Matthew 25:27
New International Version
Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

New Living Translation
why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

English Standard Version
Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

Berean Standard Bible
Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest.

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore it behooved you to put my money to the bankers, and having come, I would have received my own with interest.

King James Bible
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

New King James Version
So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.

New American Standard Bible
Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.

NASB 1995
Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.

NASB 1977
‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore, you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.

Amplified Bible
Then you ought to have put my money with the bankers, and at my return I would have received my money back with interest.

Christian Standard Bible
then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
then you should have deposited my money with the bankers. And when I returned I would have received my money back with interest.

American Standard Version
thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back mine own with interest.

Contemporary English Version
You could have at least put my money in the bank, so I could have earned interest on it."

English Revised Version
thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back mine own with interest.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
then you should have invested my money with the bankers. When I returned, I would have received my money back with interest.

Good News Translation
Well, then, you should have deposited my money in the bank, and I would have received it all back with interest when I returned.

International Standard Version
Then you should've invested my money with the bankers. When I returned, I would've received my money back with interest.'

Majority Standard Bible
Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest.

NET Bible
Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest!

New Heart English Bible
You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received my own with interest.

Weymouth New Testament
Your duty then was to deposit my money in some bank, and so when I came I should have got back my property with interest.

World English Bible
You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
It was necessary [for] you then to put my money to the money-lenders, and having come I had received my own with increase.

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore it behooved you to put my money to the bankers, and having come, I would have received my own with interest.

Young's Literal Translation
it behoved thee then to put my money to the money-lenders, and having come I had received mine own with increase.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou therefore oughtest to have cast my silver to the money-changers, and I having come, had received mine own, with interest.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou oughtest therefore to have committed my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received my own with usury.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and then, at my arrival, at least I would have received what is mine with interest.

New American Bible
Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?

New Revised Standard Version
Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You should then have put my money in the exchange, and when I returned I would have demanded my own with interest.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And it was incumbent upon you to cast my money to the exchange, so that when I would come, I could require my own with its interest.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Therefore, you ought to have put my money with the bankers; and, when I came, I could have received my own with interest.

Godbey New Testament
Therefore it behooved thee to put my money in the bank, and having come, I would receive my own with the product.

Haweis New Testament
thou oughtest then to have placed my money with the bankers, so when I came I should have received my own with interest.

Mace New Testament
should not you then have lodged my money at the banker's, and so at my return I should have received my own with interest.

Weymouth New Testament
Your duty then was to deposit my money in some bank, and so when I came I should have got back my property with interest.

Worrell New Testament
It behooved you, therefore, to put my money to the bankers; and, at my coming, I would have received my own with interest.

Worsley New Testament
thou oughtest then to have put my money to the bankers, and when I came I should have received my own with interest.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Parable of the Talents
26‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest. 28Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.…

Cross References
Luke 19:23
Why then did you not deposit my money in the bank, and upon my return I could have collected it with interest?’

Matthew 13:12
Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

Luke 16:10-12
Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. / So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? / And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?

Proverbs 13:11
Dishonest wealth will dwindle, but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.

Proverbs 14:23
There is profit in all labor, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

James 2:26
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

1 Corinthians 4:2
Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

Proverbs 10:4
Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

Proverbs 6:6-8
Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise. / Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler, / it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.

2 Corinthians 8:12
For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

Proverbs 21:5
The plans of the diligent bring plenty, as surely as haste leads to poverty.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2
Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. / Divide your portion among seven, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may befall the land.

1 Timothy 6:18-19
Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, / treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Galatians 6:7-9
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. / The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. / Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Proverbs 19:17
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.


Treasury of Scripture

You ought therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received my own with usury.

oughtest.

Luke 19:22,23
And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: …

Romans 3:19
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Jude 1:15
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

with.

Deuteronomy 23:19,20
Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury: …

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Matthew 25
1. The parable of the ten virgins,
14. and of the talents.
31. Also the description of the last judgment.














Then you should have
This phrase implies a missed opportunity and a call to action that was not taken. In the Greek, the word "should" (Greek: ἔδει, edei) conveys a sense of obligation or necessity. It suggests that the servant had a clear duty to act wisely with what was entrusted to him. This reflects the Christian responsibility to use God-given talents and resources for His glory, emphasizing accountability and stewardship.

deposited my money
The act of depositing money indicates a basic level of responsibility and foresight. The Greek word for "money" (χρήματα, chrēmata) refers to wealth or possessions. In the context of the parable, it symbolizes the gifts and opportunities God gives to each believer. The expectation is to invest these gifts in ways that yield spiritual growth and benefit the Kingdom of God.

with the bankers
Bankers in the ancient world were those who exchanged and managed money, often lending it at interest. The Greek term used here (τραπεζῖται, trapezitai) refers to money-changers or those who sit at tables (trapeza) to conduct financial transactions. This suggests a practical and prudent approach to managing resources, encouraging believers to seek wise counsel and partnerships in their spiritual endeavors.

and on my return
This phrase anticipates the master's return, symbolizing Christ's second coming. The Greek word for "return" (ἐλθών, elthōn) underscores the certainty of this event. It serves as a reminder of the eschatological hope and the eventual accountability each believer will face. Christians are called to live in readiness, actively engaging in their faith as they await Christ's return.

