Matthew 18:24 Meaning and Explanation
“And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →A servant is brought in owing an impossibly vast sum.
What Does Matthew 18:24 Mean?
As the reckoning begins, one servant is brought forward owing ten thousand talents. The figure is staggering, a sum beyond any laborer's power to repay in many lifetimes. It is debt piled past all imagining.
Jesus chooses an impossible number on purpose. It pictures the immeasurable debt of sin that we owe before God, a weight no human effort could ever clear. The scene sets us in the servant's place, hopelessly in arrears before the King. Only against this mountain of debt can the mercy soon to be shown appear in its true greatness.
Matthew 18:24 in the Original Language
talanton (τάλαντον), 'talents' -- the largest unit of money, here multiplied to an unpayable sum.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 18:24
What does Matthew 18:24 mean?
A servant is brought in owing an impossibly vast sum.