Luke 19:13

Luk 19:13. And he called his ten servants — This translation implies, he had neither more nor fewer than ten servants, and that they were all called: but Dr. Campbell thinks the original expression, καλεσας δε δεκα δουλους εαυτου, should rather be rendered, having called ten of his servants, and that if the sense had been as given in our translation, the expression must have been, καλεσας δε τους δεκα δουλους εαυτου. And delivered them ten pounds — Before he departed he gave each of these servants a sum of money, to be employed in trade, until he should return. The word μνα, or mina, as it is commonly called, here rendered pound, contained sixty shekels, (Eze 45:12,) and therefore, according to the common calculation of the worth of a shekel, placing it at two shillings sixpence of our money, it was seven pounds ten shillings; but according to Dr. Prideaux, who sets the shekel at three shillings, the mina was nine pounds sterling. Our Lord probably chose to mention this small sum, to illustrate the munificence of the master, in bestowing on the faithful servant so great and noble a reward. The impropriety of rendering the word pound, must strike every intelligent reader. The original word should have been retained, as it is in the parable of the talents, Mat 25:14, &c., to which parable this is very similar; and the notes on which the reader is desired to consult, for the more perfect elucidation of this. By the ten servants, (a certain number being put for an uncertain,) we are to understand; 1st, The apostles and first preachers of the gospel, to whom Jesus gave endowments fitting them for their work, and from whom he expected a due improvement of those endowments in the propagation of the gospel. 2d, Those whom he should call and qualify for the work of the ministry in future ages: and, 3d, All who did or should hereafter profess to receive his gospel, and to be his disciples and servants; conferring upon them the means of grace, encouragements and advantages for improvement in holiness, and gifts and abilities for usefulness to mankind. And said unto them, Occupy till I come — Till I return to take an account of the use you have made of what has been intrusted to your management. The spiritual sense is, Use your endowments, gifts, and graces, with all your privileges and advantages, for the good of your fellow-creatures, and the glory of God, till I come to visit the nation; to destroy Jerusalem; to execute judgment on my enemies, and on those of my people in successive ages; to require your souls of you by death, and to judge mankind in the day of final accounts.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 19:13. Δέκα, ten) To the several servants a pound[206] a-piece.—πραγματεύσασθε, trade with this [Engl. Ver. occupy]) This commandment accords in sense with that noted one, γίνεσθε καλοὶ τραπεζῖται, be good bankers (Make the most of your money).—ἔρχομαι, I come) “I come,” He says; not, “I return.” The second Advent is much the more solemn [more attended with outward state and majesty] of the two. [Therefore the first Advent is so eclipsed by the second, that the latter is not called His return, but His coming.]

[206] Mina, strictly L.4, Is. 3d. in Attic coinage.—E. and T.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 19:13 . δέκα δ ., ten, a considerable number, pointing to an extensive household establishment. δέκα μνᾶς , ten pounds, not to each but among them (Luk 19:16 ). A Greek pound = about £3 or £4; a Hebrew = nearly double; in either case a small sum compared with the amounts in Mat 15 . The purpose in the two parables is entirely different. In the Talents the master divides his whole means among his servants to be traded with, as the best way of disposing of them during his absence. In the Pounds he simply gives a moderate sum, the same to all, with a view to test fidelity and capacity , as he desires to have tested men for higher service when the time comes. The amount may suit the master’s finances, and though small it may just on that account the better test character and business talent. πραγματεύσασθε , trade with, here only in the Scriptures, found in Plutarch. ἔρχομαι : with ἕως (T.R.) = until I come back , with ἐν ᾧ (W.H [150] ) = while I go (to the far country); perhaps it is used pregnantly to include going and returning.

[150] Westcott and Hort.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

There are three sorts of men in the Church: the one sort fall from Christ whom they see not; the other, which according to their vocation, bestow the gifts which they have received of God, to his glory with great pains and diligence: the third live idly, and do no good. As for the first, the Lord when he cometh will justly punish them in his time: the other he will bless, according to the pains which they have taken: and as for the slothful and idle persons, he will punish them as the first.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Occupy--"negotiate," "do business," with the resources entrusted.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 13. Ten servants] All those who professed to receive his doctrine. Ten was a kind of sacred number among the Hebrews, as well as seven. See Lu 14:31; Lu 15:8; Mt 15:1.

