Matthew 18:34

KJV

And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

KJV (with Strong's)

And {G2532} his {G846} lord {G2962} was wroth {G3710}, and delivered {G3860} him {G846} to the tormentors {G930}, till {G2193}{G3739} he should pay {G591} all {G3956} that was due {G3784} unto him {G846}.

Complete Jewish Bible

And in anger his master turned him over to the jailers for punishment until he paid back everything he owed.

Berean Standard Bible

In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed.

American Standard Version

And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Matthew 18:34 concludes the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, depicting the just and severe consequence for a servant who, having received immense forgiveness from his master, refused to extend a comparatively small measure of mercy to a fellow servant. The verse highlights the master's righteous indignation and the subsequent delivering of the unforgiving servant to "tormentors" until an unpayable debt is fully settled, serving as a stark warning about the spiritual implications of withholding forgiveness.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is the climactic conclusion of the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, recorded in [Matthew 18:23-35](/matthew/18-23-35 "Matthew 18:23-35 - The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant"). The parable itself is Jesus' direct response to Peter's question in [Matthew 18:21](/matthew/18-21 "Matthew 18:21 - Peter's Question on Forgiveness") about the limits of forgiveness. Jesus' teaching on forgiveness is central to this chapter, which also includes instructions on humility ([Matthew 18:1-4](/matthew/18-1-4 "Matthew 18:1-4 - Humility in the Kingdom")), dealing with stumbling blocks ([Matthew 18:5-11](/matthew/18-5-11 "Matthew 18:5-11 - Warnings Against Causing Others to Stumble")), and church discipline ([Matthew 18:15-20](/matthew/18-15-20 "Matthew 18:15-20 - Restoring a Sinning Brother")). The parable, and specifically this verse, serves as the ultimate illustration of the principle that those who have received abundant forgiveness from God are obligated to extend it to others.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In ancient Near Eastern societies, debt was a significant social and economic factor, often leading to severe consequences, including enslavement or imprisonment for debtors and their families. The king or lord in the parable represents a sovereign authority with absolute power over his subjects, including the power to forgive or exact payment. The "ten thousand talents" mentioned earlier in the parable ([Matthew 18:24](/matthew/18-24 "Matthew 18:24 - The Immense Debt")) was an astronomical sum, virtually unpayable by an individual, emphasizing the immeasurable nature of the debt God forgives. Conversely, the "hundred denarii" ([Matthew 18:28](/matthew/18-28 "Matthew 18:28 - The Small Debt")) was a relatively small amount, highlighting the disproportionate lack of mercy shown by the forgiven servant. The "tormentors" (Greek: _basanistai_) were not merely jailers but often those tasked with extracting payment through harsh means, sometimes involving torture, reflecting the severe and painful consequences of unfulfilled obligations.

* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully underscores several core themes within Matthew's Gospel and Jesus' broader teaching. Firstly, it highlights the theme of **Divine Justice and Judgment**, demonstrating that God's forgiveness, while freely offered, is not unconditional in its expectation of a transformed life that reflects His character. The lord's wrath is a righteous indignation against profound ingratitude and hardheartedness, echoing the warnings of judgment found throughout [Matthew 25](/matthew/25 "Matthew 25 - Parables of Judgment"). Secondly, the verse emphasizes the **Seriousness of Unforgiveness**, illustrating that withholding forgiveness from others can lead to severe spiritual distress and consequences, jeopardizing one's own standing with God. This principle is explicitly stated by Jesus immediately after the Lord's Prayer in [Matthew 6:14-15](/matthew/6-14-15 "Matthew 6:14-15 - Forgiving Others"). Finally, it reinforces the theme of **Reciprocal Forgiveness**, a foundational principle of the Kingdom of Heaven, where the experience of God's boundless mercy should naturally lead to an outflow of mercy towards others, as taught in the Beatitudes ([Matthew 5:7](/matthew/5-7 "Matthew 5:7 - Blessed are the Merciful")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **wroth (Greek, _orgízō'_):** From G3710. To provoke or enrage, i.e. (passively) become exasperated:--be angry (wroth). In this context, the lord's anger is not a petty outburst but a justified, righteous indignation. It signifies a profound displeasure at the servant's extreme ingratitude and hardheartedness, reflecting a divine attribute of justice that responds to unrepentant sin and a lack of mercy.
* **delivered (Greek, _paradídōmi'_):** From G3860. To surrender, i.e. yield up, intrust, transmit:--betray, bring forth, cast, commit, deliver (up), give (over, up), hazard, put in prison, recommend. This word denotes a formal handing over, indicating a legal and authoritative act of judgment. The lord, as the supreme authority, lawfully surrenders the servant to the consequences of his actions, emphasizing the finality and legitimacy of the judgment.
* **tormentors (Greek, _basanistḗs'_):** From G930. A torturer:--tormentor. This term literally refers to those who inflict torture or severe pain, often jailers or officials who would use harsh methods to extract payment from debtors. In the parable, it symbolizes the severe and painful consequences—spiritual, emotional, or even eternal—that await those who refuse to extend the forgiveness they have received. It underscores the gravity of unforgiveness and its potential to lead to a state of profound distress and judgment.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And his lord was wroth":** This phrase marks a dramatic shift in the lord's disposition from boundless mercy to righteous anger. The lord's wrath is not arbitrary but a just response to the servant's egregious hypocrisy and lack of compassion. It signifies the divine indignation against those who experience God's grace yet fail to embody its principles in their dealings with others.
* **"and delivered him to the tormentors":** This action signifies the implementation of judgment. The "tormentors" symbolize the severe and painful consequences that befall the unforgiving. While the immediate context is a financial debt, the spiritual application points to the anguish, guilt, and separation from God's peace that unforgiveness can bring, and ultimately, the potential for eternal judgment. This delivery is a formal, authoritative act, underscoring the seriousness of the offense.
* **"till he should pay all that was due unto him":** This clause emphasizes the impossibility of the servant's situation. The original debt of ten thousand talents was unpayable. Being delivered to tormentors "until" he paid it all implies an indefinite, perhaps eternal, period of suffering, as the debt could never be fully discharged. It highlights the severe and enduring nature of the consequences for those who refuse to forgive, suggesting a state of perpetual spiritual indebtedness and distress.

#### Literary Devices
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, culminating in [Matthew 18:34](/matthew/18-34 "Matthew 18:34 - The Unforgiving Servant's Judgment"), is rich in **Symbolism**. The lord clearly symbolizes God, the first servant represents any individual who has received God's immeasurable forgiveness, and the fellow servant symbolizes those who owe us a comparatively minor debt. The "ten thousand talents" is a powerful **Hyperbole**, an intentional exaggeration to convey the astronomical, unpayable nature of humanity's sin-debt to God, making the servant's subsequent unforgiveness all the more egregious. The "hundred denarii" provides a stark **Contrast**, highlighting the minuscule nature of the debt owed to the unforgiving servant. The phrase "delivered him to the tormentors" is a vivid **Metaphor** for the severe, painful, and potentially eternal consequences of unforgiveness, illustrating that God's justice will prevail when mercy is withheld despite having been received.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 18:34 profoundly connects to the core Christian doctrine of forgiveness, asserting that God's boundless mercy towards us necessitates a reciprocal mercy from us towards others. The parable illustrates that our experience of divine forgiveness is not merely a transactional event but a transformative one, calling us to embody God's character. To withhold forgiveness, therefore, is to fundamentally misunderstand and devalue the grace we have received, placing us outside the very spirit of the Kingdom of Heaven. This verse serves as a stark warning that while God's initial forgiveness is free, our continued participation in His grace is contingent upon our willingness to extend that same grace to those who wrong us. It highlights the serious spiritual consequences of an unforgiving heart, which can lead to a state of spiritual anguish and separation from the peace and blessing of God.

