Matthew 18:28 (DBY)

Passage

But that bondman having gone out, found one of his fellow-bondmen who owed him a hundred denarii. And having seized him, he throttled him, saying, Pay [me] if thou owest anything.

Nearby Context

Matthew 18:26 The bondman therefore falling down did him homage, saying, Lord, have patience with me and I will pay thee all.

Matthew 18:27 And the lord of that bondman, being moved with compassion, loosed him and forgave him the loan.

Matthew 18:28 But that bondman having gone out, found one of his fellow-bondmen who owed him a hundred denarii. And having seized him, he throttled him, saying, Pay [me] if thou owest anything.

Matthew 18:29 His fellow-bondman therefore, having fallen down [at his feet], besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.

Matthew 18:30 But he would not, but went away and cast him into prison, until he should pay what was owing.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "bondman", "having", "gone", "found", "fellow-bondmen", "owed", "hundred", and "denarii". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "bondman" and "having", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "And the lord of that bondman being..." into verse 29's "His fellow-bondman therefore having fallen down at...", so "bondman" and "having" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "bondman" and "having" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.