Matthew 25 · Verse 21

Matthew 25:21

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Matthew 25:21, King James Version

Matthew 25:21 in other translations

BSBHis master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
WEB“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
ASVHis lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
YLT‘And his lord said to him, Well done, servant, good and faithful, over a few things thou wast faithful, over many things I will set thee; enter into the joy of thy lord.
DARBYHis lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman, thou wast faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter into the joy of thy lord.
BBEHis lord said to him, Well done, good and true servant: you have been true in a small thing, I will give you control over great things: take your part in the joy of your lord.
WebsterHis lord said to him, Well done thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

What does Matthew 25:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. His lord said unto him, Well done--a single word, not of bare satisfaction, but of warm and delighted commendation. And from what Lips! thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, &c.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21. Ruler over many things. I will promote thee to greater honours and more important trusts.

Joy of thy lord. In the mean time, share the pleasures and enjoyments of his palace; be his companion; and receive the rewards which he has promised thee. The joy of his lord may mean either the festivals and rejoicing at his return, or the rewards which his lord had prepared for his faithful servants. Applied to Christians, it means that they who rightly improve their talents shall, at the return of Christ, be promoted to great honours in heaven, and be partakers of the joys of their Lord in the world of glory. See Mt 25:34, 1Jn 2:28.

(n) "ruler" Lk 12:44, 22:29, Rev 3:21

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 25:14-30

Christ keeps no servants to be idle: they have received their all from him, and have nothing they can call their own but sin. Our receiving from Christ is in order to our working for him. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. The day of account comes at last. We must all be reckoned with as to what good we have got to our own souls, and have done to others, by the advantages we have…

Read the full comment on Matthew 25:14-30 →

Matthew 25:21 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.

ἔφηephēwas sayingG5346
αὐτῷautōto himG846
ὁhotheG3588
κύριοςkuriosmasterG2962
αὐτοῦ·autouof Him;G846
εὖ,euWell done,G2095
δοῦλεdouleservantG1401
ἀγαθὲagathegoodG18
καὶkaiandG2532
πιστέ,pistefaithful!G4103
ἐπὶepiOverG1909
ὀλίγαoligaa few thingsG3641
ἦςēsyou wereG1510
πιστός,pistosfaithful,G4103
ἐπὶepioverG1909
πολλῶνpollōnmany thingsG4183
σεseyouG4771
καταστήσω.katastēsōwill I set.G2525
εἴσελθεeiselthedo enterG1525
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὴνtēntheG3588
χαρὰνcharanjoyG5479
τοῦtouof theG3588
κυρίουkurioumasterG2962
σου.¶souof you!G4771

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

Cross references for Matthew 25:21

  • Matthew 25:23

    His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

  • Luke 16:10

    He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

  • John 12:26

    If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

  • 2 Timothy 2:12

    If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

  • Revelation 3:21

    To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

  • John 14:3

    And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

  • John 17:24

    Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

  • 1 Peter 1:7-8

    That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

  • Revelation 2:10

    Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

  • Matthew 24:45

    Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

  • Luke 22:28-30

    Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

  • Philippians 1:23

    For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Well.
2Ch 31:20,21; Lu 16:10; Ro 2:29; 1Co 4:5; 2Co 5:9; 10:18; 1Pe 1:7
I will.
34-40,46; 10:40-42; 24:47; Lu 12:44; 22:28-30; Re 2:10,26-28; 3:21
Re 21:7
enter.
23; Ps 16:10,11; Joh 12:26; 14:3; 17:24; Php 1:23; 2Ti 2:12
Heb 12:2; 1Pe 1:8; Re 7:17

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

Context

  • Matthew 25:20

    And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

  • Matthew 25:21

    His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

  • Matthew 25:22

    He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

Read all of Matthew 25

Matthew 25:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y su señor le dijo: Bien, buen siervo y fiel; sobre poco has sido fiel, sobre mucho te pondré: entra en el gozo de tu señor.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Son maître lui dit: Bien, bon et fidèle esclave; tu as été fidèle en peu de chose, je t’établirai sur beaucoup: entre dans la joie de ton maître.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Sein Herr sprach zu ihm: Wohl, du guter und treuer Knecht! über weniges warst du treu, über vieles werde ich dich setzen; gehe ein in die Freude deines Herrn.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ait illi dominus ejus: Euge serve bone, et fidelis: quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super multa te constituam; intra in gaudium domini tui.