What Does Luke 7:42 Mean?
And since they had nothing to give back, he released them both by favor. Tell me, then, which of them will love him most?
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
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?THE KEY
The word behind “forgave” carries the sense of favor freely given: when repayment is impossible, love grows from what has already been released.
THE MEANING
Your inability to repay does not prevent release; the debt is forgiven before either debtor can give anything back. The question turns your attention to the love that rises from receiving what you could never settle.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie that you must first repay enough to deserve release is undone here: both debtors receive forgiveness while they still have nothing to pay.
THE ROOT
ἐχαρίσατο
echarisato
GROWS FROM
χάρις
charis
Favor; a freely given gift.
“released them both by favor” in this verse is echarisato. The verb ἐχαρίσατο (echarisato), “favored freely” or “forgave,” grows from χάρις (charis), favor. Forgiveness is framed as a gift that releases the debt, not a reward waiting for repayment.
ALSO GROWS
charizomai: To grant freely, favor, or forgive.
χαρίζομαι
This is the verb behind “forgave”; it makes the release an act of favor.
charisma: A gift freely given.
χάρισμα
This related word keeps the same root’s sense of what is received as a gift, rather than earned by payment.
ἀποδοῦναι
apodounai
GROWS FROM
δίδωμι
didōmi
To give.
The phrase “to pay” literally carries the idea of giving back. The verse places that failed return beside freely given favor: there is nothing coming back from the debtors, yet the debt is released.
ALSO GROWS
didōmi: To give.
δίδωμι
This is the underlying verb in the idea of paying back: a giving in return.
apodidōmi: To give back, repay, or render.
ἀποδίδωμι
This related compound names the return that neither debtor can make.
THE PATTERN
A response of love begins in a gift received before repayment is possible.
A Psalm of David, Maschil. Flourishing is the one whose rebellion is released, whose shortcomings are covered.Then the lord of that servant was stirred in his inward parts, and let him go, and released the debt.We love him, for he first loved us.THE THREAD
Then the lord of that servant was stirred in his inward parts, and let him go, and released the debt.The same Greek verb, ἐχαρίσατο (echarisato), “favored freely” or “forgave,” appears in both passages. Matthew makes the debt explicit: favor releases what the debtor cannot repay.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us