But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
Parallel translations
- WEB But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
- BSB But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
- NKJV But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
- NASB But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
- NLT But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
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
The servant with one talent dug a hole and hid the master's money. He does nothing with what he was given.
Overview
The third servant's burial of the talent represents unfaithful neglect of God's trust. Out of fear and a wrong view of his master, he avoids risk and produces nothing. His inactivity is itself a betrayal of his stewardship. The verse warns that doing nothing with God's gifts is a serious failure, not a safe option.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 2 Pet 1:8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Heb 6:12That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
- Prov 18:9He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
- Hag 1:2–4Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.
- Luke 19:20And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
- Mal 1:10Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
- Prov 26:13–16The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 25:18 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.