Luke 7 · Verse 41

Luke 7:41

There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
Luke 7:41, King James Version

Luke 7:41 in other translations

BSB“Two men were debtors to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
WEB“A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
ASVA certain lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty.
YLT‘Two debtors were to a certain creditor; the one was owing five hundred denaries, and the other fifty;
DARBYThere were two debtors of a certain creditor: one owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty;
BBEAnd he said, Two men were in debt to a certain man of business: one had a debt of five hundred pence, and the other of fifty.
WebsterThere was a certain creditor, who had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

What does Luke 7:41 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 7:40-43

40-43. Like Nathan with David, our Lord conceals His home thrust under the veil of a parable, and makes His host himself pronounce upon the case. The two debtors are the woman and Simon; the criminality of the one was ten times that of the other (in the proportion of "five hundred" to "fifty"); but both being equally insolvent, both are with equal frankness forgiven; and Simon is made to own that the greatest debtor…

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Barnes' Notes
Verse 41. A certain creditor. A man who had lent money or sold property, the payment for which was yet due.

Five hundred pence. About 69 dollars 26 cents, or �14, 11s. 8d. Mt 18:28.

Fifty. About 7 dollars, or �1, 9s. 2d

(5) "pence" Mt 18:28.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 41 A certain creditor, etc. - It is plain that in this parable our Lord means, by the creditor, God, and, by the two debtors, Simon and the woman who was present. Simon, who had the light of the law, and who, in consequence of his profession as a Pharisee, was obliged to abstain from outward iniquity, might be considered as the debtor who owed only fifty pence, or denarii. The woman, whom I have supposed to be a heathen, not having these advantages, having no rule to regulate her actions, and no curb on her evil propensities, may be considered as the debtor who owed five hundred pence, or denarii. And when both were compared, Simon's debt to God might be considered, in reference to hers, as fifty to five hundred. However, we find, notwithstanding this great disparity, both were insolvent. Simon, the religious Pharisee, could no more pay his fifty to God than this poor heathen her five hundred; and, if both be not freely forgiven by the Divine mercy, both must finally perish. Having Nothing to Pay, he kindly Forgave them both. Some think that this very Simon was no inconsiderable debtor to our Lord, as having been mercifully cleansed from a leprosy; for he is supposed to be the same as Simon the leper. See the note on Mat 26:6.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 7:36-50

None can truly perceive how precious Christ is, and the glory of the gospel, except the broken-hearted. But while they feel they cannot enough express self-abhorrence on account of sin, and admiration of his mercy, the self-sufficient will be disgusted, because the gospel encourages such repenting sinners. The Pharisee, instead of rejoicing in the tokens of the woman's repentance, confined his thoughts to her former…

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Luke 7:41 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

δύοduoTwoG1417
χρεοφειλέταιchreopheiletaidebtorsG5533
ἦσανēsanthere wereG1510
δανιστῇdanistēato a creditorG1157
τινι.tinicertain.G5100
ὁhotheG3588
εἷςheisoneG1520
ὤφειλενōpheilenwas owingG3784
δηνάριαdēnariadenariiG1220
πεντακόσια,pentakosiafive hundred,G4001
ὁho<the>G3588
δὲdeandG1161
ἕτεροςheterosthe otherG2087
πεντήκοντα.pentēkontafifty.G4004

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 7:41

  • Luke 7:47

    Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

  • Matthew 18:28

    But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

  • Matthew 6:12

    And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

  • Romans 5:20

    Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

  • Romans 3:23

    For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

  • Luke 11:4

    And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

  • 1 John 1:8-10

    If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

  • Matthew 18:23-25

    Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

  • Isaiah 50:1

    Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

  • Luke 13:4

    Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

  • Jeremiah 3:11

    And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

  • Numbers 27:3

    Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a certain.
11:4; 13:4; *marg:
Isa 50:1; Mt 6:12; 18:23-25
the one.
47; Ro 5:20; 1Ti 1:15,16
pence. See
Mt 18:28; *marg:
the other.
12:48; Nu 27:3; Jer 3:11; Joh 15:22-24; Ro 3:23; 1Jo 1:8-10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 7:40

    And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

  • Luke 7:41

    There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

  • Luke 7:42

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

Read all of Luke 7

Luke 7:41 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Un acreedor tenía dos deudores: el uno le debía quinientos denarios, y el otro cincuenta;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Un créancier avait deux débiteurs: l’un lui devait 500 deniers, et l’autre 50;
German
Elberfelder 1871
Ein gewisser Gläubiger hatte zwei Schuldner; der eine schuldete fünfhundert Denare, der andere aber fünfzig;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Duo debitores erant cuidam fœneratori: unus debebat denarios quingentos, et alius quinquaginta.