King James Bible
"But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."
Jesus teaches that ignorance of God's will, while not excusing wrongdoing, mitigates the severity of judgment. The contrast with the previous verse (about servants who knew their master's will) establishes a principle of proportional accountability based on knowledge. This pivotal statement introduces a divine principle: greater blessings, resources, or revelation bring greater responsibility. The passive construction ('is given') emphasizes that all advantages ultimately come from God, making stewardship a sacred trust. The parallel structure reinforces the principle while shifting focus to human entrustment—positions of leadership, teaching, or influence. The escalation from 'required' to 'ask the more' suggests that those entrusted by others face even heightened expectations in their accounting.