Matthew 24:48
New International Version
But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’

New Living Translation
But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’

English Standard Version
But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’

Berean Standard Bible
But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’

Berean Literal Bible
But if that evil servant should say in his heart, 'My master delays,'

King James Bible
But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

New King James Version
But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’

New American Standard Bible
But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’

NASB 1995
“But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’

NASB 1977
“But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’

Legacy Standard Bible
But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’

Amplified Bible
But if that servant is evil and says in his heart, ‘My master is taking his time [he will not return for a long while],’

Christian Standard Bible
But if that wicked servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if that wicked slave says in his heart, My master is delayed,’

American Standard Version
But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord tarrieth;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But if an evil servant will say in his heart, “My Lord delays to come”,

Contemporary English Version
But suppose one of the servants thinks the master won't return until late.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if that evil servant shall say in his heart: My lord is long a coming:

English Revised Version
But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord tarrieth;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
On the other hand, that servant, if he is wicked, may think that it will be a long time before his master comes.

Good News Translation
But if he is a bad servant, he will tell himself that his master will not come back for a long time,

International Standard Version
"But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master has been delayed,'

Literal Standard Version
And if that evil servant may say in his heart, My lord delays to come,

Majority Standard Bible
But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’

New American Bible
But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’

NET Bible
But if that evil slave should say to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,'

New Revised Standard Version
But if that wicked slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’

New Heart English Bible
But if that evil servant should say in his heart, 'My lord is delayed,'

Webster's Bible Translation
But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming;

Weymouth New Testament
But if the man, being a bad servant, should say in his heart, 'My master is a long time in coming,'

World English Bible
But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’

Young's Literal Translation
'And, if that evil servant may say in his heart, My Lord doth delay to come,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Readiness at Any Hour
47Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’ 49And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.…

Cross References
Matthew 24:47
Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

Matthew 24:49
And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.

Luke 12:45
But suppose that servant says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk.

2 Peter 3:4
"Where is the promise of His coming?" they will ask. "Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation."


Treasury of Scripture

But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming;

if.

Matthew 18:32
Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

Matthew 25:26
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

Luke 19:22
And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

say.

Deuteronomy 9:4
Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.

Deuteronomy 15:9
Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

2 Kings 5:26
And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

My.

Ecclesiastes 8:11
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Ezekiel 12:22,27
Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? …

2 Peter 3:3-5
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, …

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Matthew 24
1. Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple;
3. what and how great calamities shall be before it;
29. the signs of his coming to judgment.
36. And because that day and hour are unknown,
42. we ought to watch like good servants, expecting our Master's coming.














(48) But and if that evil servant.--Better, but if that evil servant, the "and" being in modern English usage superfluous, and representing originally a different conjunction.

My lord delayeth his coming.--The temper described is identical with that portrayed in 2Peter 3:3-4. The words are memorable as implying the prescience, even in the immediate context of words that indicate nearness, that there would be what to men would seem delay. Those who looked on that delay as St. Peter looked on it would continue watchful, but the selfish and ungodly would be tempted by it to forget that Christ comes to men in more senses and more ways than one. The tyranny and sensuality which have at times stained the annals of the Church of Christ have had their origin in this forgetfulness, that though the final coming may be delayed, the Judge is ever near, even at the doors (James 5:9).

Verse 48. - But and if (ἐὰν δὲ). "And" is a remnant of an old use of the word, meaning "it'," so that it is here redundant, and the translation should he simply, but if; si autem. That evil servant (ὁ κακὸς δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος) is in a sense the same as he who, in ver. 45, was regarded as faithful and prudent. The opposite case is here put; he is supposed to be wicked and untrustworthy; he no longer is always watching for his lord's coming and endeavouring to be always ready, because he knows that he may at any moment be called to account. My lord delayeth [his coming]. B, א, and other good manuscripts omit ἐλθεῖν as unnecessary. Revised Version, my lord tarrieth, he brings himself to believe that the day of reckoning is still distant, and that he will have plenty of time to prepare his accounts before the settlement is called for. So men put off the day of repentance, saying, "Tomorrow, tomorrow," when they ought to feel that the present alone is theirs in which to prepare for judgment.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

suppose
Ἐὰν (Ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437: If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

that
ἐκεῖνος (ekeinos)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1565: That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed.

servant
δοῦλος (doulos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1401: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave. From deo; a slave.

[is] wicked
κακὸς (kakos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2556: Bad, evil, in the widest sense. Apparently a primary word; worthless, i.e. depraved, or injurious.

[and] says
εἴπῃ (eipē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

his
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

heart,
καρδίᾳ (kardia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2588: Prolonged from a primary kar; the heart, i.e. the thoughts or feelings; also the middle.

‘My
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

master
κύριος (kyrios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

will be away a long time.’
Χρονίζει (Chronizei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 5549: To delay, tarry, linger, spend time. From chronos; to take time, i.e. Linger.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 24:48 But if that evil servant should say (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 24:47
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