KJV: And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
YLT: and the unprofitable servant cast ye forth to the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.
Darby: And cast out the useless bondman into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
ASV: And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
ἀχρεῖον | worthless |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: ἀχρεῖος Sense: useless, good for nothing. |
|
δοῦλον | servant |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: δοῦλοσ1 Sense: a slave, bondman, man of servile condition. |
|
ἐκβάλετε | cast out |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: ἐκβάλλω Sense: to cast out, drive out, to send out. |
|
εἰς | into |
Parse: Preposition Root: εἰς Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among. |
|
σκότος | darkness |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular Root: σκότος Sense: darkness. |
|
τὸ | - |
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
|
ἐξώτερον | outer |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular, Comparative Root: ἐξώτερος Sense: outer. |
|
ἔσται | will be |
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular Root: εἰμί Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present. |
|
κλαυθμὸς | weeping |
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: κλαυθμός Sense: weeping, lamentation. |
|
βρυγμὸς | gnashing |
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: βρυγμός Sense: a gnashing of teeth. |
|
τῶν | of the |
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
|
ὀδόντων | teeth |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural Root: ὀδούς Sense: a tooth. |
Greek Commentary for Matthew 25:30
Useless (α a privative and χρειος chreios useful) and so unprofitable, injurious. Doing nothing is doing harm. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 25:30
Comparative adjective like our “further out,” the darkness outside the limits of the lighted palace, one of the figures for hell or punishment (Matthew 23:13; Matthew 25:30). The repeated article makes it bolder and more impressive, “the darkness the outside,” there where the wailing and gnashing of teeth is heard in the thick blackness of night. [source]
The Syriac Sinaitic omits “unprofitable.” The word is common in Greek literature, but in the N.T. only here and Matthew 25:30 where it means “useless” The slave who only does what he is commanded by his master to do has gained no merit or credit. “In point of fact it is not commands, but demands we have to deal with, arising out of special emergencies” (Bruce). The slavish spirit gains no promotion in business life or in the kingdom of God. [source]
First aorist passive indicative of αχρεοω achreoō Late word in Polybius and Cilician inscription of first century a.d. Some MSS. read ηχρειωτησαν ēchreiōthēsan from αχρειος achreios useless (α a privative and χρειος chreios useful) as in Luke 17:10; Matthew 25:30, but Westcott and Hort print as above from the rarer spelling αχρεος achreos Only here in N.T. The Hebrew word means to go bad, become sour like milk (Lightfoot). [source]
A play on the word Onesimus profitable. Compare unprofitable ( ἀχρεῖος ) servant, Matthew 25:30. These plays upon proper names are common both in Greek and Roman literature. Thus Aeschylus on the name of Helen of Troy, the play or pun turning on the root ἑλ , hel destroy: Helene helenaus helandras heleptolisHelen, ship-destroyer, man-destroyer, city-destroyer (“Agamemnon,” 671). Or, as Robert Browning: “Helen, ship's-hell, man's-hell, city's-hell.” So on Prometheus (forethought ): “Falsely do the gods call thee Prometheus, for thou thyself hast need of prometheus i.e., of forethought ” (“Prometheus Bound,” 85,86). Or Sophocles on Ajax. Aias (Ajax) cries ai, ai! and says, “Who would have thought that my name would thus be the appropriate expression for my woes?” (“Ajax,” 430). In the New Testament, a familiar example is Matthew 16:18; “thou art Petros and on this petra will I build my church.” See on Epaenetus, 2 Corinthians 8:18.Now profitable“Christianity knows nothing of hopeless cases. It professes its ability to take the most crooked stick and bring it straight, to flash a new power into the blackest carbon, which will turn it into a diamond” (Maclaren, “Philemon,” in “Expositor's Bible”).And to meThe words are ingeniously thrown in as an afterthought. Compare Philemon 2:27; Romans 16:13; 1 Corinthians 16:18. A strong appeal to Philemon lies in the fact that Paul is to reap benefit from Onesimus in his new attitude as a christian brother. [source]
Not literal dogs, but the morally impure (Deuteronomy 23:18; 2 Kings 8:13; Psalm 22:17, Psalm 22:21; Matthew 7:6; Mark 7:27; Philemon 3:3). Dogs in the Oriental cities are the scavengers and excite unspeakable contempt.The sorcerers (οι παρμακοι hoi pharmakoi). As in Revelation 21:8, where are listed “the fornicators and the murderers and the idolaters,” all “outside” the holy city here as there “in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, the second death.” Both are pictures (symbolic language) of hell, the eternal absence from fellowship with God. Another time Jesus spoke of “the outer darkness” (εις το σκοτος το εχωτερον eis to skotos to exōteron Matthew 8:12; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 25:30), outside of lighted house, as the abode of the damned. Another symbol is the worm that dies not (Mark 9:48).Every one that loveth and maketh a lie An interpretation of πασιν τοις πσευδεσιν pāsin tois pseudesin (all liars) of Revelation 21:8 and of ποιων πσευδος poiōn pseudos (doing a lie) of Revelation 21:27. Satan is the father of lying (John 8:44) and Satan‘s home is a congenial place for those who love and practise lying (2 Thessalonians 2:12). See 1 John 1:6 for not doing the truth and see also Romans 1:25; Ephesians 4:25. [source]
As in Revelation 21:8, where are listed “the fornicators and the murderers and the idolaters,” all “outside” the holy city here as there “in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, the second death.” Both are pictures (symbolic language) of hell, the eternal absence from fellowship with God. Another time Jesus spoke of “the outer darkness” (εις το σκοτος το εχωτερον eis to skotos to exōteron Matthew 8:12; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 25:30), outside of lighted house, as the abode of the damned. Another symbol is the worm that dies not (Mark 9:48). [source]