His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant. "Wicked" or "bad" [ Poneere (G4190)] means 'false-hearted,' as opposed to the others, who are emphatically called "good servants." The addition of "slothful" [ okneere (G3636)] is to mark the precise nature of his wickedness: it consisted, it seems, not in his doing anything against, but simply nothing for his master.

Thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed. He takes the servant's own account of his demands, as expressing graphically enough, not the "hardness" which he had basely imputed to him, but simply his demand of 'a profitable return for the gift entrusted.'

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