ESV Study Bible | English Standard Version
Matthew 18:25
25 d And since he could not pay, his master ordered him e to be sold, with his wife and f children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Exodus 21:2
2 i When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.
Leviticus 25:39
39 d “If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave:
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Matt. 18:1–20:34 The Community of the Messiah Revealed. This is the fourth of Jesus' five major discourses in Matthew's Gospel (see Introduction: Key Themes; Literary Features). As his earthly ministry draws to a close, Jesus has spent considerable time clarifying his identity and mission (chs. 14–17). He instructs his disciples on the nature of his covenant community, explaining the kingdom community's characteristics (18:1–35), its implications for the sanctity of marriage (19:1–12), and its value (19:13–20:34).
Matt. 18:1–35 Characteristics of Life in the Kingdom Community. Jesus instructs the disciples about the kind of community life that will characterize their relationships with one another and with the world at large.
Matt. 18:25 sold, with his wife and children. A practice common in the ancient world (cf. Ex. 21:2–11; Deut. 15:12–18; 2 Kings 4:1; Neh. 5:4–8), often as punishment for those whose debts could not possibly be repaid.
