A parable describing a man traveling abroad, turning over his stuff to personal servants.
Matthew 25:16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
Matthew 25:16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.
Immediately departing, the one getting the five weights [of gold] worked for himself in them and profited another five.
Working for yourself and making a profit is a good thing!
This is another verse where Jesus uses some specific words whose meaning in lost in translation. One problem is that the KJV Greek source had several wrong words in it, but more modern translations similarly gloss over the meaning of these keywords.
"Talents" is an adapted rather than translated word Greek word meaning "weight." It was used to refer to a sum of money like we would say "five large" or "five big ones" referring to large denomination bills. As with bills, its meaning changed depending on the type of currency. However, in Jesus's time, it was the name of the scales of Zeus on which was balanced the fortunes of men, which is the point of this story. Unfortunately, there is no way to capture this in translation.
The word translated as "traded" and "put...to work" actually means "worked for/by himself." The point isn't just that he used the money, but that he took the personal initiative. This is lost in translation.
The word translated as "made" and "gained" means "profited." I know "profit" is a dirty word, but Jesus did not have the advantage of reading Marx so he thought of it as a positive thing, creating more value.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word wrongly translated as "then" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "he" should be something more like "the one."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "that" doesn't exist in the source.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "had" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
- WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The word "went" doesn't appear here but at the beginning of the sentence.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "went" is not an active verb but a participle, "departing."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "and" doesn't exist in the source.
- WV - Wrong Voice - The verb is in the middle voice requiring the concept of "himself" as its object.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "same" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "made" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "them" doesn't exist in the source.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "talents" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "who" doesn't exist in the source.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "had" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future)
- WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The word "went" doesn't appear here but at the beginning of the sentence.
- WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The word "at one" doesn't appear here but before the verb for rest.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "went" is not an active verb but a participle, "departing."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "and" doesn't exist in the source.
- WV - Wrong Voice - The verb is in the middle voice requiring the concept of "himself" as its object.
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The phrase "his money" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "with" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "them" is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "bags" doesn't exist in the source.
Then - (OS) The KJV source begins with the Greek word that means "but" that is translated as "then," but today's sources begin with an adverb that means "immediately."
he - (WW) The word translated as "he" is from the Greek article, "the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one."
that -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "that" in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than a participle.
had -- (WT) This helping verb "had" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.
received - The word translated as "received" is a verb that primarily means "take." However, it means "receive" in the same sense that we use "get" to mean "receive" and has many different uses as we use "get" in English. Among these are the ideas of "understanding" and "possessing."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
five - This is the Greek word for the number five
talents - "Talents" is an untranslated word in Greek meaning "a weight" as in a weight balancing a scale. It was used to refer to a sum of money like we would say "five large" or "five big ones" referring to large denomination bills. As with bills, its meaning changed depending on the type of currency.
went - (WP, WF) The "went" is not from the common word translated as "go" in the NT, but a word that specifically has the sense of "to go away" or "depart." It doesn't appear in the middle of the verse, but at its beginning, right after the "immediately." It is not an active verb but a verbal adjective, a participle.
and -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "and" in the Greek source. It was added because the previous verb was translated as active rather than a participle.
traded - "Traded" is from a word Christ uses humorously here and elsewhere. It has the general sense of "work," "do," or "make," but it is not the word Christ uses common to express those ideas. frequently, but a more sophisticated word he uses less commonly. He uses it to mean "make a living for yourself." The form is where the subject acts on himself, so "work himself." It also means "trade" but Christ uses it in Matthew 21:28 for a father telling his sons to go "work" in a vineyard, so he didn't use it to mean "trade" there. The form is either passive or middle voice, not the active. The sense here is the middle, that he did this by of form himself.
missing "by/for himself"-- (WV) A phrase is necessary because the form of the previous verb is a middle voice, which means that the subject is to act on "himself," "for himself" or "by himself."
with -- The word translated as "with" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "during" (time), or "among" with a dative object as the one here. With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."
the -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "the" in the Greek source.
same, - (CW) The word translated as "same" is the Greek word commonly translated as pronouns in English ("his" "them" etc.).If a definite article preceded it, it would be treated like a noun and mean "same," but here it just means "them."
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").
made - (OS) The word translated as "made" is a different Greek word in today's sources than the KJV source. In the KJV, the word used was the common word for "do" or "make," which we referred to in the definition of "traded," but the better sources we use today has a very different word that means to "make profit," and "gain an advantage." This was a very common word in Greek, but less so in Christ's words. It is used in Luke and Mark for the famous verse "What does it help a man to gain the world and lose his soul."
them -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "them" in the Greek source.
other - The word translated as "other" is usually translated as "another" and with numerals means "further" or "more."
five -- This is the Greek word for the number five
talents. -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "talents" in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used.
The -- The word translated as "the" is from the Greek article, "the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one."
man -- There is no Greek word for "man" here, but the article above is masculine.
