Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 25:24
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed:
24. came and said ] This slave anticipates his lord’s condemnation; “qui s’excuse s’accuse.”
gathering where thou hast not strawed ] i. e. “gathering into the garner from another’s threshing-floor where thou hast not winnowed” (Meyer); so, “exacting interest where thou hast invested no money.” The accusation was false, but the lord takes his slave at his word, “thou oughtest therefore,” for that very reason.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The one talent – The design of this part of the parable is to show that no one is excused for neglecting his duty because he has few talents. God will require of him only according to his ability, 1Co 4:2; Luk 12:48; 2Co 8:12.
A hard man – Of a sordid, griping disposition; taking advantage of the poor, and oppressing them.
Reaping … – This is indicative of an avaricious and overbearing disposition; compelling the poor to sow for him, and reaping all the benefit himself.
Hast not strawed – The word straw means to scatter – as people scatter seed in sowing it. It may mean, also, to ventilate, or to fan by ventilating or winnowing. As sowing the seed is mentioned just before, it may be that this refers to gathering grain fanned or winnowed by others, while he did nothing – indicating, also, a hard or sordid disposition.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
We must remember that we are in a parable, which (as other similitudes) cannot be expected in all things to agree with what it is brought to illustrate. This part of the parable doth chiefly instruct us in these two things:
1. That it is the genius of wicked men to lay the blame of their miscarriages upon others, oft times upon God himself. The unprofitable servant here pretends that the dread of his lord, as a severe man, was that which kept him from labouring, and making an improvement of the talent with which his master had intrusted him. Thus many think that if there be an election of grace, or any thing of special and distinguishing grace, and man hath not a perfect power in his own will, he shall have something to excuse himself by before God hereafter, for his not repenting, and believing God in such a case, condemning men for unbelief and impenitency, should reap where he did not sow, and gather where he did not straw.
2. Men in their excuses which they fancy, instead of excusing will but accuse and condemn themselves. The lord of the unprofitable servant tells him that the fault lay in his own sloth and wickedness, and his dread of his lords security was but a mere frivolous pretence and unreasonable excuse; for if he had dreaded any such thing, he would have done what he could, he would have put out his money to the exchangers, and then he should have received his own with increase.
And shall not God as justly another day reply upon those who think to excuse their lewd and wicked lives, their impenitency and unbelief, from their not being elected, not having a power of themselves to repent and believe, nor receiving his efficacious grace. O you wicked and slothful wretches! Did you suspect or fear you were not elected? Why then did you not give all diligence to make your calling and election sure? Do you plead the want of power in your own wills to repent and believe, and that I did not give you a special, effectual grace? But had you not a power to keep from the taverns and alehouses? To keep from lying, and cursing, and swearing, and open profanation of my sabbaths? Had not you a power to read, to hear, to pray? If you had to your utmost used the talents I gave you, and I had been warning in my further necessary influences of grace, you might indeed have said something; but when you made no use of the talents you had, why should I trust you with more? Faith comes by reading, hearing, praying; you had a power to these things, these talents you had. Why did you not read, hear, pray, that you might believe? If you took me to be so severe a master, why did not you do what was in your power to do, that you might find me otherwise? If you had done what lay in your power to do, in the use of those talents which I gave you for that end, you might then have blamed me if I had not given you more; but you never tried my kindness in such a case. So that you are not ruined by any severity of mine, but by your own sloth, neglect, and wickedness. Thus much this parable teacheth us, that God in the recompences at the last day of judgment will be found just, and sinners will all be found liars, and their damnation will be of themselves.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24. Then he which had received theone talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hardmanharsh. The word in Luke (Lu19:21) is “austere.”
