Luke 7:42

Mace New Testament

having not wherewithal to pay it, he freely discharged them both of the debt. tell me now, which of the two will love him most?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Since they could not pay it back,

King James Version (1611)
And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgaue them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will loue him most?

King James Version
And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

English Standard Version
When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

New American Standard Bible
"When they were unable to repay, he canceled the debts of both. So which of them will love him more?"

New Century Version
They had no money to pay what they owed, but the banker told both of them they did not have to pay him. Which person will love the banker more?"

Amplified Bible
"When they had no means of repaying [the debts], he freely forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?"

Legacy Standard Bible
When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?"

Berean Standard Bible
When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love him more?"

Contemporary English Version
Since neither of them could pay him back, the moneylender said that they didn't have to pay him anything. Which one of them will like him more?"

Complete Jewish Bible
When they were unable to pay him back, he canceled both their debts. Now which of them will love him more?"

Darby Translation
but as they had nothing to pay, he forgave both of them [their debt]: [say,] which of them therefore will love him most?

Easy-to-Read Version
The men had no money, so they could not pay their debt. But the banker told the men that they did not have to pay him. Which one of those two men will love him more?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
When they had nothing to pay, he forgaue them both: Which of them therefore, tell mee, will loue him most?

George Lamsa Translation
And because they had nothing to pay, he forgave them both. Which one of them will love him more?

Good News Translation
Neither of them could pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Which one, then, will love him more?"

Lexham English Bible
When they were not able to repay him, he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Literal Translation
But they not having a thing to pay, he freely forgave both. Then which of them do you say will love him most?

American Standard Version
When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?

Bible in Basic English
When they were unable to make payment, he made the two of them free of their debts. Which of them, now, will have the greater love for him?

Hebrew Names Version
When they couldn't pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?"

International Standard Version
When they couldn't pay it back, he generously canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him the most?"

Etheridge Translation
And when they had nothing to pay, he forgave them both. Which, therefore, of them the most would love him ?

Murdock Translation
And as they had not the means of pay, he released them both. Which of them, therefore will love him most?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
When they had nothyng to pay, he forgaue them both. Tell me therefore, which of them wyll loue hym most?

English Revised Version
When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?

World English Bible
When they couldn't pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But they having nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both: Which therefore will love him most?

Weymouth's New Testament
But neither of them could pay anything; so he freely forgave them both. Tell me, then, which of them will love him most?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
but whanne thei hadden not wherof `thei schulden yeelde, he foryaf to bothe. Who thanne loueth hym more?

Update Bible Version
When they did not have [that with which] to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?

Webster's Bible Translation
And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

New English Translation
When they could not pay, he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

New King James Version
And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"

New Living Translation
But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?"

New Life Bible
Neither one of them had any money, so he told them they did not have to pay him back. Tell Me, which one would love him the most?"

New Revised Standard
When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
they not having wherewith to pay, he forgave, both. Which of them, therefore, will love him, more?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And whereas they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which therefore of the two loveth him most?

Revised Standard Version
When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
When they had nothinge to paye he forgave the boothe. Which of them tell me will love him moost?

Young's Literal Translation
and they not having [wherewith] to give back, he forgave both; which then of them, say thou, will love him more?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
but whan they had nothinge to paye, he forgaue the both. Tell me which of them wyl loue him most?

Simplified Cowboy Version
Cattle prices were way down and neither rancher could afford to pay the cowboy, so he told them both not to worry about it and take care of their families. Tell me, which one would have the most respect for the cowboy?"