Ten pounds] Ten minas. The Septuagint use the original word μναα for the Hebrew מנה maneh, from which it is evidently derived; and it appears from Eze 45:12, to have been equal to sixty shekels in money. Now suppose we allow the shekel, with Dean Prideaux, to be 3s., then the mina or maneh was equal to 9£ English money. The impropriety of rendering the original word pound, will easily be seen by the most superficial reader. We should therefore retain the original word for the same reason so often before assigned. SUIDAS says, "The talent was sixty minas, the mina one hundred drachms, the drachm six oboli, the obolus six chalci, the chalcus seven mites or lepta."

By the ten minas given to each, we may understand the Gospel of the kingdom given to every person who professes to believe in Christ, and which he is to improve to the salvation of his soul. The same word is given to all, that all may believe and be saved.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(13) And delivered them ten pounds.—In this, again, we have a noticeable difference. Here we begin with equality; in Mat_25:15 the servants start with unequal amounts, “according to their several ability.” So far as we lay stress on the difference, it implies that the trust in this case is that which all disciples of Christ have in common—viz., their knowledge of the truth and their membership in the Kingdom, and not the offices and positions that vary in degree. The pound, or mna, was, in Greek numismatics, not a coin, but a sum equal to the sixtieth part of a talent. The Greek name was probably derived from the Hebrew Maneh. According to another estimate it was equal to 25 shekels, or 100 drachmœ? or denarii. The word meets us, as far as the New Testament is concerned, in this parable only.

Occupy till I come.—The better MSS. give, “while I am coming.” The Greek verb for “occupy” occurs in this passage only in the New Testament. A compound form of it is rendered, in Luk_19:15, by “gained in trading.” The English verb meets us in Eze_27:9; Eze_27:16; Eze_27:21-22, in the sense of “trading,” in which it is used here. (See also the Prayer Book version of Psa_107:23.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. his ten servants] Rather, ten servants of his own; for such a noble would count his servants by hundreds.

ten pounds] The mina was 100 drachmas (Luk_15:8), and was worth £3. 6s. 8d. in nominal value. The word is a corruption of the Hebrew maneh. (2Ch_9:16.) A comparison of this parable with that of the Talents (Mat_25:14-30) will shew the wide diversities between the two. Archelaus did actually leave money in the charge of some of his servants, especially entrusting Philippus to look after his pecuniary interests in his absence.

Occupy] Rather, Trade, negotiamini. Psa_107:23, “that...occupy their business in great waters” (Prayer-Book). For the command see 1Pe_4:10.

till I come] Another reading (ἐν ᾧ, א, A, B, D, &c.) would mean ‘while I am on my journey,’ but would involve a very dubious sense of erchomai.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But his citizens hated him,.... Not those who are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; whose citizenship is in heaven, and who are seeking the better country, and heavenly city; but the Jews, who were his own people and nation, among whom he was born, to whom he was sent and came, and had an undoubted right to the government of them: these hated him with a mortal hatred, as appeared by their traducing his person in the most opprobrious manner; vilifying his doctrine as false; ascribing his miracles to a diabolical influence; and by persecuting his disciples and followers:

and sent a message after him; this seems to have respect to their outrage against the disciples of Christ, after his ascension; when they not only mocked them, as on the day of Pentecost, but laid hold on them, and put them in hold, even in the common prison, and persecuted them from place to place; and so virtually,

saying, we will not have this man to reign over us: they would neither receive his Gospel, nor submit to his ordinances; but put them away from them, and judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life: and this is the language of every graceless soul; and is to be observed in their opposition to, and neglect of the truths of Christ, and his divine institutions; which are a yoke they do not care to take upon them, though so mild and easy, and are cords which they cast away from them.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Ten servants - Nothing in particular is denoted by the number “ten.” It is a circumstance intended to keep up the narrative. In general, by these servants our Saviour denotes his disciples, and intends to teach us that talents are given us to be improved, for which we must give an account at his return.

Ten pounds - The word translated “pound” here denotes the Hebrew “minah,” which was equal to about 15 dollars, or 3 British pounds. The pounds here denote the talents which God has given to his servants on earth to improve, and for which they must give all account in the day of judgment.

