Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
Parallel translations
- WEB Then why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?’
- KJV Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
- BSB Why then did you not deposit my money in the bank, and upon my return I could have collected it with interest?’
- NASB And so why did you not put my money in the bank, and when I came back, I would have collected it with interest?’
- NLT why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
At the least, the servant could have put the money in the bank to earn interest. Even minimal faithfulness was lacking.
Overview
The master shows that the servant had no real excuse, for the easiest effort would have produced some return. The point is not banking practice but the total absence of any attempt at faithfulness. The verse underscores that the unfaithful servant is without defense.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Deut 23:19–20You shall not lend on interest to your brother; interest of money, interest of food, interest of anything that is lent on interest.
- Rom 2:4–5Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
- Exod 22:25–27“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor. You shall not charge him interest.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 19:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.