.