Matthew 25:19–29
The talents: the master returns and asks for an account of what he left with each
Study it word by word19Now after a long time the master of those slaves comes and settles accounts with them.
20And the one who had received the five talents came up and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; look, I have gained another five talents.’
21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful over a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
22And the one with the two talents also came up and said, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; look, I have gained another two talents.’
23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful over a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
24And the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter;
25and being afraid, I went off and hid your talent in the ground; look, you have what is yours.’
26But his master answered him, ‘Wicked and lazy slave! You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter?
27Then you ought to have put my money with the bankers, and when I came I would have received back what is mine with interest.
28So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
29For to everyone who has more will be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
In its context
17In the same way the one with the two gained another two.
18But the one who had received the one went away, dug in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
…
30And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
31But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
Its words in the original
- πολὺνpolyn· much, many
Much, great; in the plural, many.
- χρόνονchronon· time
Time; a span of time.
- ἔρχεταιerchetai· come, go
Come, arrive; go.
- κύριοςkyrios· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- δούλωνdoulōn· slave
Slave: someone who belongs to a master and serves him.
- συναίρειsynairei· settle accounts
Settle accounts with someone.
- λόγονlogon· word
Word, saying, message; also reason, cause, account.
- προσελθὼνproselthōn· come to, approach
Come up to, approach someone.
- πέντεpente· five
Five.
- τάλανταtalanta· talent
Talent: the largest unit of money, worth about six thousand denarii.
- λαβὼνlabōn· take, receive
Take, receive.
- προσήνεγκενprosēnenken· offer, bring
Offer, bring, present.
- ἄλλαalla· other, another
Other, another.
- λέγωνlegōn· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- παρέδωκαςparedōkas· hand over
Hand over: put into someone else's hands; also betray, or pass on a teaching.
- ἴδεide· look
Look! See!
- ἐκέρδησαekerdēsa· gain
Gain, win.
- ἔφηephē· say
Say.
- ΕὖEu· well
Well. "Well done!"
- ἀγαθὲagathe· good
Good.
- πιστέpiste· faithful, believing
Faithful, trustworthy; also believing, a believer.
- ὀλίγαoliga· little, few
Little, small; in the plural, few.
- ἦςēs· be
Be, exist.
- καταστήσωkatastēsō· appoint, make
Put in charge, appoint; also make, cause to be.
- εἴσελθεeiselthe· enter, go in
Enter, go in, come in.
- χαρὰνcharan· joy
Joy, gladness.
- δύοdyo· two
Two.
- ἓνhen· one
One.
- ἔγνωνegnōn· know
Know, come to know, realize. Said of a man and a woman, have sexual relations.
- σκληρὸςsklēros· hard
Hard, harsh.
- ἄνθρωποςanthrōpos· human being, man
Human being, person, man (without distinguishing male or female).
- θερίζωνtherizōn· reap, harvest
Reap, harvest.
- ὅπουhopou· where
Where, wherever.
- ἔσπειραςespeiras· sow
Sow.
- συνάγωνsynagōn· gather
Gather, bring together.
- ὅθενhothen· from this, therefore
From where; for which reason.
- διεσκόρπισαςdieskorpisas· scatter
Scatter, disperse.
- φοβηθεὶςphobētheis· fear, be afraid
Fear, be afraid; also show reverent respect.
- ἀπελθὼνapelthōn· go away
Go away, leave.
- ἔκρυψαekrypsa· hide
Hide, conceal.
- γῇgēi· earth, land
Earth: the ground, a country, or the whole world.
- ἔχειςecheis· have
Have, possess, hold.
- σόνson· your, yours
Your, yours (of one person).
- ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheis· answer
Answer, reply; speak up.
- ΠονηρὲPonēre· evil, wicked
Bad, wicked. "The evil one": the devil.
- ὀκνηρέoknēre· lazy, troublesome
Lazy, hesitant; also troublesome, irksome.
- ᾔδειςēideis· know
Know, understand; also see.
- ἔδειedei· bind, tie
Bind, tie.
- βαλεῖνbalein· throw, put
Throw, cast; also put.
- ἀργύριάargyria· silver, money
Silver; money, silver coins.
- τραπεζίταιςtrapezitais· banker
Banker, one who exchanged and lent money.
- ἐκομισάμηνekomisamēn· bring, receive
Bring; in the middle, receive, get back what is one's own; receive one's due.
- ἐμὸνemon· my, mine
My, mine.
- σὺνsyn· with
With, together with.
- τόκῳtokōi· interest
Interest earned on money that is lent.
- ἄρατεarate· lift, take away
Lift up, carry; also take away.
- δότεdote· give
Give.
- δέκαdeka· ten
Ten.
- περισσευθήσεταιperisseuthēsetai· be left over, abound
Be left over, abound; exceed.