reaping where thou hast notsown, and gathering where thou hast not strawedThe sense isobvious: “I knew thou wast one whom it was impossible to serve,one whom nothing would please: exacting what was impracticable, anddissatisfied with what was attainable.” Thus do men secretlythink of God as a hard Master, and virtually throw on Him the blameof their fruitlessness.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then he which had received the one talent came,…. For he that has the least gifts, is accountable for them; and therefore ought to make use of them to the good of his fellow creatures, and the interest of his Lord and Master; though these often lie neglected, and frivolous, and even wicked pretences are formed to excuse such neglect, as here:
and said, Lord, I knew that thou art an hard man; he calls him “Lord”, though he had not served him, and pretends he knew him; but if he had, he would have had a true affection for him, faith in him, and would have observed his commands; and he would also have appeared altogether lovely to him, and of an amiable character, and not in such a light as he represents him; which makes it a clear case, that he was ignorant of him, or he would never have said, that he was an hard, severe, or austere man; one very difficult of being pleased, cruel and uncompassionate to his servants, unjustly withholding from them what was due unto them, and rigorously exacting service that could not be performed by them: all which is the reverse of Christ’s true character; who accepts of the meanest services of his people: and takes what is done, though ever so little, as even a cup of cold water, given to the least of his disciples, as done to himself; is merciful and compassionate, both to the bodies and souls of men; and is not unrighteous to forget any labour of love, shown to him or his; and makes his strength perfect in the weakness of his servants, and his grace always to be sufficient for them: but this wicked servant goes on to traduce him, and adds,
reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: which seem to be proverbial expressions; see Joh 4:37, describing either a covetous man, that is desirous of that which does not belong to him; or an hard master that requires work to be done, and gives neither tools nor matter to work with; like the Egyptian task masters, who demanded the full tale of bricks, but gave no straw: whereas Christ is neither niggardly, nor exacting; he requires nothing that is not his, and gives his grace, and bestows his gifts liberally, and upbraids not; nor does he call any to service, of whatsoever sort, but he gives them grace, strength, and abilities, proportionate to it; and as he has promised, he makes it good, that as their day is, so shall their strength be.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
That had received the one talent ( ). Note the perfect active participle to emphasize the fact that he still had it. In verse 20 we have — (aorist active participle).
I knew thee ( ). Second aorist active indicative. Experimental knowledge () and proleptical use of .
A hard man (). Harsh, stern, rough man, worse than in Lu 19:21, grasping and ungenerous.
Where thou didst not scatter ( ). But this scattering was the chaff from which wheat was winnowed, not the scattering of seed.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Hard [] . Stronger than the austere [] of Luk 19:21 (see there), which is sometimes used in a good sense, as this never is. It is an epithet given to a surface which is at once dry and hard.
Strawed [] . Rev., didst scatter. Not referring to the sowing of seed, for that would be saying the same thing twice. The scattering refers to the winnowing of the loosened sheaves spread out upon the threshing – floor. “The word,” as Trench observes “could scarcely be applied to the measured and orderly scattering of the sower’s seed. It is rather the dispersing, making to fly in every direction.” Hence used of the pursuit of a routed enemy (Luk 1:51); of the prodigal scattering his good; making the money fly, as we say (Luk 14:13); of the wolf scattering the sheep (Mt 26:31). Wyc., spread abroad.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
24. I knew thee, that thou art a harsh man. This harshness has nothing to do with the substance of the parable; and it is an idle speculation in which those indulge, who reason from this passage, how severely and rigorously God deals with his own people. For Christ did not intend to describe such rigor, any more than to applaud usury, when he represents the master of the house as saying, that the money ought to have been deposited with a banker, that it might, at least, gain interest Christ only means, that there will be no excuse for the indolence of those who both conceal the gifts of God, and waste their time in idleness. Hence also we infer that no manner of life is more praiseworthy in the sight of God, than that which yields some advantage to human society.