And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Parallel translations
- WEB His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him.
- BSB In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed.
- ESV And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.
- NKJV And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
- NASB And his master, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he would repay all that was owed him.
- NLT Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire 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
In anger the king hands the unmerciful servant to the jailers until he pays all. Refusing to forgive invites severe judgment.
Overview
The king's wrath and the handing over to 'tormentors' depict the seriousness of divine judgment against unforgiveness. Since the debt was unpayable, the sentence is effectively without end. The image warns that a persistently unforgiving heart shows it has not truly received God's mercy.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Jas 2:13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
- Matt 5:25–26Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
- Luke 12:58–59When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.
- 2 Th 1:8–9In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
- Matt 18:30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
- Rev 14:10–11The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
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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 18:34 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.