Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 25:26

"But 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 did not scatter;" — Matthew 25:26 (ASV)

Slothful. Indolent, lazy, who had done nothing. God will judge men not merely for doing wrong, but for not doing right. See Matthew 25:45. That servant was wicked because he had such an opinion of his master; he had shown that he was slothful by not making good use of the talent (Matthew 25:27).

You knew, etc. This should be understood, and might have been translated, as a question. If you knew he was such a man, you ought to have acted accordingly, so as to have escaped punishment. Did you know that I reap, etc.? Then you should have given my money to the exchangers, etc. This is not intended to admit that he was such a man, but to convict the slothful servant of guilt and folly in not having been prepared to meet him.