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(24) I knew thee that thou art an hard man.The word hard points to stiffness of characterSt. Lukes austere, to harshness and bitterness. Was the plea an after-thought, put forward as an excuse for what had been originally sloth pure and simple? On that view, the lesson taught is that neglect of loyal service leads before long to disloyal thoughts. But it may have been our Lords intention to represent the slothful servant as having all along cherished the thought which he now pleads in his defence. That had been at the root of his neglect. The eye sees only so far as it brings with it the power to see, and therefore he had never seen in his master either generous love or justice in rewarding. The proverb, One soweth, another reapeth (Joh. 4:37), taken on its darker and more worldly side, seemed to him the rule of his masters conduct. So in the souls of men there springs up at times the thought that all the anomalies of earthly rule are found in that of God, that He too is arbitrary, vindictive, pitiless, like earthly kings; and that thought, as it kills love, so it paralyses the energy which depends on love. So, we may believe, following the thought already thrown out, the heart of the Traitor was full of envy and bitterness because he stood so low in the company of the Twelve, and thought hardly of his Master because He thus dealt with him and yet looked for faithful service.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. The one talent Our Lord does not mean by this, that men of inferior responsibilities are less likely to discharge them than those of higher. Men whose splendid abilities or means lade them with a mighty load of responsibilities, often make their very means an instrument, not only of unfaithfulness, but of great positive wickedness. Perhaps the smallness of the sum committed arose from the very smallness of his first moral value, and that same smallness of moral value he showed in his neglect. His talent was one because his ability was little, and because his heart and will were little.
Hard man Very few men excuse their own sin without blaming God as a hard master. His religion is severe; he lays down too stern a morality; he exposes us to powerful temptation; he has established a humbling plan of salvation; he has not made the evidence of Christianity sufficiently clear; and in fine, he expects too much of men in the circumstances in which he has placed them. He would reap a harvest of requirements where he has not sowed sufficient means. The last clause is an allusion to the cleaning the wheat from the chaff. Thou art a man, gathering the clean kernels where thou hast not strewed or winnowed with the fan. The verbs to straw, to strow, or to strew, are all but different orthographies of the same word, and are cognate with the Latin sterno, to scatter. The scattering here is that done in the winnowing alluded to Mat 3:12.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“And he also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter, and I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Lo, you have your own.’ ”
However, the man with the one talent had nothing extra to offer, for he had made no use of what had been entrusted to him. He had simply hidden it away. But he knew who was to blame for that. It was his Lord’s fault. If his Lord had not been such a hard and exacting master he would have behaved differently. But he knew that his master was one who expected to reap where he did not sow, and to gather where he had not scattered. He was unfair, and greedy, and not to be trusted. Thus he had taken no risks. He had gone away and hidden the talent in the earth. And now here it was. He could have it back safe and sound.
His words were like a mirror of his heart, and by them he was self-condemned (compare Mat 12:36-37). Firstly he had a jaundiced view of his Lord, a view which we know from the remainder of the parable was untrue. He considered him to be hard and unfair, and to be someone who expected too much. And he was sure that if he lost what had been entrusted to him he would be severely punished. There are many who see serving Christ in the same way. And yet his words also reveal that he knew what he should have done. He knew where his duty really lay. He knew that he should have multiplied the talent so that his Lord would be pleased. By his words he was actually passing sentence on himself, for he had blatantly refused to do what was required of him because of his resentment about his Lord. And such an attitude lies behind the failure of all men who fail to make use of what God entrusts to them for His glory. Belief in God is not rejected because it is irrational. That is the face saving excuse. It is because it makes too many demands, and interferes with our being able to have our own way.
So he thrust the talent back at his Master, and said, ‘There you are take it. You have it back, just as you gave it to me, unused and untouched.’ And the fact that it was untouched revealed that the servant had failed in his duty, and in his responsibility. He had thought that he could behave as though his Lord was never coming back. And that was precisely how he had behaved.
