Trow
An Obsolete Word
The word "trow" is an archaic English verb meaning "to believe," "to think," or "to trust." It is related to the English word "trust" and to the German word "trauen" (to trust or believe). Though common in medieval and early modern English, the word had already fallen out of everyday use by the time the King James Version was published in 1611, though it was still understood in literary and formal contexts.
Trow appears only once in the KJV, in Luke 17:9, making it one of the rarest words in the entire translation.
The Passage in Luke 17:9
In Luke 17:7-10, Jesus tells a parable about the relationship between a master and his servant. He asks whether a master would thank a servant for simply doing what was commanded. The KJV renders verse 9 as: "Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not."
The phrase "I trow not" means "I think not" or "I don't believe so." It provides an emphatic negative answer to the rhetorical question: no, a master does not owe special gratitude to a servant for fulfilling basic duties.
A Textual Question
The phrase "I trow not" translates the Greek words that modern textual scholars have identified as a later addition to the original text of Luke. These words do not appear in the earliest and most reliable Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Instead, they were added by later copyists who apparently felt the rhetorical question needed an explicit answer.
For this reason, modern translations such as the ESV, NIV, and NASB omit the phrase entirely. The Revised Version of 1881 was among the first English translations to remove it. The rhetorical question in verse 9 is left to stand on its own, with the expected answer being self-evident from the context.
The Parable's Teaching
The parable in which "trow" appears teaches an important lesson about the nature of obedience and service to God. Jesus describes a servant who has spent the day plowing or tending sheep. When he comes in from the field, the master does not say, "Come and sit down to eat." Instead, the master tells him to prepare dinner, serve the meal, and only then eat and drink himself.
The point is that servants do not earn special commendation for doing their duty. Jesus applies this to his disciples in verse 10: "So you also, when you have done everything you were commanded, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'" The teaching challenges any sense of spiritual entitlement or the expectation that God owes us something for our obedience.
Archaic Words and Bible Translation
The word "trow" illustrates the challenges of Bible translation across centuries. Words that were perfectly understandable in one era become obscure or misleading in another. The KJV contains numerous such words, including "wot" (know), "wit" (to know), "anon" (immediately), and "let" (to hinder). Each of these once-common words has either changed meaning or fallen out of use.
The history of English Bible translation from the KJV through modern versions represents an ongoing effort to make Scripture accessible in the living language of each generation. The disappearance of words like "trow" from common speech necessitates either replacing them with modern equivalents or, as in this case, recognizing that the underlying text itself does not require translation because the words are not part of the original.
The Value of Understanding Archaic Terms
Even though "trow" has been removed from modern translations, understanding it helps readers who study the KJV or encounter it in older commentaries and devotional literature. The word's connection to "trust" and "believe" reveals a semantic field that links thinking, believing, and trusting as closely related activities in the English language's history, a connection that resonates with the biblical understanding of faith as both intellectual assent and personal trust.
Biblical Context
Trow appears only in Luke 17:9 in the KJV, within a parable about the duty of servants. The Greek words it translates are now recognized as a later scribal addition not found in the earliest manuscripts. The parable itself (Luke 17:7-10) is part of a series of teachings Jesus gave to his disciples about faith, forgiveness, and humble service.
Theological Significance
Though the word itself is incidental, the parable containing it teaches a foundational truth about Christian discipleship: obedience to God is duty, not grounds for special reward. This teaching guards against spiritual pride and the transactional mindset that treats God as a debtor. The textual history of the passage also illustrates the importance of careful manuscript study in ensuring faithful translation.
Historical Background
The word 'trow' belongs to the Germanic family of words related to trust and belief, with cognates in Old English, Middle English, German, and other languages. Its appearance in the KJV reflects the English of the early 17th century, though even then it was somewhat archaic. The textual addition of 'I trow not' to Luke 17:9 likely occurred during the medieval period of manuscript transmission, when scribes sometimes added explanatory notes that were later incorporated into the text.