Matthew 25:27
in Matthew 25Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back mine own with interest.
KJV
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
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This verse in Matthew 25
Commentary
15 notes on this verseBut what he thought would be his excuse is turned into his condemnation. He calls him wicked servant, because he cavilled against his Lord; and slothful, because he would not double his talent; condemning his pride in the one, and his idleness in the other. If you knew me to be hard and austere, and to seek after other men's goods, you should also have known that I exact with the more rigour that is mine own, and should have given my money to the bankers; for the Greek word here (ἀζγύριον) means money.
This site's exposition
You wicked, lazy servant
on Matthew 25:26-27
The master calls him a "wicked, lazy servant" and turns his own words against him, granting the harsh picture he painted. The least duty open to him was to have "deposited my money with the bankers," where it would have come back "with interest".
This site's exposition
deposited my money with the bankers
Barnes describes the bankers as men who took money at a low rate and lent it out at a higher one, sitting in the temple. Theophylact reads the bankers as disciples, who give an exact account of what was put in their care. The servant could have made disciples.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Verse 26-28) But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 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. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' The lazy person, because he did not want to double the talent, was condemned in one part to pride, in the other part to negligence. 'If,' he said, 'you had known that I am harsh and cruel, and pursue what is not mine, and reap where I have not sown, why did not such a thought instill fear in you, so that you would know that I would diligently seek what is mine, and give my money, or rather silver, to the moneylenders? For both ἀργύριον, as the Greek word signifies. The words, he said, of the Lord are chaste words, silver tested in the fire, proven to the earth, purified sevenfold (Ps. 11:7).' Therefore, money and silver are the proclamation of the Gospel and a divine message, which should be given to money changers and bankers, that is, to other teachers (which the apostles did, appointing elders and bishops in each province), or to all believers who can double money and return it with interest, so that they may fulfill whatever they have learned in word with actions. […]
This parable was spoken with respect to mercy in alms; but the one that comes after this, to them that neither in money, nor in word, nor in protection, nor in any other things whatever, are willing to assist their neighbors, but withhold all. And wherefore can it be that this parable brings forward a king, but that a bridegroom? That thou mightest learn how close Christ is joined unto the virgins that strip themselves of their possessions; for this indeed is virginity. Wherefore Paul also makes this as a definition of the thing. "The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord;" such are his words: and, "For that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. These things we advise," he saith. And if in Luke the parable of the talents is otherwise put, this is to be said, that the one is really different from the other. For in that, from the one capital different degrees of increase were made, for from one pound one brought five, another ten; wherefore neither did they obtain the same recompense; but here, it is the contrary, and the crown is accordingly equal. For he that received two gave two, and he that had received the five again in like manner; but there since from the same beginning one made the greater, one the less, increase; as might be expected, in the rewards also, they do not enjoy the same. But see Him everywhere, not requiring it again immediately. For in the case of the vineyard, He let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country; and here He committed to them the talents, and took His journey, that thou mightest learn His long-suffering. And to me He seems to say these things, to intimate the resurrection. But here it is no more a vineyard and husbandmen, but all servants. For not to rulers only, nor to Jews, but to all, doth He address His discourse. […]
The Medieval Church3 voices
And you, O unprofitable servant, ought also to have multiplied what you had received and made disciples from whom I, the Master, could demand what is due. Christ calls disciples "bankers," for both exactly account for that which has been delivered to them. What is …
You ought therefore to have committed my money to the bankers. And it follows: just as you say that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter. But because I do these things, much more do I will that …
Hence this servant is immediately answered: "Wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter; therefore you ought to have given my money to the bankers, and upon my coming I would have received what is mine with interest." The servant is bound by his own words when the master says: "I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter." As if he were openly saying: If according to your judgment I even demand what I did not give, how much more do I demand from you what I gave to be distributed; therefore you ought to have given my money to the bankers, and upon my coming I would have received what is mine with interest. To give money to the bankers is to impart the knowledge of preaching to those who are able to exercise it. But just as you see our peril if we withhold the Lord's money, so carefully consider your own peril, dearest brothers, because what you hear is demanded back from you with interest. For in usury, money is received back even though it was not given. For when that which was received is returned, something additional is paid beyond what was received. Consider therefore, dearest brothers, that you will pay interest on this money of the word you have received, and take care that from what you hear you also strive to understand other things which you do not hear, so that by gathering some things from others, you may also learn to do from yourselves those things which you have not yet learned from the mouth of the preacher.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
(Hom. in Ev. ix. 4.) So then we see as well the peril of the teachers if they withhold the Lord's money, as that of the hearers from whom is exacted with usury that they have heard, namely, that from what they have heard they should strive to understand that they have not heard.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers,....