Paul in Rom 1:18 onwards speaks similarly of man’s awareness of what his responsibility is, and of his refusal to acknowledge it. No man, he says, will be able to say in the last Day that he was not aware of what he should have been, and of what he should have done. For all are aware from the least to the greatest. All have an inward awareness of the reality of God. All are aware of the moral ‘ought’, the fact of what they ought to do. All can see the divine plan and beauty in nature. That is why in the end all try to seek to justify their actions, whatever they may be, for they know that they have not behaved as they ought. Thus they are as foolish as this man was. And like this servant the majority simply bury what God has entrusted them with, or misuse it to their own advantage ignoring the fact that one day they must give account.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The accounting of the lazy servant:
v. 24. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew then that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed;
v. 25. and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth. Lo, there thou hast that is thine.
v. 26. 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 strewed.
v. 27. Thou oughtest, therefore, to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
v. 28. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
v. 29. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
v. 30. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The whining, disagreeable wretch of a servant is excellently portrayed. Slinking forward, he brought his one lonely talent, and then tried to make a defense of his inexcusable conduct. As usual in such cases, he tried to put the blame upon the master. He believed the master to be hard, avaricious, grasping, ungenerous, with no love and reward for his servants, who were forced to slave and toil unremittingly to increase his gains, without receiving any share in the harvest which their hands produced the old cry of labor against capital. He intimates that he did not want to do a thing more than he was absolutely obliged to for such a master, since it did not pay; do only and exactly as much as is demanded, but not a shred more. And so in the fear of his cowardly heart, he himself did not know what about, he had hidden the talent, which he now produced. But in these words he pronounced his own sentence. If he believed that to be the character of his master, he should have acted in accordance with his judgment. Without in any way hurting himself and straining his own energy and business ability, he could have carried the money to the bank, where the money-changers would have been glad to invest the silver for him and give the master interest into the bargain. The sentence of the master is therefore quickly passed upon him. He calls him a wicked, mean-spirited servant, one of those small souls that never rise above the dirt. The real trouble with him is laziness, together with lack of appreciation of the chances offered him. And so his one talent is to be taken from him and added to the ten talents of the one whose energy and ambition shone forth in comparison with this sluggard. The proverbial saying used once before, chapter 13:12, again finds its application. The reward of success is further success, while the penalty of failure goes to enrich the successful, true in the spiritual as well as in the temporal field. And the useless servant would have leisure to repent of his sloth in the dungeon, with weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Christ’s meaning is plain. The rich man is God Himself. The servants are those that profess faith in Him, who are His followers. To these God delivers spiritual gifts and goods, the means of grace, His Holy Spirit, all the Christian virtues, ability along the various lines of work in His kingdom. To everyone, to each individual, God has given spiritual gifts to be used in His service, 1Co 7:7; 1Pe 4:10. He knows the intellectual as well as the moral strength of every one, and is sure that He expects too much from no one. But He wants to see results, in the individual and in the whole Church. He wants to have each one invest the talents he has received with all energy, to work unceasingly in His service. It pleases Him to give a reward of mercy to those that are faithful in these small things, in their own little sphere. To them He will give a partnership in the joys of the Kingdom above. But woe unto the small, mean-spirited weakling, the slothful servant, that refuses to invest his talent, to make use of his gifts and abilities in that sphere of activity where the Lord has placed him. He thereby shows that he is not worthy of the Lord’s bounty and cares nothing for His grace. There are few excuses so poor and so miserable in sound as those by which professing Christians attempt to evade work in the Church. All the more terrible, then, will be the Lord’s sentence: From him that hath not even that which he hath shall be taken away.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mat 25:24. Then he which had received the one talent came, &c. This circumstance may intimate, probably, that we are accountable for the smallest advantages with which we are entrusted; but it cannot imply that they who have received much, will in general pass their accounts best; for it is too plain in fact, that most of those whose dignity, wealth, and genius give them the greatest opportunities of service, seem to forget they have either any Master in heaven to serve, or any future reckoning to expect; and many of them render themselves muchmore criminal than this wicked and slothful servant, who hid his talent in the earth. See Grotius and Doddridge. Where thou hast not strawed, might be rendered, where thou hast not scattered; that is to say, where thou hast not sown, by scattering the grain.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 25:24 f. , ] well-known attraction. Winer, p. 581 [E. T. 781]. The aorist is not used here in the sense of the perfect, I know thee (Kuinoel), but: I knew thee, and hid .
