# Matthew 18.26

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-10-14 | updated: 2026-10-14 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 24. <span class="rl-speech">And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents.</span> 25. <span class="rl-speech">But forasmuch as he had not with which to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and sons, and all that he had, and payment to be made.</span>
>
> **26. <span class="rl-speech">The servant therefore fell down and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.</span>**
>
> 27. <span class="rl-speech">And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.</span> 28. <span class="rl-speech">But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what you owe.</span> (Matthew 18:24-28, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 24. <span class="rl-speech">When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.</span> 25. <span class="rl-speech">But 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.</span>
>
> **26. <span class="rl-speech">The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’</span>**
>
> 27. <span class="rl-speech">The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.</span> 28. <span class="rl-speech">“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!’</span> (Matthew 18:24-28, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 24. <span class="rl-speech">And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. <sup>talents: a talent is 750.ounces of silver, which after five shillings the ounce is 187.li. 10.s.</sup></span> 25. <span class="rl-speech">But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.</span>
>
> **26. <span class="rl-speech">The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. <sup>worshipped him: or, besought him</sup></span>**
>
> 27. <span class="rl-speech">Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.</span> 28. <span class="rl-speech">But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. <sup>pence: the Roman penny is the eighth part of an ounce, which after five shillings the ounce is seven pence halfpenny; about fourteen cents</sup></span> (Matthew 18:24-28, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 24. <span class="rl-speech">and he having begun to take account, there was brought near to him one debtor of a myriad of talents,</span> 25. <span class="rl-speech">and he having nothing to pay, his lord did command him to be sold, and his wife, and the children, and all, whatever he had, and payment to be made.</span>
>
> **26. <span class="rl-speech">The servant then, having fallen down, was bowing to him, saying, Sir, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all;</span>**
>
> 27. <span class="rl-speech">and the lord of that servant having been moved with compassion did release him, and the debt he forgave him.</span> 28. <span class="rl-speech">'And, that servant having come forth, found one of his fellow-servants who was owing him an hundred denaries, and having laid hold, he took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that which thou owest.</span> (Matthew 18:24-28, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- [G1401 - doulos](/codex/g1401-doulos/), *doulos*, Strong's G1401
- [G2962 - kyrios](/codex/g2962-kyrios/), *kyrios*, Strong's G2962
- [G3956 - pas](/codex/g3956-pas/), *pas*, Strong's G3956
- [G3004 - lego](/codex/g3004-lego/), *lego*, Strong's G3004

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Jehovah's Witnesses vs the Christian God](/codex/jehovahs-witnesses-vs-the-christian-god/)
- [The Ought-Owe Argument](/codex/the-ought-owe-argument/), via [Matthew 18.23-35](/codex/matthew-18-23-35/)

**Concepts:**

- [Biblical Forgiveness](/codex/biblical-forgiveness/), via [Matthew 18.21-35](/codex/matthew-18-21-35/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 18](/codex/matthew-18/)
- [Spiritual Warfare](/codex/spiritual-warfare/), via [Matthew 18.23-35](/codex/matthew-18-23-35/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G0859 - aphesis](/codex/g0859-aphesis/), via [Matthew 18.21-35](/codex/matthew-18-21-35/)
- [G0863 - aphiemi](/codex/g0863-aphiemi/), via [Matthew 18.23-35](/codex/matthew-18-23-35/)
- [G1401 - doulos](/codex/g1401-doulos/), via [Matthew 18.23-35](/codex/matthew-18-23-35/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.