Matthew 24:48
But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
Original Language Analysis
ἐὰν
if
G1437
ἐὰν
if
Strong's:
G1437
Word #:
1 of 16
a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.; often used in connection with other particles to denote indefiniteness or uncertainty
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
4 of 16
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
κακὸς
evil
G2556
κακὸς
evil
Strong's:
G2556
Word #:
5 of 16
worthless (intrinsically, such; whereas g4190 properly refers to effects), i.e., (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious
δοῦλος
servant
G1401
δοῦλος
servant
Strong's:
G1401
Word #:
6 of 16
a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency)
ἐκεῖνος
that
G1565
ἐκεῖνος
that
Strong's:
G1565
Word #:
7 of 16
that one (or (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed
τῇ
G3588
τῇ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
9 of 16
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
καρδίᾳ
heart
G2588
καρδίᾳ
heart
Strong's:
G2588
Word #:
10 of 16
the heart, i.e., (figuratively) the thoughts or feelings (mind); also (by analogy) the middle
αὐτοῦ
G846
αὐτοῦ
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
11 of 16
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
13 of 16
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Cross References
Matthew 18:32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:Isaiah 32:6For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.Luke 12:45But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;Acts 5:3But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?Mark 7:21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,John 13:2And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;Deuteronomy 9:4Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.
Historical Context
By the time Matthew wrote (AD 60s-80s?), some believers were struggling with Christ's 'delay' (2 Peter 3:8-9). Jesus predicted this precise temptation. The 'delay' becomes a test: will we serve faithfully for decades, centuries, millennia without visible Master presence? The evil servant represents apostates and false teachers who use Christ's 'delay' to justify worldliness and abuse of authority.
Questions for Reflection
- How has Christ's 2,000-year 'delay' affected your urgency about His return and daily faithfulness?
- What heart attitudes or behaviors in your life might indicate you're treating Christ's absence as permission for compromise?
- How can you guard against the insidious 'in the heart' dialogue that leads to spiritual complacency?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming—The Greek chronizei (χρονίζει = delays/takes time) reveals the servant's fatal assumption: the master's absence means abandonment or indifference. This isn't mere calendar observation but heart rebellion—en tē kardia autou (ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ = in his heart) he concludes delay equals permission to abandon duty.
The 'evil servant' (kakos doulos, κακὸς δοῦλος) is not a different person but the same servant corrupted by the master's absence. The delay tests character. Peter later warns that scoffers will say 'Where is the promise of His coming?' (2 Peter 3:4)—exactly this heart attitude. The danger isn't the master's delay but the servant's response to it: using freedom for license rather than faithful stewardship.