Luke 19:20
Luke 19:20
“And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Another servant returns his pound unused, kept wrapped away in a cloth.
What Does Luke 19:20 Mean?
He comes with the coin intact and even a touch of pride: behold, here is thy pound. He has kept it wrapped in a small cloth, not invested, not banked, not even buried for safekeeping, merely stored while the others traded.
This servant commits no theft, no scandal, no loss. His failure is idleness, the quiet decision that doing nothing with the trust of the king is the safe course. A gift preserved but never risked has not really been kept at all; it has been refused in slow motion.
In the Original Language
soudarion (σουδάριον), 'napkin' -- a small cloth for the face, here used to wrap and hide the coin.