Matthew 25:14

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

The Parable of the Talents“For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

¶Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἀποδημῶν, ἐκάλεσεν τοὺς ἰδίους δούλους, καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοῖς τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ.

Transliteration

For just as anthrōpos apodēmōn, ekalesen the idious doulous, and paredōken to them the hyparchonta of him.

Grammar Details

• *anthrōpos*: nominative masculine singular - man
• *apodēmōn*: present active participle, nominative masculine singular - going abroad
• *ekalesen*: aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular - called
• *idious*: accusative masculine plural - his own
• *doulous*: accusative masculine plural - slaves/servants
• *paredōken*: aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular - delivered/entrusted
• *hyparchonta*: present active participle, accusative neuter plural - possessions/belongings

Word Meanings

• *anthrōpos*: man/person/human being
• *apodēmōn*: going abroad/traveling/leaving home
• *ekalesen*: called/summoned/invited
• *idious*: his own/personal/private
• *doulous*: slaves/servants/bondservants
• *paredōken*: delivered/entrusted/handed over
• *hyparchonta*: possessions/belongings/property

Referenced Verses

• Matt 21:33 : 33 The Parable of the Tenants“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.
• Mark 13:34 : 34 It is like a man going on a journey. He left his house and put his slaves in charge, assigning to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert.
• Luke 19:12-27 : 12 Therefore he said,“A nobleman went to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 And he summoned ten of his slaves, gave them ten minas, and said to them,‘Do business with these until I come back.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying,‘We do not want this man to be king over us!’ 15 When he returned after receiving the kingdom, he summoned these slaves to whom he had given the money. He wanted to know how much they had earned by trading. 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! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you will have authority over ten cities.’ 18 Then the second one came and said,‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 So the king said to him,‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another slave came and said,‘Sir, here is your mina that I put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth. 21 For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 The king said to him,‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! So you knew, did you, that I was a severe man, withdrawing what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money in the bank, so that when I returned I could have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to his attendants,‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has ten.’ 25 But they said to him,‘Sir, he has ten minas already!’ 26 ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and slaughter them in front of me!’”
• 1 Cor 3:5 : 5 What is Apollos, really? Or what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, and each of us in the ministry the Lord gave us.
• 1 Cor 12:4 : 4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit.
• 1 Cor 12:7-9 : 7 To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all. 8 For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, and another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as he decides to each person, who produces all these things. 12 Different Members in One Body For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body– though many– are one body, so too is Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not a single member, but many. 15 If the foot says,“Since I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. 16 And if the ear says,“Since I am not an eye, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. 17 If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell? 18 But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided. 19 If they were all the same member, where would the body be? 20 So now there are many members, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand,“I do not need you,” nor in turn can the head say to the foot,“I do not need you.” 22 On the contrary, those members that seem to be weaker are essential, 23 and those members we consider less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our unpresentable members are clothed with dignity, 24 but our presentable members do not need this. Instead, God has blended together the body, giving greater honor to the lesser member, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another. 26 If one member suffers, everyone suffers with it. If a member is honored, all rejoice with it. 27 Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you is a member of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, gifts of healing, helps, gifts of leadership, different kinds of tongues. 29 Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all perform miracles, do they?
• Eph 4:11 : 11 And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
• 1 Pet 4:9-9 : 9 Show hospitality to one another without complaining. 10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, let it be with God’s words. Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
• 1 Cor 4:1-2 : 1 The Apostles’ Ministry One should think about us this way– as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Now what is sought in stewards is that one be found faithful.
• Luke 20:9 : 9 The Parable of the Tenants Then he began to tell the people this parable:“A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time.
• Rom 12:6-8 : 6 And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; 8 if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.
• Luke 16:1-9 : 1 The Parable of the Clever Steward Jesus also said to the disciples,“There was a rich man who was informed of accusations that his manager was wasting his assets. 2 So he called the manager in and said to him,‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in the account of your administration, because you can no longer be my manager.’ 3 Then the manager said to himself,‘What should I do, since my master is taking my position away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m too ashamed to beg. 4 I know what to do so that when I am put out of management, people will welcome me into their homes.’ 5 So he contacted his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first,‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 The man replied,‘A hundred measures of olive oil.’ The manager said to him,‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another,‘And how much do you owe?’ The second man replied,‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ The manager said to him,‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries than the people of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth, so that when it runs out you will be welcomed into the eternal homes. 10 “The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches? 12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you your own?
• Matt 25:14-30 : 14 The Parable of the Talents“For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying,‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 His master answered,‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 The one with the two talents also came and said,‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 23 His master answered,‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. 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. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered,‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’