Matthew 18: Who is greatest, the lost sheep, and forgiving a brother
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Greek. How to read a study
What happens?
The disciples ask who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus sets a little child among them and speaks about humbling oneself, about causing little ones to stumble, and about the one sheep that went astray. He tells what to do when a brother sins against you, and when Peter asks how often to forgive, Jesus answers and tells the story of a king, a servant who owed ten thousand talents, and a fellow servant who owed a hundred denarii.
Who is speaking?
No verse is in gold. The narrator tells the story. The disciples ask their question in verse 1, and Peter speaks in verse 21. Jesus speaks in verses 3 to 20 and 22 to 35. In his story, the servant speaks in verses 26 and 28, the fellow servant in verse 29, and the king (the lord) in verses 32 and 33. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
In plain English: At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who then is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"
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2Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the middle of them
In plain English: Jesus called a little child to himself and set him in the middle of them,
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3and said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
In plain English: and said, "Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all.
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4Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
In plain English: Whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
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5Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,
In plain English: Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,
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6but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a huge millstone were hung around his neck and that he were sunk in the depths of the sea.
In plain English: but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be sunk in the depths of the sea.
The Greek words: "Causes to stumble" is skandalizo, from the same family as skandalon, the "stumbling block" of . "Huge" is onikos, which the dictionary gives as "belonging to a ass, i.e. large (so as to be turned by a ass)". It is in 1 verse of Matthew, this one.
How it is translated: Skandalizo is in 13 verses of Matthew. The World English Bible prints a form of "stumble" in 11 of them (one is , "occasion for stumbling") and "offend*" in 2.
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7“Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes!
In plain English: Woe to the world because of the things that make people stumble! It must be that such things come, but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes!
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8If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.
In plain English: If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.
The Greek word: "Eternal" is aionios, which the dictionary gives as "perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well)". It is in 5 verses of Matthew, and the World English Bible prints "eternal" in all 5: this one, , , and .
Good to know: The text says "the eternal fire" and goes no further here. In verse 9 the same kind of saying names "the Gehenna of fire".
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9If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire.
In plain English: If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the Gehenna of fire.
The Greek word: "Gehenna" is geenna. The dictionary gives "valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment".
How it is translated: It is in 7 verses of Matthew, and the World English Bible keeps the Greek name "Gehenna" in all 7. speaks of "the valley of the son of Hinnom" as part of a border near Jerusalem.
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10See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
In plain English: See that you do not despise one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
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11For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.
In plain English: For the Son of Man came to save what was lost.
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12“What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?
In plain English: What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and look for the one that went astray (or: leave the ninety-nine on the mountains, and go and look for the one that went astray)?
The Greek words: The Greek has the words "on the mountains" between "leaving the ninety-nine" and "going", so they can go with either. The plain line gives both.
What changes: Read with "leave", the ninety-nine are left on the mountains and the man goes to look. Read with "go", the ninety-nine are left and the man goes to the mountains to look. tells a like story and says the ninety-nine are left "in the wilderness".
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13If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.
In plain English: If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.
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14Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
In plain English: So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
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15“If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother.
In plain English: If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between you and him. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother back.
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16But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
In plain English: But if he does not listen, take one or two more with you, so that every word may be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses.
Good to know: The words "at the mouth of two or three witnesses ... established" are close to : "At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established." Deuteronomy says it of a man accused of a sin.
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17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.
In plain English: If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to listen to the assembly also, let him be to you like a Gentile or a tax collector.
The Greek word: "Assembly" is ekklesia again, as in . These are the only 2 verses of Matthew with the word. The dictionary gives "a calling out, i.e. a popular meeting". The verse does not say who is in the assembly or who speaks for it.
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18Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven.
In plain English: Most certainly I tell you, whatever you (all of you) bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.
Good to know: These are the words of , about binding and releasing. There, Jesus says "you" to Peter alone. Here he says "you" to a group, and in verses 15 to 17 he has just been speaking of a brother and of the assembly.
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19Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.
In plain English: Again I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.
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20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them.”
In plain English: For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the middle of them."
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21Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”
In plain English: Then Peter came to him and said, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"
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22Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.
In plain English: Jesus said to him, "I do not tell you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven (or: seventy-seven times).
The Greek words: "Seventy times seven" is hebdomekontakis hepta, "seventy times" and "seven" side by side with no word between them. The dictionary gives hebdomekontakis as "seventy times". It is in only 1 verse of the New Testament, this one.
What changes: Read as "seventy times seven", it is seventy lots of seven. Read as "seventy-seven times", it is the number seventy-seven. has "seventy-seven times" in Lamech's words. The text of Matthew does not say which Jesus meant.
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23Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
In plain English: For this reason the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
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24When he had begun to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
In plain English: When he began to settle, one man was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
The Greek word: "Talents" is talanton. The dictionary gives "a balance (as supporting weights), i.e. (by implication) a certain weight (and thence a coin or rather sum of money) or 'talent'". It is in 8 verses of Matthew, and the World English Bible prints "talent*" in all 8.
Good to know: The text gives this debt as ten thousand talents, and in gives the other debt as a hundred denarii. It does not compare the two amounts.
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25But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
In plain English: Since he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children and all that he had, and for payment to be made.
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26The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’
In plain English: So the servant fell down and knelt before him (or: bowed to him), saying, 'Lord, be patient with me, and I will pay you everything!'
The Greek word: "Knelt before" is proskyneo, which the dictionary gives as "to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore)".
How it is translated: It is in 13 verses of Matthew. The World English Bible prints "worship*" in 10 of them and a word for kneeling or bowing in the other 3, including this one.
What changes: Read as "worshiped", the servant honors the king as one is honored in worship. Read as "knelt" or "bowed", he throws himself down before his lord. The text does not say which the servant meant.
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27The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.
In plain English: The lord of that servant was moved with compassion. He released him and forgave him the debt.
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28“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’
In plain English: But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, took him by the throat, and said, 'Pay what you owe!'
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29“So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’
In plain English: So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you!'
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30He would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay back that which was due.
In plain English: He would not. He went and threw him into prison until he should pay back what was owed.
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31So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.
In plain English: When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were very sorry. They came and told their lord everything that had happened.
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32Then his lord called him in and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
In plain English: Then his lord called him in and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
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33Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’
In plain English: Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'
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34His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him.
In plain English: His lord was angry, and handed him over to the tormentors (or: jailers) until he should pay everything that was owed to him.
The Greek word: "Tormentors" is basanistes, which the dictionary gives as "a torturer". The word-by-word meanings give "jailer". It is in only 1 verse of the New Testament, this one.
What changes: Read as "tormentors", the lord hands the servant over to men who hurt him. Read as "jailers", he hands him over to those who keep him in prison. Verse 30 had already said that the first servant put the other into prison.
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35So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”
In plain English: So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your hearts for his misdeeds."
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