Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 18:31
So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
31. when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry ] This seems to point to the common conscience of mankind approving or anticipating the divine sentence.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
So when his fellow-servants … – This is a mere circumstance thrown into the story for the sake of keeping, or making a consistent narrative. It cannot be intended to teach that other Christians should go and tell God what a brother has done; for God well knows all the actions of his children, and does not need us surely to inform him of what is done. It is abusing the Bible, and departing from the design of parables, to press every circumstance, and to endeavor to extract from it some spiritual meaning. Our Saviour, in this parable, designed most clearly to exhibit only one great truth – the duty of forgiving our brethren, and the great evil of not forgiving a brother when he offends us. The circumstances of the parable are intended only to make the story consistent with itself, and thus to impress the general truth more fully on the mind.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 31. His fellow-servants saw what was done] An act of this kind is so dishonourable to all the followers of Christ, and to the spirit of his Gospel, that through the respect they owe to their Lord and Master, and through the concern they feel for the prosperity of his cause, they are obliged to plead against it at the throne of God.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
So when his fellow servants saw what was done,…. What hard usage, and ill treatment, their fellow servant met with; the Syriac reads, “their fellow servants”, being the fellow servants both of the creditor and the debtor:
they were very sorry; they were greatly grieved and troubled at the cruelty of the one, and the unhappiness of the other; being more tenderhearted, and of a more forgiving spirit than he:
and came and told unto their Lord all that was done; to their fellow servant, by one that had so lately received such favours from him: this may be expressive of the concern of some members of churches at such conduct: who, though they may not have strength and number sufficient to oppose such measures, yet being secretly grieved at such cruel methods, go to the throne of grace, and spread the case before the Lord, tell him all that is done by way of complaint; which, is no impeachment of his omniscience, only shows their trouble for such malpractices, and the sense they have, by whom only such grievances can be redressed.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Told (). Made wholly clear to their own lord. That is the usual result in the long run. There is a limit to what people will put up with.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Told [] . More than merely narrated. The verb is from dia, throughout, and safe w, to explain. They explained the circumstances throughout.
Their Lord [ ] . Lit., “their own Lord;” as befitted their position, and as a mark of their confidence in him.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
31. When his fellow-servants saw what was done. Though we ought not to search for mystery in these words — because they contain nothing but what nature teaches, and what we learn by daily experience — we ought to know that the men who live among us will be so many witnesses against us before God; for it is impossible but that cruelty shall excite in them displeasure and hatred, more especially, since every man is afraid that what he sees done to others will fall upon his own head. As to the clause which immediately follows, it is foolish to inquire how God punishes those sins (576) which he has already forgiven; for the simple meaning is this: though he offers mercy to all, yet severe creditors, from whom no forgiveness can be obtained, are unworthy of enjoying it.
(576) “ Comment il est possible que Dieu punisse;” — “how it is possible for God to punish.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(31) They were very sorry.The fellow-servants are, of course, in the inner meaning of the parable, those who are members of the same spiritual society. Our Lord appeals as by anticipation to the judgment which Christians in general, perhaps even to that which mankind at large, would pass upon such conduct. It is suggestive that He describes them, not as being angry or indignant (though such feelings would have been natural enough), but as exceeding sorry. Sorrow, rather than anger, is the mood of the true disciple of Christ as he witnesses the sins against love which are the scandals of the Christian society. Anger, the righteous wrath against evil, belongs rather, as in Mat. 18:32, to the Lord and Judge.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
31. Fellow servants very sorry They were sorry, but God was wroth. God’s servants grieve over their fellow’s sins; but vengeance belongeth to God. Even in expulsion from the visible Church, their true feeling is grief and love for the excommunicated; the act being done truly for his salvation. Told unto their Lord God’s saints are forever laying the sins of men before him in confessory prayer. But God’s own omniscience is forever taking evidence of man’s sins.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were deeply sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.”
But his fellow-servants saw what he had done. And filled with deep regret at what had been done to their fellow-servant they ‘told their lord all that was done’. ‘They were deeply sorry’. These men too were compassionate. Their lives had been touched by mercy. They were the merciful who would themselves obtain mercy.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The result:
v. 31. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
v. 32. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst me.
v. 33. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?
v. 34. And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due unto him. The treatment which had been accorded to their fellow-servant filled those that had witnessed the inhuman proceeding with deep sorrow and grief. Coming to their lord, they made a report of all that had happened. Cited into the presence of the king, the guilty one was speechless. He could not bring forth a single argument in defense of his action. But the lord characterizes him and his treatment of his fellow-servant: Having received such a large measure of mercy upon his imploring pleading, would it not have been a matter of obligation to pass on this mercy to his own debtor? And so, since the king’s wrath mounted high over such cruelty, the servant was delivered, not only to the keepers of the prison, but to the tormentors, with instructions that his life be made as miserable as possible, to atone, at least in part, for his total lack of humaneness, not to speak of decency and gratitude.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mat 18:31. His fellow-servantstold unto their Lord, &c. . “They gave their Lord an exact and faithful account,” which is the full meaning of the word. See Albert, and the Inferences on this chapter.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 18:31 f. ] They were grieved at the hard heartedness and cruelty which they saw displayed in what was going on ( , see critical notes).
