18:25a
Since the man was unable to pay: This clause is the reason for the result in the next clause. Because he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Because he was not able to repay it (NET Bible)
-or-
He couldn’t pay, so… (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
He was not able to reimburse the money
In some languages, it will be more natural to put this clause after the result clause in 18:25b. For example:
25bHis master ordered him to be sold 25abecause he could not pay what he owed.
was unable to pay: The verb was unable to pay implies that he did not pay because he did not have enough money.
Here is another way to translate this clause:
the servant did not have enough money to pay (New Century Version)
18:25b
the master: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as master refers to someone who has authority. It is the same word that English versions usually translate as “lord.” Here it refers to the king.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
his master (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the king (Good News Translation)
-or-
the chief
ordered that he be sold: This clause means that the king ordered the man to be sold as a slave. This was common practice in Jesus’ time. Often this happened after people were captured in war. Sometimes a person sold himself as a slave in order to provide money for his family. Here, the king apparently intended to sell the servant both to get some of his money back and to punish the servant.
In some languages, it may be natural to make some of this information explicit. For example:
ordered him to be sold as a slave (Good News Translation)
The verb be sold is passive. Here are some other ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
ordered that he should be sold
• Use an active verb. For example:
ordered his officials to sell him
In some languages, it may also be natural to use direct speech here. For example:
The master said, “Sell him as a slave.”
Selling people as slaves may be strange or unknown to your readers. So you may wish to add a footnote to explain it. Here is a sample footnote:
The king intended to sell the servant to someone else as a slave. This would punish the servant and also bring in some money to pay off his debt.
to pay his debt: This phrase means that the money from the sale of the servant, his family and all his possessions would be given to the king to pay his debt.
In Greek the verb is passive. Here are some other ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
and payment to be made (King James Version)
-or-
so that his debt would be paid
-or-
so that the money would be reimbursed
• Use an active verb as the Berean Standard Bible does. For example:
to pay the debt (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Then the money would be used to pay the king what the servant owed. (New Century Version)
18:25c
along with his wife and children: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as along with is the same conjunction that is often translated as “and.” It is used to join all the items in this list. This indicates that even his family would be sold to pay the debt.
Here is another way to translate this clause:
and his wife and children
and everything he owned: This phrase refers to all the things that he owned.
Here is another way to translate this clause:
and all his possessions
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