What follows characterizes, in proverbial language (by a figure taken from farming), a man unconscionably hard to please, and demanding more than is reasonable.
.] gathering (corn into the ) from a place where you have not threshed (with reference to the threshing-floor of another man’s farm). , to scatter so as to separate from each other (for the classical character of which expression see Lobeck, ad Phryn . p. 213), is expressly used in the present instance, because it forms a better contrast to than (Mat 21:44 ). If it were to be taken as equivalent to , the result would be a tautological parallelism (in opposition to Erasmus, Beza, de Wette).
The entire excuse is a false pretext invented by moral indolence, a pretext which is reduced ad absurdum in Mat 25:26-27 .
] namely, of losing the talent in business, or of not being able to satisfy thee.
] self-righteous.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
Ver. 24. Lord, I knew that thou wert, &c. ] Invalidum omne natura querelum. A sorry senseless excuse it is that this man makes for himself; and such as is both false and frivolous. It shows an utter emptiness of the oil of God’s grace, when men’s lips, like doors on rusty hinges, move not without murmuring and discontentedness.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
24, 25. ] This sets forth the excuse which men are perpetually making of human infirmity and inability to keep God’s commands, when they never apply to that grace which may enable them to do so an excuse, as here, self-convicting and false at heart.
. . . ] The connexion of thought in this our Lord’s last parable, with His first (ch. Mat 13:3-9 ), is remarkable. He looks for fruit where He has sown this is truth : but not beyond the power of the soil by Him enabled this is man’s lie , to encourage himself in idleness.
. ] see Gen 3:10 . But that pretended fear, and this insolent speech, are inconsistent , and betray the falsehood of his answer.
] This is also false it was not for there was his lord’s time , and his own labour, which was his lord’s to be accounted for .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 25:24-30 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mat 25:24 . , the perfect participle, instead of in Mat 25:20 , because the one fact as to him is that he is the man who has received a talent of which he has made no use . (So Weiss in Meyer.) , for , by attraction. , “hard”: grasping, ungenerous, taking all to himself, offering no inducements to his servants, as explained in the proverbial expressions following: , etc., reaping where you do not sow, and gathering where ( instead of , a word signifying de loco , instead of a word signifying in loco ; vide Kypke for other examples) you did not scatter with the fan = appropriating everything produced on his land by the labour of his servants, without giving them any share no inducement to work for such a curmudgeon of a master: all toil, no pay. Compare this with the real character as revealed in: “Enter thou into the joy of lordship”.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat 25:24-25
24″And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'”
Mat 25:24-25 The servant’s characterization does not accurately describe God. One must not push the detail of these parables allegorically. The NT has parables of both comparison and contrast.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Then he = He also.
had received. Note the change from the Aorist to the Perf. He had received it, and it remained with. him.
I knew thee = I got to know thee. Greek. ginosko. App-132. Not the same as verses: Mat 25:12, Mat 25:13, Mat 25:26.
hast not sown = didst not sow.
hast not strawed = didst not scatter.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
24, 25.] This sets forth the excuse which men are perpetually making of human infirmity and inability to keep Gods commands, when they never apply to that grace which may enable them to do so-an excuse, as here, self-convicting and false at heart.
. . .] The connexion of thought in this our Lords last parable, with His first (ch. Mat 13:3-9), is remarkable. He looks for fruit where He has sown-this is truth: but not beyond the power of the soil by Him enabled-this is mans lie, to encourage himself in idleness.
