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Matthew

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18

:

28

“

But the same servant having gone out, found one of his fellow servants who was owing him a hundred denarii, and having seized him, he was throttling him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Greek: Transliteration:
servant (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave. N-NMS H1401 δοῦλος doulos
having gone out, To go out, come out. V-APA-NMS H1831 ἐξελθὼν exelthōn
found To find, learn, discover, especially after searching. V-AIA-3S H2147 εὗρεν euren
one One. Adj-AMS H1520 ἕνα ena
Analysis:

One: God

Refers to HaShem (God), Who is One. This number can also refer to unity. The first place the number "one" occurs is in Genesis 1:5. There one reads, "And there was an evening and there was a morning— one day". Later on in this same book of Genesis, it is stated concerning the man and his wife, "And they became one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). It is very significant that in both of these examples there was a multiplicity for the subject. In the first example, the evening and the morning became one day and in the second example, it was Adam and Eve who became one flesh.

One of the most famous passages in the Torah concerning HaShem is Deuteronomy 6:4 which states, "Hear O Israel the Lord your God the Lord is One." The question that a person must ask himself is what is the connection between the use of the Hebrew word אחד "one" which identifies a multiplicity being one and the fact that the Lord God of Israel is One? The answer is that the Hebrew word אחד can relate to the concept for one as in "unification". There is another Hebrew word that would have been possible to be used if the author wanted to refer to an absolute oneness or singleness. This is the Hebrew word יחיד. In fact, there is a well-known prayer in Judaism which states, "אחד ואין יחיד כיחודו". This phrase should be translated as, "(God is) One and there is no singularity as His singularity." The idea that is being expressed in this prayer is that the Lord God of Israel is One; but not an absolute One; rather there is a uniqueness and a complexity to His Oneness.

The number one is frequently employed to express in the Scriptures one object, such as one man or one tabernacle. This usage would be the simple or common purpose that the number one or for that matter any number, would appear in a Biblical text. Often the appearance of a number does not contain any of the significance that Hebrew numerology might offer. Therefore, the reader must always consider when coming across a verse which contains a number, that the number only expresses an amount and no additional significance. 

Because the number one is often associated with God, there is a unique phenomenon in the Scriptures concerning this number. Sometimes the number one is employed to express a unique relationship that the object has to HaShem. For example,

"And it will be one day, it will be known to HaShem..." Zechariah 14:7

In the text above, Zechariah could have stated simply, "And it will be a day…" The fact that the prophet said "one day" is to convey that this day is uniquely related to God. Similarly, it is stated by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 37, "one King", "one nation" and "one Shepherd" (see Ezekiel 37:22, 24). Each of these objects—King, nation and Shepherd—has a connection to HaShem. The King and Shepherd is Messiah Yeshua, the Son of God and the one nation is Israel, the people of God.

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fellow servants A fellow slave, fellow servant; of Christians: a fellow worker, colleague. N-GMP H4889 συνδούλων sundoulōn
who Who, which, what, that. RelPro-NMS H3739 ὃς os
was owing To owe, ought. V-PIA-2S H3784 ὤφειλεν ōpheilen
a hundred One hundred. Adj-ANP H1540 ἑκατὸν ekaton
denarii, A denarius, a small Roman silver coin. N-ANP H1220 δηνάρια dēnaria
having seized To be strong, mighty, hence: to rule, to be master, prevail; to obtain, take hold of; to hold, hold fast. V-APA-NMS H2902 κρατήσας kratēsas
he was throttling [him], To choke, throttle, strangle; hence: to drown. V-IIA-3S H4155 ἔπνιγεν epnigen
saying, (denoting speech in progress), (a) to say, speak; to mean, mention, tell, (b) to call, name, especially in the pass., (c) to tell, command. V-PPA-NMS H3004 λέγων legōn
‘Pay (a) to give back, return, restore, (b) to give, render, as due, (c) to sell. V-AMA-2S H591 ἀπόδος apodos
vvv If. V-PIA-2S H3784 ὀφείλεις opheileis

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
Berean Bible But the same servant having gone out, found one of his fellow servants who was owing him a hundred denarii, and having seized him, he was throttling him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’
King James Bible But the same servant having gone went out, and found one of his fellow servants who was owing fellowservants, which owed him a an hundred denarii, pence: and having seized he laid hands on him, he was throttling him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’Pay me that thou owest.
Hebrew Greek English But the same servant having gone out, "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow servants slaves who was owing owed him a hundred denarii, denarii; and having he seized him, he was throttling him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay 'Pay back what you owe.’'
New American Standard Bible 1995 But the same servant having gone out, "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow servants slaves who was owing owed him a hundred denarii, denarii; and having he seized him, he was throttling him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay 'Pay back what you owe.’'