Contextual Overview

³⁶ Jesus being invited to dinner at a certain Pharisee's house, he went home with him, and sat down to table. ³⁷ when a woman of that city, one that had led a loose life, knowing that Jesus was at table in the Pharisee's house, came in with a vial of odoriferous liquor, ³⁸ and stood behind at his feet weeping, bath'd them with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed his feet, and poured the perfume upon them. ³⁹ which the Pharisee, who had invited him, observing, he thus argued with himself, if this man were a prophet, he could not but know that the woman, who is so busy with him, is a person of a loose character. ⁴⁰ in answer to his doubts, Jesus said, Simon, I have something to say to you. master, said he, lets hear it. ⁴¹ A certain creditor had two debtors, the one owed five hundred denarys, and the other fifty. ⁴² having not wherewithal to pay it, he freely discharged them both of the debt. tell me now, which of the two will love him most? ⁴³ I think, said Simon, he that had the greatest debt remitted to him. you are in the right, said Jesus. ⁴⁴ and turning to the woman, he said to Simon, do you observe this woman? though I am a guest in your house, you never offer'd me any water for my feet: but she has bath'd my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. ⁴⁵ you did not salute me, but this woman, since she came in, has been continually kissing my feet.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when: Psalms 49:7, Psalms 49:8, Matthew 18:25, Matthew 18:26, Matthew 18:34, Romans 5:6, Galatians 3:10

he: Psalms 32:1-5, Psalms 51:1-3, Psalms 103:3, Isaiah 43:25, Isaiah 44:22, Jeremiah 31:33, Jeremiah 31:34, Daniel 9:18, Daniel 9:19, Micah 7:18-20, Matthew 6:12, Acts 13:38, Acts 13:39, Romans 3:24, Romans 4:5-8, Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13

Reciprocal: Exodus 34:7 - forgiving Deuteronomy 15:2 - exact it 2 Samuel 14:13 - Wherefore Matthew 18:24 - owed Luke 7:47 - Her Luke 10:36 - thinkest Luke 13:4 - sinners Luke 16:5 - his John 19:11 - the greater 2 Corinthians 5:14 - the love

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when they had nothing to pay,.... Neither the lesser nor greater debtor; for though not alike in debt, yet both insolvent: man has run out his whole stock, which the God of nature gave him, in his original creation and primitive state; and is become a bankrupt and a beggar, is poor, wretched, and miserable; he has no money, he has nothing to offer for a composition, much less for payment; he has no righteousness, and if he had, it would be nothing to pay with; since that itself, even in perfection, is due to God, and cannot discharge a former debt: sin being committed against an infinite being, is in some sense an infinite debt, and requires an infinite satisfaction, which a finite creature can never give; and he is therefore liable to a prison, and that for ever: but behold the wonderful grace of God, the creditor!

he frankly forgave them both: their whole debts, without regard to any merits of theirs, which they could not have, or any motives in them, or any conditions to be performed by them, but purely of his sovereign will, free grace, and rich mercy, though not without regard to the satisfaction of his Son; which by no means hinders the frankness of the pardon, or obscures the grace of it, but increases and illustrates it; seeing this satisfaction is of God's own finding out, providing, and accepting; and is at his own expense, and without money and price, to the debtors:

tell me therefore, which of them will love him most; or "ought to love him most", as the Ethiopic version. The Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions, leave out the first part of this clause, "tell me".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Frankly forgave - Freely forgave, or forgave entirely without any compensation. This is not designed to express anything about the way in which God forgives sinners. He forgives - forgives freely, but it is in connection with the “atonement” made by the Lord Jesus. If it was a mere “debt” which we owed to God, he might forgive, as this creditor did, without an equivalent. But it is “crime” which he forgives. He pardons as a moral governor. A parent might forgive a “debt” without any equivalent; but he cannot pardon an offending child without regarding his own “character” as a parent, the “truth” of his threatenings, the good order of his house, and the maintenance of his authority. So our sins against God, though they are called “debts,” are called so “figuratively.” It is not an affair of “money,” and God cannot forgive us without maintaining his word, the honor of his government, and law - in other words, without an “atonement.” It is clear that by the creditor here our Saviour meant to designate God, and by the “debtors,” sinners and the woman present. Simon, whose life had been comparatively upright, was denoted by the one that owed “fifty” pence; the woman, who had been an open and shameless sinner, was represented by the one that owed “five hundred.” Yet “neither” could pay. Both must be forgiven or perish. So, however much difference there is among people, “all” need the pardoning mercy of God, and “all,” without that, must perish.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 42. Which of them will love him most? — Which is under the greater obligation and should love him most?