.] see Gen 3:10. But that pretended fear, and this insolent speech, are inconsistent, and betray the falsehood of his answer.
] This is also false-it was not -for there was his lords time,-and his own labour, which was his lords-to be accounted for.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 25:24. , …, I knew thee, etc.) He does not know the Lord who thinks Him hard. God is LOVE.[1094] Righteousness appears unrighteousness to the ungodly. The justice of God transcends the comprehension of the creature.-, hard) In Luk 19:21, we find , austere.-This Lord was not such; but let those earthly lords who really are so, consider what servant they will resemble on the judgment day.- , thou hast not strawed) Though, in reality, God bestows all things liberally.
[1094] And indeed it is not without appearance of good for one to dwell rather much in thought upon the Divine severity; but such thoughts are not void of all danger.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
he which: Our Lord placed the example of negligence in him to whom the least was committed, probably to “intimate” says Doddridge, “that we are accountable for the smallest advantage with which we are entrusted; but it cannot imply that they who have received much will ordinarily pass their account best; for it is too plain, in fact, that most of those whose dignity, wealth, and genius give them the greatest opportunities of service, seem to forget that they have any Master in heaven to serve, or any future reckoning to expect; and many render themselves much more criminal than this wicked and slothful servant who hid his talents in the earth.”
Lord: Mat 7:21, Luk 6:46
I knew: Mat 20:12, Job 21:14, Job 21:15, Isa 58:3, Jer 2:31, Jer 44:16-18, Eze 18:25-29, Mal 1:12, Mal 1:13, Mal 3:14, Mal 3:15, Luk 15:29, Luk 19:20-22, Rom 8:7, Rom 9:20
Reciprocal: Deu 1:27 – The Lord hated us 1Ki 20:40 – So shall thy judgment be 1Ch 13:12 – How Pro 20:4 – therefore Eze 33:17 – General Mat 25:44 – when Luk 19:21 – I feared 2Co 11:13 – false
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE DISUSED TALENT
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth; lo, there thou hast that is thine.
Mat 25:24-25
I. The talent put away.Why did the man put away his talent?
(a) The man took hard views of God. There is hardly an error in doctrine, or a wrongness in practice, which does not begin first where Adam and Eve began, in a false view of the character of God, and almost always, directly or indirectly, ending in a denial or low estimate of His love.
(b) The man received suspiciously; he viewed life darkly. I was afraidsimply and only afraid of GodI was afraid. Then fear did its own necessary work. It killed energy. But here comes out the fact that God will not take His own back again the same as He put it in your hands.
II. The talent improved.Now gather from the picture of this mans trangressions the converse of your dutyhow you are to improve your talent.
(a) Take loving views of God. Feel Him to be your Father; accept and rest in your forgiveness. This is the spring which sets the whole machine in motion.
(b) Then be in earnest. The hiding of the talent in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred is supineness, sheer idleness, want of effort.
(c) Above all be definite. Gather up a definite power to a definite point, and the point high enoughthe centre of all thingsthe aim of angels, the desire of saints, the glory of God.
The Rev. James Vaughan.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
5:24
Every one of the charges this servant made against his lord was false. He made them as a basis for his failure to do anything with the money that was put into his hands. But while they were false accusations, they will be turned against him as we shall see at verse 27.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 25:24. Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man. A common excuse: the master is hard and selfish. Men represent God as demanding from them what they cannot perform. In the parable, and in reality, the excuse is inconsistent and self-convicting.
Reaping where thou didst not sow. This is mans lie, to encourage himself in idleness (Alford).Didst not scatter. A repetition of the former thought, the sowing being represented as a scattering to bring into contrast the gathering into the bam. A reference to winnowing is less satisfactory.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Observe here, 1. That he that received but one talent is called to an account as well as he that received five. Heathens that have but one talent, namely, the light of nature, must give an account for that one talent, as well as Christians that have five must account for five.
