Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’
Parallel translations
- WEB Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’
- KJV Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
- ESV And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy 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 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
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 3:13Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
- Eph 4:32Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
- Matt 6:12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
- Luke 6:35–36But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
- Matt 5:44–45But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who 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.