Occupy till I come - The word “occupy” here means not merely to “possess,” as it often does in our language, but to “improve,” to employ “in business,” for the purpose of increasing it or of making “profit” on it. The direction was to use this money so as to gain “more” against his return. So Jesus commands his disciples to “improve” their talents; to make the most of them; to increase their capability of doing good, and to do it “until” he comes to call us hence, by death, to meet him. See 1Co 12:7; Eph 4:7.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ten pieces of money, each of which was called a mna. To translate pounds, gives the English reader a false notion, the Roman coin called a mna not corresponding to our pound. (Witham) --- A mna was 12½ ounces, which, at five shillings per ounce, is £3 2s. 6d.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

13. Ten servants—The citizens who rebelled against him were countless, the servants who obeyed him were but ten; a small round number indicating not the fewness of the finally saved, but the fewness of his then real followers. A sad intimation to the crowd that was now pursuing him how few of them were his true disciples.

Ten pounds—In Greek, ten minae. This was probably the Greek and Roman mina, which ranged from fifteen to twenty-five dollars.

Occupy—The present meaning of this English word to the ordinary reader would be keep possession, hold and fill; but by its old English use it signifies to traffic. Trade and traffic until I return.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. No doubt when our Lord spoke these parables he considerably enlarged the details, made many parts of the framework clearer than the short reports which we possess can possibly do. The meaning of the great noble"s action here is that he wished to test his servants to try their various capabilities and dispositions, intending, when he should return from his long journey, having received his kingdom, to appoint them to high offices in the administration, to such positions, in fact, as their action in regard to the small deposit now entrusted to them should show themselves capable of filling. The Greek verb rendered "occupy" (pragmateusasye) occurs here only in the New Testament: a compound form of it is rendered (ver. 15) by "gained by trading."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Trade till I come - To visit the nation, to destroy Jerusalem, to judge the world: or, in a more particular sense, to require thy soul of thee.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

pounds

"mina," here translated "a pound," is 12 ounces and a half.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. Gave them ten pounds. Each a pound. The Greek term is mina, a weight of silver equivalent to about sixteen dollars. Trade ye till I come. This was all given to be used. It was given to his servants. It represents whatever ability, whether of wealth or mind, that we have to serve Christ.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

Connecting Statement:

Jesus continues to tell the parable he began in Luke 19:11.

He called

"The nobleman called." It may be helpful to state that the man did this before he left to receive his kingdom. AT: "Before he left, he called"

gave them ten minas

"gave each of them one mina"

ten minas

A mina was 600 grams, probably of silver. Each mina was equal to 100 days' wages, what people would be paid for about four months' work, so ten minas would have been about three years' wages. AT: "ten valuable coins" or "a large amount of money" (See: Biblical Weight and Numbers)

Conduct business

"Trade with this money" or "Use this money in order to earn more"

his citizens

"the people of his country"

a delegation

"a group of people to represent them" or "several messengers"

It happened

This phrase is used here to mark an important event in the story. If your language has a way for doing this, you could consider using it here.

having received the kingdom

"after he had become king"

to be called to him

This can be stated in active form. AT: "to come to him" (See: Active or Passive)

what profit they had made

"how much money they had earned"

translationWords

servant

citizen

ambassador

rule

command

profit

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

13. ἐν ᾧ, אABDL, &c. ἕως is an incorrect gloss. See note.

13. δέκα δούλους ἑαυτοῦ. ‘Ten slaves of his own;’ for such a noble would count his servants by hundreds. The men being slaves the sums entrusted to them are small.

δέκα μνᾶς. The mina was 100 drachmas (Luk 15:8), and was worth £3. 6s. 8d. in nominal value. The word is a corruption of the Hebrew maneh. (2Ch 9:16.) A comparison of this parable with that of the Talents (Mat 25:14-30) will shew the wide diversities between the two. Archelaus did actually leave money in the charge of some of his servants, especially entrusting Philippus to look after his pecuniary interests in his absence.

πραγματεύσασθε. ‘Trade,’ negotiamini. Tyndale and the Genevan have ‘buy and sell.’ The “occupy” of the A. V[331] (in the sense of the Latin occupare) is found also in Cranmer and the Rhemish; comp. Psa 107:23, “that … occupy their business in great waters” (Prayer-Book). For the command see 1Pe 4:10.

[331] A. V. Authorised Version.

ἐν ᾧ ἔρχομαι. This reading (ἐν ᾧ, אABD, &c.) would mean ‘while I am on my journey,’ literally ‘during which I return.’ If we adopt the reading ἔως ἔρχομαι it means ‘till I come (which is quite certain)’ (Joh 21:22). A contingent return would be expressed by ἕως ἂν ἔλθω.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. δέκα] See on Mat 25:1. The giving the μνᾶ to each, is a totally different thing from giving to one five, to another two, and to a third one talent. The sums given are here all the same, and all very small. The (Attic) mina is 1/60 of a talent, and equal to about ₤3 of our money.

