Matthew 18:24
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought to him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
American King James Version (AKJV)
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought to him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
American Standard Version (ASV)
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
And at the start, one came to him who was in his debt for ten thousand talents.
Webster's Revision
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
World English Bible
When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
English Revised Version (ERV)
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
Clarke's Matthew 18:24 Bible Commentary
Ten thousand talents - Μυριων ταλαντων, a myriad of talents, the highest number known in Greek arithmetical notation. An immense sum, which, if the silver talent be designed, amounts to 4,500,000 sterling; but if the gold talent be meant which is by far the most likely, then the amount is 67,500,000 sterling, a sum equal to the annual revenue of the British empire! See the note on Exodus 25:39.
Barnes's Matthew 18:24 Bible Commentary
Ten thousand talents - A talent was a sum of money, or weight of silver or gold amounting to three thousand shekels. A silver shekel was worth, after the captivity, not far from half a dollar of our money. A talent of silver was worth (circa 1880's) 1,519.23 equals 342 British pounds, 3 shillings, 9d.; of gold, 243,098.88 equals 5,475 British pounds. If these were silver talents, as is probable, then the sum owed by the servant was 15,180,000, or about 3,421, 875 British sterling (circa 1880's), a sum which proves that he was not a domestic, but some tributary prince. The sum is used to show that the debt was immensely large, and that our sins are so great that they cannot be estimated or numbered. Compare Job 22:5.
Wesley's Matthew 18:24 Bible Commentary
18:24 One was brought who owed him ten thousand talents - According to the usual computation, if these were talents of gold, this would amount to seventy - two millions sterling. If they were talents of silver, it must have been four millions, four hundred thousand pounds. Hereby our Lord intimates the vast number and weight of our offences against God, and our utter incapacity of making him any satisfaction.