Matthew 18:31 (WEB)

Passage

So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.

Nearby Context

Matthew 18:29 “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’

Matthew 18:30 He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due.

Matthew 18:31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.

Matthew 18:32 Then his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me.

Matthew 18:33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fellow", "servants", "done", "exceedingly", "sorry", "came", "told", and "lord". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fellow" and "servants", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "He would not but went and cast..." into verse 32's "Then his lord called him in and...", so "fellow" and "servants" 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 "fellow" and "servants" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.