Observe, 2. The slothful servant’s allegation: I knew thee to be an hard man, and I was afraid.
Where note, His prejudice against his master, and the effect of that prejudice, he was afraid; and the fruit of his fear, he hid his talent in the earth.
Learn hence, That sinners entertain in their minds very hard and unkind thoughts of God; they look upon him as a hard Master, rigorous in his commands, and difficult to be pleased.
Learn, 2. That such hard thoughts of God do naturally occasion slavish fear, which is a great hindrance to the faithful discharge of our duty to God.
Observe, 3. The master’s reply to the slothful servant’s allegation, which contains an exprobation, or unbraiding of him for his sloth and negligence; Thou wicked and slothful servant.
Where note, 1. That the slothful servant is a wicked servant, as well as the unfaithful servant.
2. The wicked and slothful servants, to excuse themselves, will not stick to charge their miscarriages upon God themselves: Thou wert an hard man.
3. That no excuses whatsoever shall serve either the slothful or unfaithful servant at the bar of Christ.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Mat 25:24-25. He which received the one talent came This may intimate that we are accountable for the smallest advantages with which we are intrusted; but it cannot imply that they who have received much will ordinarily pass their account best; for it is too plain a fact, that most of those whose dignity, wealth, and genius give them the greatest opportunities of service, seem to forget they have either any Master in heaven to serve, or any future reckoning to expect; and many of them render themselves much more criminal than this wicked and slothful servant, who hid his talent in the earth. Doddridge. I knew that thou art a hard man Here we have another, and no less certain mark of a slothful and wicked servant, his entertaining hard thoughts of his master. I knew, &c. No: thou knewest him not. He never knew Christ who thinks him a hard master. Reaping where thou hast not sown Requiring more of us than thou givest us power to perform. So does every obstinate sinner, in one kind or other, lay the blame of his own sins on God. And I was afraid To risk thy money in trade, lest by some accident or other it should be lost, or miscarry under my management, and thou shouldst show me no mercy. Or rather, Lest, if I had improved my talent, I should have had more to answer for. So, from this fear, one will not learn to read, another will not hear sermons. Lo, there thou hast that is thine If I have not made it more, as others have done, yet, this I can say, I have not made it less: and this, he thinks, may serve to bring him off, if not with praise, yet with safety. Observe, reader, many go very securely to judgment, presuming upon the validity of a plea that will be overruled as vain and frivolous. This servant thought that his account would pass well enough, because he had not wasted his lords money. As if he had said, I was no spendthrift of my estate, not prodigal of my time, not a profaner of thy sabbaths, nor an opposer of good ministers and good preaching. Lord, I never despised my Bible, nor set my wits on work to ridicule religion, nor abused my power to persecute any good man; I never drowned my parts nor wasted Gods good creatures in drunkenness and gluttony; nor ever, to my knowledge, did I do an injury to any one. Many that are called Christians build great hopes for heaven upon their being able to make such a plea; and yet all this amounts to no more than, There thou hast that is thine, as if no more were required, or would be expected.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Verse 24
It is noticeable that our Lord makes the man who had received the one talent, the unfaithful servant, in order to show us that, though our means of usefulness may be circumscribed, we are under an obligation, none the less imperious, faithfully to improve them.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
When the third slave said his master was a "hard" (Gr. skleros) man, he meant that he exploited the labor of others, namely, this slave and his fellow slaves (cf. Joh 6:60; Act 26:14; Jas 3:4; Jud 1:15). This slave evidently felt that his master would not share many of the rewards of his labor with him if he proved successful but would punish him severely if he failed. The fact that he had received less than the other slaves should not have made him resentful, if it did, since even he had a great opportunity. He ignored his responsibility to his master and his obligation to discharge his duty. Moreover he showed no love for his master whom he blamed, attempting to cover up his own failure. [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 517.]
"Grace never condones irresponsibility; even those given less are obligated to use and develop what they have." [Note: Ibid.]