Matthew 18:28 Meaning and Explanation
“But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →The forgiven servant seizes a fellow servant over a small debt.
What Does Matthew 18:28 Mean?
Newly forgiven a fortune, the same servant goes out and finds a fellow servant who owes him a hundred pence, a trifling sum next to his own cancelled debt. He seizes him by the throat and demands payment.
The contrast is meant to shock. The mercy he just received has not softened him toward another. A hundred pence is real but small, the kind of wrong our neighbors do to us. Set beside the ten thousand talents God has forgiven, every grievance we nurse against others shrinks to almost nothing. The parable holds up a mirror to the hardness that forgets how much it has been forgiven.
Matthew 18:28 in the Original Language
denarion (δηνάριον), 'pence' -- a single day's wage, a tiny debt beside ten thousand talents.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 18:28
What does Matthew 18:28 mean?
The forgiven servant seizes a fellow servant over a small debt.