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Luke 17:7-10

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

7. But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? 8. And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? 9. Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. 10. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

Luke 17:7-10 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Luke 17:7

Theological / Devotional

Which of you. [Unprofitable Servants, Luke 17:7-10. On parables see pp. 203-207.] It seems that this brief parable was spoken in answer to the request recorded in v. 5, though this relationship is not certain. Faith qualifies men to do their duty as servants of God (see on v. 10). If this relationship to v. 5 is not valid, it is probable that the parable was spoken to the disciples at some other point on the journey mentioned briefly in v. 11 (see on v. 1).

A Servant. Gr. doulos, “a bond servant,” or “a slave.”

Plowing. The master’s home would probably be in the village or town, and his land not far away. Usually the “servants” would leave town in the morning to work in the fields and return in the morning to work in the fields and return home in the evening (see on Num. 35:4; Ruth 2:3 ; 3:4; 4:1).

By and by. Gr. eutheos, “at once,” or “immediately” (see on Mark 1:10). In Old English usage the expression “by and by” meant “immediately,” though now it means the very opposite. Here eutheos modifies the verb “go” rather than the verb “say.” Thus, it is not that the master “says immediately,” but rather that he says “go immediately.”

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