That we may then be ready to receive from him our final sentence, and that it may be to eternal life; and this is shown in a more plain description of the process of the last judgment,
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The exchangers - The “exchangers” were persons who were in the habit of borrowing money, or receiving it on deposit at a low rate of interest, to be loaned to others at higher interest. They commonly sat by “tables” in the temple, with money ready to exchange or loan. See Mat 21:
The parable of the talents which we have now read is near akin to that of the ten virgins. Both direct our minds to the same important event: the second advent of Jesus Christ. Both bring before us the same persons: the members of the professing church of Christ. The virgins and the servants are one and the same people—but the same people regarded from a different point, and viewed on different sides. The practical lesson of each parable is the main point of difference: vigilance is the keynote of the first parable, diligence that of the second.
The parable of the talents which we have now read is near akin to that of the ten virgins. Both direct our minds to the same important event: the second advent of Jesus Christ. Both bring before us the same persons: the members of the professing church of Christ. The virgins and the servants are one and the same people—but the same people regarded from a different point, and viewed on different sides. The practical lesson of each parable is the main point of difference: vigilance is the keynote of the first parable, diligence that of the second. The story of the virgins calls on the church to watch; the story of the talents calls on the church to work. We learn in the first place from this parable that all professing Christians have received something from God. We are all God’s “servants”: we have all “talents” entrusted to our charge. The word “talents” is an expression that has been curiously turned aside from its original meaning. It is generally applied to none but people of remarkable ability or gifts: they are called “talented” people. Such a use of the expression is a mere modern invention. In the sense in which our Lord used the word in this parable, it applies to all baptized persons without distinction. We have all “talents” in God’s sight: we are all talented people. Anything whereby we may glorify God is a “talent.” Our gifts, our influence, our money, our knowledge, our health, our strength, our time, our senses, our reason, our intellect, our memory, our affections, our privileges as members of Christ’s church, our advantages as possessors of the Bible—all, all are talents. Whence came these things? What hand bestowed them? Why are we what we are? Why are we not the worms that crawl on the earth? There is only one answer to these questions: all that we have is a loan from God: we are God’s stewards; we are God’s debtors.
With usury - Συν τοκω, with its produce - not usury; for that is unlawful interest, more than the money can properly produce.
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἔδει | edei | It was necessary | G1163 → | 101 times |
| σε | se | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| οὖν | oun | therefore | G3767 → | 497 times |
| βαλεῖν | balein | to put | G906 → | 121 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀργύριά | arguria | coins | G694 → | 20 times |
| μου | mou | of mine | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| τοῖς | tois | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τραπεζίταις, | trapezitais | bankers, | G5133 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐλθὼν | elthon | having come | G2064 → | 628 times |
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ἐκομισάμην | ekomisamen | received | G2865 → | |
| ἂν | an | then would | G302 → | 165 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐμὸν | emon | my own | G1473 → | 839 times |
| σὺν | sun | with | G4862 → | 128 times |
| τόκῳ. | toko | interest. | G5110 → |
ἔδειIt was necessary
edeiG1163 →101 times
σεyou
seG4771 →2973 times
οὖνtherefore
ounG3767 →497 times
βαλεῖνto put
baleinG906 →121 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ἀργύριάcoins
arguriaG694 →20 times
μουof mine
mouG3165 →1936 times
τοῖςto the
toisG3588 →19766 times
τραπεζίταις,bankers,
trapezitaisG5133 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐλθὼνhaving come
elthonG2064 →628 times
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
ἐκομισάμηνreceived
ekomisamenG2865 →
ἂνthen would
anG302 →165 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
ἐμὸνmy own
emonG1473 →839 times
σὺνwith
sunG4862 →128 times
τόκῳ.interest.
tokoG5110 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
it leads to
- Galatians 3:10
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
- Galatians 3:22–23
But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.
- Romans 2:12–18
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
- Romans 3:9
What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.
- Galatians 5:18
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
- Galatians 3:10
Through
Jude 1:15to execute judgment on everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of every ungodly act of wickedness and every harsh word spoken against Him by ungodly sinners.”
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 11:9
Rejoice, O young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes,…
- 1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each…
- Romans 14:10
Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
- Ecclesiastes 11:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies18
On this verse
About Matthew

This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 9; Gregory the Dialogist, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 78; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.
