Matthew 18:33 WEB

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 18:23-35

The hard debtor. This parable follows our Lord's answer to St. Peter's question about the limits of forgiveness. The great reason why we should forgive freely is that we have been freely forgiven much more than any men owe to us. I. THE GREAT DEBT . This represents what the sinner owes to God. We pray that God will forgive us our debts ( Matthew 6:12 ). Deficiencies of duty are like debts considered as arrears of payments. Positive transgressions are like debts, through our... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 18:33

Compassion...pity. The same verb is used in both places. Shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow servant, even as I had mercy on thee? (Revised Version). The man's guilt lies in his unmercifulness in the face of mercy received. The fact is patent; it stands for itself; it needs no amplification or enforcement. The king says no more, and the delinquent is equally silent; he has no excuse to offer. Convicted by his own conscience, he knows it is useless to sue for pardon or to... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 18:31-35

Matthew 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... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Matthew 18:15-35

79. Lessons in forgiveness (Matthew 18:15-35)Disciples of Jesus should be willing to forgive fellow believers who sin against them, but they should also be concerned that offenders realize their sin and turn from it. In each case the believer should go to the offender privately and point out the wrongdoing, so that the person might be spiritually helped. If this fails, two or three others should be called in, firstly to make sure that the offender is in fact guilty and secondly to appeal for... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Matthew 18:33

Shouldest, &c. = Was it not binding on thee? had compassion = pitied, as in the next clause. Same word. even as I = as I also. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 18:21-35

The importance of forgiving a disciple 18:21-35From a discussion of discipline Jesus proceeded to stress the importance of forgiveness. Sometimes zealous disciples spend too much time studying church discipline and too little time studying the importance of forgiveness. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 18:32-34

The king called the wicked servant into his presence and reminded him of the merciful treatment that he had received. It is interesting that the word he used for "debt" here is the usual word for debt, not "loan" as in Matthew 18:27. He took a different view of the servant’s debt now. Instead of forgiving him, the king turned the unforgiving servant over to the "torturers" (Gr. basanistais, cf. Matthew 18:6; Matthew 18:8-9). The servant would experience torture until he repaid his total debt,... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 18:1-35

Offending the Little Ones. The Unmerciful Servant1-14. Ambition reproved, and humility taught by the example of a little child (Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48).1. Who is the greatest?] RV ’Who then is greatest?’ The ’then’is explained from St. Mark’s statement that on the way to Capernaum the disciples had been disputing who was the greatest. The Transfiguration had revived the hopes of the three leading apostles that the Kingdom of Christ was about to be established, and the Twelve were divided... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Matthew 18:33

(33) Even as I had pity on thee.—The comparison of the two acts, the implied assumption that the pity of the one act would be after the pattern of the other, was, we may believe, designed to lead the disciples to the true meaning of the prayer they had been taught to use, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Matthew 18:1-35

Spiritual Sins Matthew 18:1 I. Spiritual Envy. Our text relates to the first occasion. Our Lord has just taken St. Peter, St. James and St. John away from the other disciples into the Mount of Transfiguration. The other disciples had doubtless plied them with questions, but they could get no information from them as to what had happened. We can understand their thought how on the part of the nine disciples there may have been envy at this time, envy of the other three because of the greater... read more