I would have received it back
The expectation of receiving back what was given highlights the principle of divine justice and reward. The Greek verb "received" (κομίζω, komizō) implies obtaining what is due. This reflects the biblical teaching that God will reward faithful service and diligent stewardship, encouraging believers to persevere in their efforts.

with interest
Interest (τόκος, tokos) in this context represents the growth or increase expected from wise investment. Spiritually, it signifies the fruits of faithful service and the multiplication of God’s gifts. The concept of interest underscores the importance of not only preserving what God has given but actively working to expand His Kingdom. It challenges believers to consider how their actions contribute to spiritual growth and the spread of the Gospel.

(27) Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers.--Literally, table or counter-keepers, just as bankers were originally those who sat at their bancum, or bench. These were the bankers referred to in the Note on Matthew 25:14. In that case, if the servant had been honestly conscious of his own want of power, there would have been at least some interest allowed on the deposit.

Usury.--Better, interest; the word not necessarily implying, as usury does now, anything illegal or exorbitant. The question--What answers to this "giving to the exchangers" in the interpretation of the parable?--is, as has been said, analogous to that which asks the meaning of "them that sell" in the answer of the wise virgins in Matthew 25:9. Whatever machinery or organisation the Church possesses for utilising opportunities which individual men fail to exercise, may be thought of as analogous to the banking-system of the old world. When men in the middle ages gave to a cathedral or a college, when they subscribe largely now to hospitals or missions, doing this and nothing more, they are "giving their money to the exchangers." It is not so acceptable an offering as willing and active service, but if it be honestly and humbly given, the giver will not lose his reward.

Verse 27. - Thou oughtest therefore, etc. Your conception of my character ought to have made you more diligent and scrupulous; and if you were really afraid to rust any risks with my money or invest it in any hazardous speculation, there were many ordinary and safe methods of employing it which would have yielded some profit, and some of these you would have adopted had you been faithful and earnest. The return might have been trifling in amount, but the lord shows that he is not grasping and harsh by being willing to accept even this in token of the servant's labour. To have put (βαλείν). The term means to have thrown the money, as it were, on the banker's table. This would have been less trouble than digging a hole to bury it. Exchangers; τραπεζίταις: numulariis; bankers. In St. Luke (Luke 19:23) we find ἐπὶ τράπεζαν, with the same meaning. These money changers or bankers (for the business seems always to have combined the two branches) were a numerous class in Palestine, and wherever the Jewish community was established. They received deposits at interest, and engaged in transactions such as are usual in modern times. With usury (σὺν τόκῳ, with interest). At one time, law had forbidden usurious transactions between Israelites, though the Gentile was left to the mercy of his creditor (Deuteronomy 23:19, 20); but later such limitations were not observed. The rate of interest varied from four to forty per cent. The spiritual interpretation of this feature of the parable has most unnecessarily exercised the ingenuity of commentators. Some see in the bankers an adumbration of the religious societies and charitable institutions, by means of which persons can indirectly do some work for Christ, though unable personally to undertake such enterprises. Olshausen and Trench regard them as the stronger characters who, by example and guidance, lead the timid and hesitating to employ their gifts aright. But it is more reasonable to consider this detail of the parable as supplementary to its chief purpose, and not to be pressed in the interpretation. The Lord is simply concerned to show that all talents, great or small, must be used in his service according to opportunities; and that, whether the return be large or little, it is equally acceptable, if it show a willing mind and real fidelity in the agent. In illustration he uses two cases which yield most profit, and one which produces the least. Nothing can he inferred hence concerning the morality of usury. Christ draws his picture from the world as he finds it, pronouncing no opinion on its ethical bearing.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Then
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

you
σε (se)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

should
ἔδει (edei)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1163: Third person singular active present of deo; also deon deh-on'; neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is Necessary.

have deposited
βαλεῖν (balein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 906: (a) I cast, throw, rush, (b) often, in the weaker sense: I place, put, drop. A primary verb; to throw.

my
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

money
ἀργύριά (argyria)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 694: Neuter of a presumed derivative of arguros; silvery, i.e. cash; specially, a silverling.

with the
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

bankers,
τραπεζίταις (trapezitais)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5133: A money-changer, banker. From trapeza; a money-broker or banker.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

on my return
ἐλθὼν (elthōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

I would have received
ἐκομισάμην (ekomisamēn)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2865: From a primary komeo; properly, to provide for, i.e. to carry off.

it {back}
ἐμὸν (emon)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1699: My, mine. From the oblique cases of ego; my.

with
σὺν (syn)
Preposition
Strong's 4862: With. A primary preposition denoting union; with or together.

interest.
τόκῳ (tokō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5110: Interest, usury. From the base of tikto; interest on money loaned.


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