^12:41Then¹⁰² Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?”¹⁰³^12:42The Lord replied,¹⁰⁴ “Who then is the faithful and wise manager,¹⁰⁵ whom the master puts in charge of his household servants,¹⁰⁶ to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? ^12:43Blessed is that slave¹⁰⁷ whom his master finds at work¹⁰⁸ when he returns. ^12:44I tell you the truth,¹⁰⁹ the master¹¹⁰ will put him in charge of all his possessions. ^12:45But if¹¹¹ that¹¹² slave should say to himself,¹¹³ ‘My master is delayed¹¹⁴ in returning,’ and he begins to beat¹¹⁵ the other¹¹⁶ slaves, both men and women,¹¹⁷ and to eat, drink, and get drunk, ^12:46then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two,¹¹⁸ and assign him a place with the unfaithful.¹¹⁹^12:47That¹²⁰ servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked¹²¹ will receive a severe beating. ^12:48But the one who did not know his master’s will¹²² and did things worthy of punishment¹²³ will receive a light beating.¹²⁴ From everyone who has been given much, much will be required,¹²⁵ and from the one who has been entrusted with much,¹²⁶ even more will be asked.¹²⁷

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Footnotes

102 Grk “And Peter.” Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the connection to the preceding statement.
103 Is the parable only for disciples (us) or for all humanity (everyone)? Or does Peter mean for disciples (us) or for the crowd (everyone)? The fact that unfaithful slaves are mentioned in v. 46 looks to a warning that includes a broad audience, though it is quality of service that is addressed. This means the parable focuses on those who are associated with Jesus.
104 Grk “And the Lord said.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
105 Or “administrator,” “steward” (L&N 37.39).
106 This term, θεραπεία (therapeia), describes the group of servants working in a particular household (L&N 46.6).
107 See the note on the word “slave” in .
108 That is, doing his job, doing what he is supposed to be doing.
109 Grk “Truly (ἀληθῶς, alēthōs), I say to you.”
110 Grk “he”; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity. See also Luke 19:11–27.
111 In the Greek text this is a third class condition that for all practical purposes is a hypothetical condition (note the translation of the following verb “should say”).
112 The term “that” (ἐκεῖνος, ekeinos) is used as a catchword to list out, in the form of a number of hypothetical circumstances, what the possible responses of “that” servant could be. He could be faithful (vv. 43–44) or totally unfaithful (vv. 45–46). He does not complete his master’s will with knowledge (v. 47) or from ignorance (v 48). These differences are indicated by the different levels of punishment in vv. 46–48.
113 Grk “should say in his heart.”
114 Or “is taking a long time.”
115 The slave’s action in beginning to beat the other slaves was not only a failure to carry out what was commanded but involved doing the exact reverse.
116 The word “other” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
117 Grk “the menservants and the maidservants.” The term here, used in both masculine and feminine grammatical forms, is παῖς (pais), which can refer to a slave, but also to a slave who is a personal servant, and thus regarded kindly (L&N 87.77).
118 The verb διχοτομέω (dichotomeō) means to cut an object into two parts (L&N 19.19). This is an extremely severe punishment compared to the other two later punishments. To translate it simply as “punish” is too mild. If taken literally this servant is dismembered, although it is possible to view the stated punishment as hyperbole (L&N 38.12).
119 Or “unbelieving.” Here the translation employs the slightly more ambiguous “unfaithful,” which creates a link with the point of the parable—faithfulness versus unfaithfulness in servants. The example of this verse must be taken together with the examples of vv. 47–48 as part of a scale of reactions with the most disobedient response coming here. The fact that this servant is placed in a distinct group, unlike the one in vv. 47–48, also suggests ultimate exclusion. This is the hypocrite of Matt 24:51.
120 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
121 Grk “or do according to his will”; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity. This example deals with the slave who knew what the command was and yet failed to complete it.
122 Grk “did not know”; the phrase “his master’s will” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the contemporary English reader.
123 Grk “blows.”
124 Grk “will receive few (blows).”
125 Grk “required from him”; but the words “from him” are redundant in English and have not been translated.
126 Entrusted with much. To be gifted with precious responsibility is something that requires faithfulness.
127 Grk “they will ask even more.”