Matthew 25:15 Meaning and Explanation
“And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The master gives five talents to one servant, two to another, and one to a third, each according to his ability, and departs.
What Does Matthew 25:15 Mean?
A talent was not a coin but a weight of silver, an immense sum, on the order of many years of wages for a laborer. Even the servant with one talent holds a small fortune. The amounts differ, the master explains nothing, and he is gone at once.
The distribution is unequal but not unfair: each receives according to his several ability, and each will be measured only against what he was given. God deals with his children personally, never generically. Comparison is ruled out from the start; faithfulness is weighed within our own trust. The question is never how much we hold, but what we do with what is truly in our hands.
Matthew 25:15 in the Original Language
talanton (τάλαντον), 'talent' -- a weight of silver worth many years of wages.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 25:15
What does Matthew 25:15 mean?
The master gives five talents to one servant, two to another, and one to a third, each according to his ability, and departs.