In Matt. the man given his whole property to his servants: here he makes trial of them with these small sums (ἐλάχιστον, see ver. 17).

πραγμ. = ἐργάζεσθαι Matt.

ἐν ᾧ ἔρχ.] while I go and return;—till I come.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. He plans that, during his absence, servants of his private household shall be tested, with a view to their promotion when he is, appointed to be king.

δέκα δούλους ἑαυτοῦ. “Ten bond-servants of his own.” It does not follow, because we have not δέκα τῶν δ. αὐτοῦ, that he had only ten slaves. This would require τοὺς δ. δ., and would be very improbable; for an Oriental noble would have scores of slaves. The point of ἑαυτοῦ (? “his household slaves”) is, that among them, if anywhere, he would be likely to find fidelity to his interests. As he merely wishes to test them, the sum committed to each is small,—about £4. In the Talents the householder divides the whole of his property (τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ) and hence the sums entrusted to each slave are very large.

πραγματεύσασθε. “Carry on business,” especially as a banker or a trader: here only in N.T., and in LXX on Dan 8:27 and some texts of 1Ki 9:19. Vulg. has negotiamini (not occupate), which Wic. renders “chaffare.” The “occupy” of Rhem. and AV. comes from Cov. and Cran., while Tyn. has “buy and sell.” We have a similar use of “occupy” Eze 27:9, Eze 27:16, Eze 27:19, Eze 27:21, Eze 27:22, where Vulg. has negotiatio and negotiator: comp. “occupy their business in great waters” (Psa 107:23).

Latimer exhibits the same use of “occupy”; and in a letter of Thomas Cromwell to Michael Throgmorton, a.d. 1537, he calls Pole “a merchant and occupier of all deceits” (Froude, His. of Eng. ch. xiv.). “Occupy till I come” is now misunderstood to mean “keep possession till I come.”

WH. are alone in reading πραγματεύσασθαι here. All other editors make the verb 2nd. pers. plur. imper. not infin. WH. regard the decision difficult both here and 14:17, but prefer the infin. here as “justified by St. Luke’s manner of passing from oratio obliqua to oratio recta” (2. p. 309).

ἐν ᾧ ἔρχομαι. “During the time in which I am coming,” i.e. the time until the return. For ἔρχομαι in the sense of “come back” comp. Joh 4:16 and esp. 21:22, 23. The meaning “to be on the journey” (Oosterz. Godet) is impossible for ἔρχεσθαι. The reading ἕως (TR. with E etc.) is an obvious correction of ἐν ᾧ (א A B D K L R etc.).

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

His ten servants [δεκα δουλους εαυτου] . Rev., rightly, changes to ten servants of his, since the his is emphatic; lit., his own. Moreover, it would be absurd to suppose that this nobleman, of consequence enough to be raised to a loyal dignity, had but ten servants. The number of slaves in a Roman household was enormous, sometimes reaching hundreds. Toward the end of the Republic, it was considered reprehensible not to have a slave for every sort of work.

Pounds [μνας] . Minas. Between sixteen and eighteen dollars apiece. Meyer very aptly remarks : "The small sum astonishes us. Compare, on the other hand, the talents (Matthew 25). But in Matthew, the Lord transfers to his servant his whole property; here he has only devoted a definite sum of money to the purpose of putting his servants to the proof therewith; and the smallness of the amount corresponds to what is so carefully emphasized in our parable, viz., the relation of faithfulness in the least to its great recompense (ver. 17); which relation is less regarded in the parable in Matthew" (" Commentary on Luke ").

Occupy [πραγματευσασθε] . The word occupy has lost the sense which it conveyed to the makers of the A. V. - that of using or laying out what is possessed. An occupier formerly meant a trader. Occupy, in the sense of to use, occurs Jud 16:11 : "new ropes that never were occupied;" which Rev. changes to wherewith no work hath been done. Compare the Prayer - Book version of the Psalter, Psa 107:23 : "occupy that occupieth usury." Rev., trade ye. Wyc., merchandise ye. Tynd., buy and sell. See on traded, Mt 25:16.

Till I come [εως ερχομαι] . It is strange that the Rev. follows this reading without comment, while the Reviser's text takes no notice whatever of the reading of four of the leading manuscripts, which is adopted by both Tischendorf and Westcott and Hort; ejn w= ercomai, "while I come," a condensed form of expression for while I go and return.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.