* [Matthew 6:12](/matthew/6-12 "Matthew 6:12 - The Lord's Prayer on Forgiveness")
* [Matthew 6:14-15](/matthew/6-14-15 "Matthew 6:14-15 - Forgiving Others")
* [Colossians 3:13](/colossians/3-13 "Colossians 3:13 - Bear with Each Other and Forgive")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 18:34 serves as a potent mirror for our souls, challenging us to honestly assess the depth of our own forgiveness. Having been forgiven an immeasurable debt by God through Christ, we are called not merely to acknowledge this grace but to actively embody it in our daily lives. Harboring unforgiveness—whether it be resentment, bitterness, or a refusal to release another from their offense—is a spiritual poison that corrodes our own hearts and hinders our relationship with God. This verse compels us to remember the magnitude of God's grace towards us and to extend that same grace to others, regardless of the perceived size of their offense. It reminds us that true freedom and peace come from releasing others, just as we have been released, aligning our hearts with the very heart of God.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What debts, real or perceived, am I currently holding against others?**
* **How does my willingness (or unwillingness) to forgive others reflect my understanding of God's forgiveness towards me?**
* **What specific steps can I take today to release any unforgiveness I might be harboring?**
* **How might an unforgiving spirit be impacting my spiritual well-being and my relationship with God?**

### FAQ

**What does "tormentors" mean in this context?**

Answer: The "tormentors" (Greek: _basanistai_) literally refers to torturers or jailers who would use harsh methods, sometimes involving torture, to extract payment from debtors in ancient times. In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, as seen in [Matthew 18:34](/matthew/18-34 "Matthew 18:34 - The Unforgiving Servant's Judgment"), the term is symbolic. It represents the severe and painful consequences—spiritual, emotional, and potentially eternal—that await those who refuse to extend the forgiveness they have received from God to others. It underscores the gravity of unforgiveness and its potential to lead to a state of profound distress and judgment.

**Does this verse imply that God's forgiveness is conditional?**

Answer: This verse, when read in conjunction with the entire parable and Jesus' teachings, suggests that while God's initial offer of forgiveness is a free gift based on His grace (as illustrated by the lord's initial forgiveness of the immense debt in [Matthew 18:27](/matthew/18-27 "Matthew 18:27 - The Lord's Compassion")), the *continued experience* of that forgiveness and the blessings of the Kingdom are tied to our willingness to forgive others. Jesus explicitly states this principle in [Matthew 6:14-15](/matthew/6-14-15 "Matthew 6:14-14 - Forgiving Others") after teaching the Lord's Prayer. It's not that we earn forgiveness by forgiving, but that a truly forgiven heart will naturally manifest forgiveness towards others. A refusal to forgive indicates a heart that has not truly grasped or embraced the magnitude of God's grace, thus severing itself from the flow of that grace.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 18:34, though a parable of judgment, ultimately points to the profound necessity of Christ's work and the nature of His Kingdom. The "immeasurable debt" owed by the servant profoundly foreshadows humanity's insurmountable sin-debt to a holy God, a debt that only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ could fully pay. Christ, the true Lord, did not merely forgive our debt; He bore its full penalty on the cross, becoming the [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"). His act of forgiveness is not a mere cancellation but a complete and costly redemption, establishing a [new covenant](/jeremiah/31-31-34 "Jeremiah 31:31-34 - The New Covenant") where sins are remembered no more. Therefore, the unforgiving servant's failure to extend mercy, despite receiving such immense grace, stands in stark contrast to the very heart of Christ. Our call to forgive others, as highlighted in this verse and echoed throughout the New Testament (e.g., [Ephesians 4:32](/ephesians/4-32 "Ephesians 4:32 - Be Kind and Forgiving")), is not a legalistic requirement but a natural outflow of having been reconciled to God through Christ. To live an unforgiving life is to deny the very essence of the gospel and the transformative power of Christ's atoning work, which calls us to imitate His mercy and love ([1 John 4:7-12](/1_john/4-7-12 "1 John 4:7-12 - God is Love")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Matthew 5:25

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

Matthew 5:26

Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

James 2:13

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Luke 12:58

When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, [as thou art] in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

Luke 12:59

I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

2 Thessalonians 1:8

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Thessalonians 1:9

Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;