.] not simply narrarunt (Vulgate), but more precisely: declararunt (Beza); Plat. Prot . p. 348 B; Legg . v. p. 733 B; Polyb. i. 46. 4; ii. 27 3; 2Ma 1:18 ; Mal 2:9Mal 2:9 .
] The reflective pronoun (see critical notes) indicates that, as befitted their position, the addressed themselves to their own master . Their confidence in him led them to turn to him rather than to any one else.
. ] because thou entreatedst me . And he had not gone so far as to beg for entire remission of the debt, but only for forbearance!
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
Ver. 31. So when his fellow servants ] The angels, say some, who when they see us backward to business of this nature, are sorry, and say our errand to their and our common Lord, Angeli vident, dolent, et Domino omnia referunt (Aret.). The angels see, are grieved and refer all matters to God. Or the saints on earth groan out their discontents, against the unmerciful, to God, who soon hears them, for he is gracious,Exo 22:27Exo 22:27 ; yea, the cries of the poor oppressed do even “enter into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth,” Jas 5:4 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
31. ] The fellow-servants , the lord . Anger is not man’s proper mood towards sin, but sorrow (see Psa 119:136 ), because all men are sinners. These fellow-servants are the praying people of God , who plead with Him against the oppression and tyranny in the world.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 18:31 . . : the other fellow-servants were greatly vexed or grieved. At what? the fate of the poor debtor? Why then not pay the debt? (Koetsveld). Not sympathy so much as annoyance at the unbecoming conduct of the merciless one who had obtained mercy was the feeling. : reported the facts ( narraverunt , Vulg [107] ), and so threw light on the character of the man ( cf. Mat 13:36 , W. and H [108] ). . , to their own master, to whom therefore they might speak on a matter affecting his interest.
[107] Vulgate (Jerome’s revision of old Latin version).
[108] Westcott and Hort.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
was done = had taken place.
very = exceedingly.
told = narrated (gave an exact account). Greek. diasapheo. Occ only here.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
31.] The fellow-servants , the lord . Anger is not mans proper mood towards sin, but sorrow (see Psa 119:136), because all men are sinners. These fellow-servants are the praying people of God, who plead with Him against the oppression and tyranny in the world.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 18:31. , , …, they were very sorry, and came and told, etc.) Their sorrow and their information were righteous.-, sorrow, frequently includes the idea of indignation.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
they: Psa 119:136, Psa 119:158, Jer 9:1, Mar 3:5, Luk 19:41, Rom 9:1-3, Rom 12:15, 2Co 11:21, Heb 13:3
and came: Gen 37:2, Luk 14:21, Heb 13:17
Reciprocal: 1Ch 19:5 – and told David
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8:31
The ungrateful servant may have thought he would not be exposed to his kind master, but fellow-servants were aware of his conduct and reported it to him. Likewise man often thinks he can elude the eyes of the Lord but all things are known to Him.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 18:31. So when his fellow-servants, etc. Not a warrant for complaints to God against the unforgiving. The fellow-servants were exceeding sorry, not angry; the sorrowful cries of Gods people in a world of persecution and oppression are heard.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Mat 18:31-35. When his fellow-servants saw what was done When they beheld such inhumanity, in such circumstances, and from such a man; they were very sorry Exceedingly grieved at such an instance of unexampled cruelty from a man who had himself experienced such mercy; and came and told their lord Gave their lord the king an exact and faithful account of the whole matter. Then his lord said, O thou wicked servant Hard-hearted and unmerciful; I forgave thee all that debt The vast sums due to me; because thou desiredst me Didst acknowledge the debt, fell down at my feet, and humbly begged me to have patience with thee; shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant
Who in like manner acknowledged his debt, and promised payment, showing thee, in his supplication, though thine equal, as much respect as thou showedst to me, thy lord and king? And his lord was wroth Was exceedingly enraged; and delivered him to the tormentors Not only revoked the grant of remission which he had just before made, as forfeited by so vile a behaviour; but put him in prison, commanding him to be there fettered and scourged; till he should pay all that was due unto him That is, without any hope of release, for the immense debt which he owed he could never be able to pay. Instead of tormentors, here, Dr. Campbell reads jailers, observing that the word , here used, properly denotes examiner, particularly one who has it in charge to examine by torture. Hence it came to signify jailer, for on such, in those days, was this charge commonly devolved. They were not only allowed, but even commanded, to treat the wretches in their custody with every kind of cruelty, in order to extort payment from them, in case they had concealed any of their effects; or, if they had nothing, to wrest the sum owed from the compassion of their relations and friends, who, to release an unhappy person for whom they had a regard from such extreme misery, might be induced to pay the debt; for the person of the insolvent debtor was absolutely in the power of the creditor, and at his disposal. But it must be observed that imprisonment is a much severer punishment in the eastern countries than in ours. State criminals especially, when condemned to it, are not only confined to a very mean and scanty allowance, but are frequently loaded with clogs or heavy yokes, so that they can neither lie nor sit at ease; and by frequent scourgings, and sometimes rackings, are brought to an untimely end. How observable is this whole account; as well as the great inference our Lord draws from it! 1, The debtor was freely and fully forgiven; 2, He wilfully and grievously offended; 3, His pardon was retracted, the whole debt required, and the offender delivered to the tormentors for ever. And shall we still say, that when we are once freely and fully forgiven, our pardon can never be retracted? Verily, verily I say unto you, So likewise will my heavenly Father do to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.