Lexical Summary pragmateuomai: To do business, to trade, to occupy Original Word: πραγματεύομαι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance trade, do businessFrom pragma; to busy oneself with, i.e. To trade -- occupy. see GREEK pragma HELPS Word-studies 4231 pragmateúomai (from 4229 /prágma, "a necessary matter, what is pragmatic") – properly, the ancient mercantile term for trading (exchanging) to make gain, i.e. to do business (barter etc.); trading, exchanging (leveraging) one thing for another to make a legitimate gain; (figuratively) "to bear much fruit" (cf. Jn 15:2f), i.e. the opposite of being fruitless because refusing to make trades by "playing it safe." 4231 (pragmateuomai) means "turning something over," making a good trade – i.e. "to good account . . . to administrate, manage profitably the capital at your disposal" (C. Spicq, 3, 151). [See also 4230 /pragmateía ("trades") – i.e. exchanges negotiated and transacted as business (personal or official).] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom pragma Definition to busy oneself NASB Translation do business (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4231: πραγματεύομαιπραγματεύομαι: 1 aorist middle imperative 2 person plural πραγματεύσασθε; (πρᾶγμα); in Greek prose writings from Herodotus down; to be occupied in anything; to carry on a business; specifically, to carry on the business of a banker or trader (Plutarch, Sull. 17; Cat. min. 59): Luke 19:13 (here WH text reads the infinitive (see their Introductory § 404); R. V. trade. Compare: διαπραγματεύομαι.) Topical Lexicon Greek Term and Context πραγματεύομαι appears once in the New Testament, in Luke 19:13, within the Parable of the Minas. In that narrative the nobleman entrusts resources to servants and commands, “Conduct business with this until I return” (Luke 19:13). The verb frames the entire parable, shaping its call to active, productive stewardship during the master’s absence. Background in Greco-Roman Commerce First-century hearers lived in an economy where merchants traveled, negotiated rates, managed estates, and invested capital for gain. The command to “conduct business” drew upon familiar images of trading caravans, bankers’ tables, and estate managers. By invoking everyday commercial practice, Jesus rooted a spiritual lesson in the language of profit and loss—categories His audience understood viscerally. Usage in Luke 19:13 – Parable of the Minas 1. Commission: Each servant receives an equal sum, eliminating excuses based on initial advantage. Theological Themes: Stewardship and Accountability • Stewardship is rooted in ownership: the mina remains the master’s property. Relationship to Other Biblical Concepts • Parallel Talents (Matthew 25:14-30): Both parables stress productive faithfulness, yet the minas accentuate equal endowment, underscoring duty more than capacity. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Personal Calling: Believers assess talents, time, and opportunities as capital from Christ. Historical Reception in Church Teaching Early commentators such as Chrysostom highlighted diligence; Reformers stressed vocation; modern missions have applied the verb to global evangelization. Throughout, πραγματεύομαι has undergirded the conviction that every believer is a trustee of divine resources. Contemporary Relevance • Marketplace Theology: Christians in business view profit as means of kingdom advance and benevolence. πραγματεύομαι thus serves as a vivid reminder that life between Christ’s ascension and His second coming is not idle waiting but purposeful, accountable enterprise under the Lordship of the returning King. Forms and Transliterations επραγματεύσατο πραγματευσασθαι πραγματεύσασθαι πραγματεύσασθε pragmateusasthe pragmateúsastheLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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