Summoned is translated “called … in” by Good News Translation (New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible “sent for”) and him is identified as “the servant.” It may be necessary to render “called in the servant who had owed him so much money” or “… whose debt he had canceled.”

In the context wicked probably means something like “worthless” (Good News Translation) or “good for nothing.” New English Bible renders “You scoundrel!” and Barclay has “You utter scoundrel!” In translation it is suggested that a strong, though not vulgar, expression be used.

In Greek all that debt (Good News Translation “the whole amount you owed me”) is given a position of emphasis. In some languages it may be more logical to invert the order of the two clauses: “You begged me to forgive you, and so I canceled your entire debt.” Some translators have made the expression even stronger by saying “all that huge debt.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .