Matthew 25:26 Meaning and Explanation
“His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The master answers, calling him a wicked and slothful servant, and turns the accusation back on him.
What Does Matthew 25:26 Mean?
The verdict is sharp: wicked and slothful. The master then repeats the words of the servant back to him — thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not — not as an admission that the portrait was true, but as a standard: even granting it, such knowledge should have produced effort rather than burial.
Sloth here is not mere laziness; it is refusal to act on what we claim to know of God. By his own account the servant believed his lord expected increase, and still did nothing. Jesus warns that we are answerable to the light we actually had. Knowledge of the master that never becomes service — that, the parable says, is the wickedness.
Matthew 25:26 in the Original Language
okneros (ὀκνηρός), 'slothful' -- shrinking back, idle through hesitation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 25:26
What does Matthew 25:26 mean?
The master answers, calling him a wicked and slothful servant, and turns the accusation back on him.