Matthew 18:34

“And his Lord was wroth, etc.] Very angry, greatly incensed, and justly provoked at such inhuman treatment: and delivered him to the tormentors, or jail keepers. The Ethiopic version renders it, “to them that judge”, or the judges; Munster’s Hebrew Gospel, “to the punishers”, or such that inflicted punishment according to the decree of the judge: from both, the sense may be, that he was delivered over to proper judges of his case, to be treated as the nature of it required, to be cast into prison, and there endure all the severities of law and justice: till he should pay all that was due unto him; which being so vast a sum, and he but a servant, could never be done: but inasmuch as this man…”

“And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors--more than jailers; denoting the severity of the treatment which he thought such a case demanded. till he should pay all that was due unto him.”

“Delivered him to the tormentors - The word “tormentors” here probably means keepers of the prisons. Torments were inflicted on criminals, not on debtors. They were inflicted by stretching the limbs, or pinching the flesh, or putting out the eyes, or taking off the skin while alive, etc. It is not probable that anything of this kind is intended, but only that the servant was punished by imprisonment until the debt should be paid. return to 'Top of Page'”

“His lord delivered him to the tormentors - Imprisonment is a much severer punishment in the eastern countries than in ours. State criminals, especially when condemned to it, are not only confined to a very mean and scanty allowance, but are frequently loaded with clogs or heavy yokes, so that they can neither lie nor sit at ease: and by frequent scourgings and sometimes rackings are brought to an untimely end. Till he should pay all that was due to him - That is, without all hope of release, for this he could never do. How observable is this whole account; as well as the great inference our Lord draws from it: The debtor was freely and fully forgiven; He wilfully and grievously offended; His…”

“18:34 This is how God responds (18:35) to anyone unwilling to forgive. • until he had paid his entire debt: I.e., permanently, because he could never repay.”

“and delivered: Mat 5:25, Mat 5:26; Luk 12:58, Luk 12:59; Th2 1:8, Th2 1:9; Rev 14:10, Rev 14:11 Matthew 18:35”