Matthew 24:48

Matthew 24:48 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
• English Standard Version (ESV)But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,'
• New King James Version (NKJV)But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’
• New Living Translation (NLT)But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’

Context of Matthew 24:48

46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.

Matthew 24:48 word by word

Ἐὰν δὲ εἴπῃ ὁ κακὸς δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· χρονίζει μου ὁ κύριοςRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• and ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• thatἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• evilκακόςkakos · evil/harm: evilG2556
• servantδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
• shall sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• Myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• lordκύριοςkurios · lord: masterG2962
• delayethχρονίζωchronizō · to delayG5549
• his comingἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064

Cross-references for Matthew 24:48

• Matthew 18:32“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
• Matthew 25:26“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
• Luke 19:22“His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?
• Deuteronomy 9:4After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you.
• Deuteronomy 15:9Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.
• 2 Kings 5:26But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves?
• Isaiah 32:6For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the Lord; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water.
• Mark 7:21For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder,
• Luke 12:45But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk.
• John 13:2The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
• Acts 5:3Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?
• Acts 8:22Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.
• Ecclesiastes 8:11When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong.
• Ezekiel 12:22“Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’?
• 2 Peter 3:3Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.

Commentaries on Matthew 24:48

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 48But, and if that evil servant - Here are three characters of a bad minister. He has little or no faith in the speedy coming of Christ, either to punish for wickedness, or to pardon and sanctify those who believe. It may be, he does not outwardly profess this, but he says it in his heart, and God searches his heart, and knows that he professes to teach what he does not believe. He governs with an absolute dominion, oppressing his colleagues and doing…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 45-51Verses 45-51 This passage is, in fact, “a parable,” though it is not expressly so called. The design is to show that his disciples should act as if they were each moment expecting his return. This he illustrates by the conduct of a servant who did not expect his master soon to return, who acted with great impropriety, and who was accordingly punished. Matthew 24:45 Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant … - By the conduct of a faithful and wise servant…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 42-51Verses 42-51 To watch for Christ's coming, is to maintain that temper of mind which we would be willing that our Lord should find us in. We know we have but a little time to live, we cannot know that we have a long time to live; much less do we know the time fixed for the judgment. Our Lord's coming will be happy to those that shall be found ready, but very dreadful to those that are not. If a man, professing to be the servant of Christ, be an unbeliever…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 45-51This parable and the next three dramatize the importance of faithfully obeying while waiting for Jesus to return (Matthew 25:1–13, 14–30, 31–46).Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 24:48

• Commandments
• God Continued...
• Impenitence
• Jesus Continued
• Minister, Christian
• Overseer
• Procrastination
• Self-Delusion
• Servant
• Watchfulness

In the dictionaries

• Deceive
• Desolation
• Elect
• Flight
• Goodman
• Learn
• Lo
• Matthew, Gospel according to
• Olves, Mount of
• Watch

Commentaries on Matthew 24

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings