Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 18].
7:42; 14:14; Heb 6:13. Genitive absolute though \auton\ in the
same clause as often in the N.T. {To be sold} (\prath•nai\).
First aorist passive infinitive of \piprask•\. This was according
to the law (Ex 22:3; Le 25:39,47). Wife and children were
treated as property in those primitive times.
18:27 {The debt} (\to danion\). The loan. Common in the papyri
for a loan. The interest had increased the debt enormously. "This
heavy oriental usury is of the scenery of the parable" (McNeile).
18:28 {A hundred pence} (\hekaton d•naria\). A denarius was worth
about eight and a half pence. The hundred denarii here were equal
to some "fifty shillings" (Bruce), "about 4 pounds" (McNeile),
"twenty pounds" (Moffatt), "twenty dollars" (Goodspeed), "100
shillings" (Weymouth) . These are various efforts to represent in
modern language the small amount of this debt compared with the
big one. {Took him by the throat} (\epnigen\). "Held him by the
throat" (Allen). It is imperfect, probably inchoative, "began to
choke or throttle him." The Roman law allowed this indignity.
Vincent quotes Livy (iv. 53) who tells how the necks were twisted
(_collum torsisset_) and how Cicero (_Pro Cluentio_, xxi.) says:
"Lead him to the judgment seat with twisted neck (_collo
obtorto_)." {What thou owest} (\ei ti opheileis\). Literally, "if
thou owest anything," however little. He did not even know how
much it was, only that he owed him something. "The 'if' is simply
the expression of a pitiless logic" (Meyer).
18:30 {And he would not} (\ho de ouk •thelen\). Imperfect tense
of persistent refusal. {Till he should pay} (\he•s apod•i\). This
futuristic aorist subjunctive is the rule with \he•s\ for a
future goal. He was to stay in prison till he should pay. "He
acts on the instinct of a base nature, and also doubtless in
accordance with long habits of harsh tyrannical behaviour towards
men in his power" (Bruce). On imprisonment for debt among the
Greeks and Romans see Deissmann, _Light from the Ancient East_,
pp. 270,330.
18:31 {Told} (\diesaph•san\). Made wholly clear to their own
lord. That is the usual result in the long run. There is a limit
to what people will put up with.
18:33 {Shouldst thou not?} (\ouk edei se?\) "Was it not
necessary?" The king fits the cap on this wicked slave that he
put on the poor debtor.
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