Then - (OS) The KJV source begins with the Greek word that means "but" that is translated as "then," but today's sources begin with an adverb that means "immediately."
who -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "who" in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than a participle.
had -- (WT) This helping verb "had" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.
received - The word translated as "received" is a verb that primarily means "take." However, it means "receive" in the same sense that we use "get" to mean "receive" and has many different uses as we use "get" in English. Among these are the ideas of "understanding" and "possessing."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
five - This is the Greek word for the number five
bags of gold - The word translated as "bags of gold," is a word in Greek meaning "a weight" as in a weight balancing a scale. It was used to refer to a sum of money like we would say "five large" or "five big ones" referring to large denomination bills. As with bills, its meaning changed depending on the type of currency.
went - (WF) The "went" is not from the common word translated as "go" in the NT, but a word that specifically has the sense of "to go away" or "depart." It doesn't appear in the middle of the verse, but at its beginning, right after the "immediately." It is not an active verb but a verbal adjective, a participle.
at once - (WP) "At once" is an adverb that means "straight," "simply," "straightway," forthwith," "immediately," "directly," and "at once." This word begins the sentence.
and -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "and" in the Greek source. It was added because the previous verb was translated as active rather than a participle.
put - "Put..to work" is from a word Christ uses humorously here and elsewhere. It has the general sense of "work," "do," or "make," but it is not the word Christ uses common to express those ideas. frequently, but a more sophisticated word he uses less commonly. He uses it to mean "make a living for yourself." The form is where the subject acts on himself, so "work himself." It also means "trade" but Christ uses it in Matthew 21:28 for a father telling his sons to go "work" in a vineyard, so he didn't use it to mean "trade" there. The form is either passive or middle voice, not the active. The sense here is the middle, that he did this by of form himself. It is not an active verb, taking an object.
missing "by/for himself"-- (WV) A phrase is necessary because the form of the previous verb is a middle voice, which means that the subject is to act on "himself," "for himself" or "by himself."
his money -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "his money" in the Greek source.
to work - This completes the idea of the verb.
missing "with" -- (MW) The untranslated word "with" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "during" (time), or "among" with a dative object as the one here. With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."
missing "them" -- (MW) The untranslated word "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as pronouns in English ("his" "them" etc.).
and five more.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").
gained - The word translated as "gained" means to "make profit," and "gain an advantage." This was a very common word in Greek, but less so in Jesus's words. It is used in Luke and Mark for the famous verse "What does it help a man to gain the world and lose his soul."
bags . -- (IW) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "bags" in the source we use today.
five -- This is the Greek word for the number five.
more - The word translated as "more" is usually translated as "another" and with numerals means "further" or "more."
εὐθέως [5 verses](adv) "Then" is euthus, which means "straight," "simply," "straightway," forthwith," "immediately," "directly," and "at once."
πορευθεὶς [54 verses](part sg aor pass masc nom) "Went" is poreuomai (poreuô) which means "make to go," "carry," "convey," "bring," "go," "march," and "proceed." It is almost always translated as "go" in the NT. -- The Greek verb translated as "go" isn't the common verb almost always translated as "go" in the NT. This word means "to lead over," "depart," and "to carry over." This word, however, uniquely means both "to pursue a course" and "to depart from life."
ὁ [294 verses](pron sg masc nom) "The man" is hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.
τὰ [821 verses](article pl neut nom/acc) "Who" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
πέντε [12 verses](numeral) "Five" is from pente, the number five.
τάλαντα [8 verses](noun pl neut acc) "Talents" is from talanton, which means "a weight," "a pair of scales," "a commercial weight," and "a sum of money." In Greek mythology, it was the scales on which Zeus balanced the fortunes of men. As money, the amount varied in different systems.
λαβὼν [54 verse](part sg aor act masc nom) "That had received" is lambano means to "take," "take hold of," "grasp," "seize," "catch," "overtake," "find out," "detect," "take as," "take [food or drugs]," "understand," "take in hand," "undertake," "take in," "hold," "get," "receive [things]," "receive hospitably," "receive in marriage," "receive as produce," "profit," "admit," "initiate," "take hold of," "lay hold on," "seize and keep hold of," "obtain possession of," "lay hands upon," "find fault with," "censure," "to apprehend with the senses," "to take hold of," and "to seize." It is also specifically used to mean "seized with emotion."
ἠργάσατο [8 verses](verb 3rd sg aor ind mp) "Traded" is ergazomai, which means to "work at," "make," "do," "perform," "work [a material]," "earn by working," work at a trade or business," " traffic," and "trade."
ἐν [413 verses](prep) "With" is from en, which means "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," and "with." --
αὐτοῖς [720 verses](adj pl masc dat) "The same" is from autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord."
καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is from kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."
ἐκέρδησεν [8 verses](verb 3rd sg aor ind act) "Made" is kerdaino, which means "to gain," "to derive profit," "to spare or save oneself," and to "gain an advantage." In a negative sense, it means "to reap a disadvantage from a thing."
ἄλλα [154 verses](adj pl neut acc) "Other" is from allos, which means "another," "one besides," "of another sort," "different," "other than what is true," "as well," "besides," (with numerals: "yet," "still," "further"), "of other sort," "other than what is," "untrue," "unreal," "other than right," "wrong," "bad," "unworthy," [with an article] "the rest," "all besides," and [in series] "one...another."
πέντε [12 verses](numeral) "Five" is from pente, the number five.
"Immediately leaving," he said, leading first follower off from the group, "the one getting the five hundred dollars."
He indicated the follower standing apart and continued, "Worked for himself with it..."
He gestured that the follower should work with the money. He pretended to play cards with it. The crowd laughed.
"And profited five more," the teacher continued, laughing himself.