Luke 19:25
And they said vnto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds. Luke 19:25 (KJV)
The verse under study belongs to the Parable of the Minas, also called the Parable of the Ten Pounds, recorded in Luke 19:11‑27. In this parable Jesus tells of a nobleman who is about to travel to a distant country to receive a kingdom. Before departing he entrusts ten of his servants with one mina each—a mina being a unit of currency in the ancient world—and commands them to conduct business with the money until his return.
While the nobleman is away, his citizens grow hostile, sending a delegation to declare that they do not want him to be king. The nobleman nevertheless receives the kingdom and comes back, calling his servants to give an account of how they handled the minas. The first servant reports that he has earned ten minas from the one entrusted to him; the nobleman praises him and grants him authority over ten cities. The second servant says he has earned five minas, and likewise receives authority over five cities.
The third servant, however, presents the single mina he was given and says, “Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept in a napkin.” The master rebukes him as a wicked servant, takes the mina away, and gives it to the one who earned ten minas (Luke 19:22‑23, KJV). The biblical text records only this brief statement of the servant and the master’s rebuke. The longer quotation often cited—“For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow”—does not appear in Scripture; it is an explanatory addition sometimes attached to the passage.
The servant’s brief explanation reflects his fear of losing the master’s property, prompting him to hide the money rather than invest it. The master’s response underscores the expectation that believers use the gifts and responsibilities entrusted to them for fruitful service, rather than allowing fear to immobilize them. This parable thus challenges listeners to act faithfully with what has been given, trusting that the Master’s character is just and that diligent stewardship will be rewarded.
