Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Then he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. Matthew 25:23 - The Parable of the Talents - Bible Hub See, I have gained two more. 23 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! (Now the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were in the middle of the orchard.) Some were saying, He is a good man, but others, He deceives the common people (John 7:12). The words are in their substance like those in St. Matthew, but their absolute identity with those in the lesson drawn from the parable of the Unjust Steward (see Note on Luke 16:10) is every way suggestive.This parable is connected with that as its natural sequel and development. How is it that the one who does not have has something taken from him? 15To one he gave five (D)talents,[b] to another two, to another one, (E)to each according to his ability. I contend that verse 14 does not begin the new paragraph, but that verse 13 does. First of all, let us be clear that we are not talking about salvation by works. This is a sobering question. Beyond this, His return would come at a time when it was not expected (Matthew 24:44). 271. Those who know not the day of their visitation shall have the things that belong to their peace hid from their eyes. Anyone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection will be able to use and print out the NET Bible without cost for personal study. Our Lords emphasis here is not on putting the money to work, but on the servant going to work with his masters money. This may be applied to the blessings of this life; but rather to the means of grace. The joy that was before our Lord would seem to include the salvation of lost sinners (Luke 15:4-10). What is the meaning of the Parable of the Fig Tree? Such labor is, to a large degree, entering into the joy of our Master. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Sometimes it is merely a connective, a virtual conjunction. Eventually, he tells his sister he will go to the Olympics and then to the mission field, because both honor God. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and, Take therefore the talent from him, and give. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he went on his journey. 33 Bible Verses about Parable Of Talents Matthew 25:14-30 ESV / 15 helpful votes Not Helpful "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. The third slave is just the opposite. The term employed in Matthew 25:16 emphasizes work. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, NT Gospels: Matthew 25:16 Immediately he who received the five talents (Matt. This is only speculation. Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 12:11; Eph. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. READ the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. Parable of the Talents Our labors for the Master should increase, not diminish, if we are kingdom minded. We have the most valuable gift of all, the Word of God and the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. He let taxpayers and prostitutes into the kingdom of heaven first (Matthew 21:31). A primary particle; down, in varied relations (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined). The talent was the largest measurement of money in those days. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. A talent, just so you know, was a measure of money. In the Matthew version, he gives one servant 10 talents (or bags of gold), another five talents, and the third one talent. When the third servant appears, hes done nothing with the money. It is a time when one should have the wisdom of age, financial freedom, and flexibility. The story in Matthew 25:14-30 unfolds as such: A man goes away on a trip. All rights reserved. Have you come to see that so far as your salvation is concerned, all of your works are like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:9-20)? He gives each slave an amount of money, referred to as talents and possibly talents of gold, based upon that man's ability to steward and care for the money. For less than $5/mo. The master told them to care for his money and the first two servants used the talents to trade and gain profit. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Sower? What is the meaning of the Parable of the Talents? It appears in Matthew 25:14-30, and another version of the parable can be found in Luke 19:11-27. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Only the soil that produces a crop is good soil. I will put you in charge of many things. As his grand finale, the man reached in and pulled the tigers whiskers. From dunamai; force; specially, miraculous power. 24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. And what should I say? Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. 29(K)For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. In order to understand the meaning and the application of the parable of the talents, we must take note of the crucial terms and their meanings. A small gain could have been obtained without great risk or effort on the part of the slave, but he chose to do nothing at all. Jesus uses the Parable of the Talents to help us understand our calling as Christians and our responsibility to use what God has given us to bring Him glory and honor! I will end with these words from our Lord to the church at Sardis. In the parable of the talent, there are two clear references to time. I am now inclined to say that verse 13 fits best with verses 14-30. They returned to their master with double the talents! 16 So the first one came before him and said, Sir, your mina has made ten minas more. 17 And the king said to him, Well done, good slave! As a businessman takes pleasure in making a profit, so our Lord takes pleasure in the profit gained by His faithful servants in His absence. If so, then what is the fruitful labor God has given to you? Then he (F)went away. Enter into the joy of your master. 24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed (Matthew 25:24, emphasis mine). The translation project originally started as an attempt to provide an electronic version of a modern translation for electronic distribution over the Internet and on CD (compact disk). These folks were a more honest (hopefully) version of money changer than those who did business in the temple precincts. See 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Dragnet? The masters dealings with the third servant is a very different matter. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lords money. Neuter of a presumed derivative of the original form of tlao; a balance, i.e. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Trust in Jesus, for it is His work that will save you. The slaves excuse was that his master was a harsh man, and this caused him to be afraid of his master, thus doing nothing with the money entrusted to him. From the parable of the talents we seem to be informed that unbelievers are entrusted with certain things, and that they will also give account for their stewardship. Luke, we are told that the reason for the parable was to correct the misconception that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately; no such reason is stated in Matthew. 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! See, I have gained five more. 21 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! What is the meaning of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? Their trading of the talents signifies the faithful use that one should make of gifts and opportunities of service to God. English Standard Version The Parable of the Talents 14 "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[ a] and entrusted to them his property. Those who think it impossible to please God, and in vain to serve him, will do nothing to purpose in religion. 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. ), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. Heaven can hardly be described in terms of retirement. Remember, this is a parable, and all ofJesus parables are about a bit more than they seem. What is the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares? When the third servants excuses are set aside, it becomes evident that this man is lazy he didnt do any work. From kerdos; to gain. He didnt even hand the money over to bankers,276 to let them go to work with it. 12 Therefore he said, A nobleman went to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular. As we conclude, we should focus on what this parable is really about. What is the meaning of the parables of fasting at the wedding feast, the old cloth, and the wineskins? While commentators differ somewhat over the approximate value of a talent in todays economy, all would agree that it was a large amount of money. Matthew 25:14-30 - NIV - "Again, it - Christianity We should carefully note the outcome of faithful service, and of unfaithful service, in this parable. The Parable of the Talents 22 The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, 'Master, you entrusted me with two talents. I believe it is his view of his master, and thus the work his master has assigned. Let us listen carefully then, looking to Gods Spirit to enlighten our hearts and minds, and to empower our service, to the glory of God and our eternal good. master tells his unfaithful servant that he should have put the money in the bank. In one of my early trips to India, I went to the zoo. In the New Testament, the term "talent" meant something very different than it does today. See, I have gained two more.' 23 His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! The Parable of the Talents. Two of the slaves seem eager to show their master what they have accomplished in his absence. I believe this may be the case in our text. Jumble. 19Now (H)after a long time the master of those servants came and (I)settled accounts with them. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. The first presents his master with ten talents. But none of them adequately explain it. This parable is paired with the parable of the 10 virgins, who made the mistake of not having enough oil when the bridegroom arrives. 15And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, (D)to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. For all the saints. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, to be holy both in body and spirit. 20So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them. 21His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you were (E)faithful over a few things, (F)I will make you ruler over many things.