The passage
      v14. The NIV, "again it will be like", is a guess. The Greek simply says "for as." Most likely the phrase serves to repeat v1, "for the kingdom of heaven will be like (can be compared to the situation where) a man, going on a journey", leaves his assets with three slaves, expecting to return and share in the profits.
      v15. A talent is a variable, but worth something like six thousand denarii ($300,000). Numerous meanings are suggested for the "talent", eg. God-given resources, the gifts of the Spirit, etc. The trouble is, this parable is not an allegory and should not be interpreted like one.
      v16-18. The faithful servants put the money to work, in the sense of using it in a business enterprise, rather than just investing it. The faithless servant buried it out of fear, laziness or plain nastiness.
      v19-23. The interim (better than delay), prior to the master's return, is noted. The faithful servants, given graded resources comparable to their abilities, are equally rewarded with greater responsibilities and receive the master's "well done."
      v24-25. On the surface, the third servant does seem to act carefully and with respect, even diligence, toward the master. Of course, it could be argued that his actions, in a sense, accused the master of being grasping. If the servant increases the master's capital the servant will not share in any of it, while if he loses any of the capital he will be held responsible. So, out of spite, he gives the master back what belonged to him, no more and no less. An interesting idea, but outside the purpose of the parable.
      v26-27. It could be argue that the third servant virtually condemns himself. He could have easily put the talent out on loan and so gained some income for the master. To act with such spite toward a "hard" master is only asking for trouble. Again, such an observation is outside the purpose of the parable. It's worth noting that in New Testament times the distinction between "interest" and "usury" was well understood. Even Roman law set a maximum rate of 12%.
      v28-30. The parable ends with a judgment scene, a scene which encapsulates the message of the parable - a time of reckoning is upon us.

Earning the Master's happiness
      The parable of the talents is applied in many and various ways. For example, Willoughby Allen says the parable concerns the spiritual opportunities available to believers, and the use made of them. "The man who had ten talents had his chance and used it. He deserved encouragement. The man who had buried his talent had missed his chance. It was therefore withdrawn from him." Dick France says the "parable takes up the question which that of the bridesmaids left unanswered: what is readiness? It is not a matter of passively waiting, but of responsible activity, producing results which the coming master can see and approve. For the period of waiting was not intended to be an empty, meaningless delay, but a period of opportunity to put to good use the talents entrusted to his slaves." Frank Gaebelein says "the parable insists that the watchfulness that must mark all Jesus' disciples does not lead to passivity, but to doing one's duty, to growing, to husbanding and developing the resources God entrusts to us, 'till after a long time' the master returns and settles accounts."
      The Bible declares that Christ has set us free. One element of that freedom is the freedom from fear, and yet a parable like The Talents, particularly if it's about developing and using the resources God has entrusted to us, does more to promote fear than alleviate it. The outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth is to be feared. If the Master's "Well done, good and faithful servant" depends upon the faithful application of the spiritual and/or material resources entrusted to us, then we do indeed have something to fear.
      What then is the parable of the talents telling us? Some parables are allegories, for example, the parable of the sower where the meaning of each element is explained. The parable of the talents is what is known as a kingdom parable; it tells of the coming of God's kingdom, of his eternal dynamic rule in Jesus, but it does so in the form of an extended simile. The individual elements of the story don't mean anything, but combined they have a simple message. The dawning of God's kingdom is just like the situation where a man leaves his affairs in the hands of his associates, and on returning, settles the accounts, giving each their due.
      At this very moment the eternal reign of Christ is pressing in on our world, the end is near. And when the accounts are settled, what will our assessment be? I don't know about you, but for me, it doesn't look good. So, I'm going to place my life at the feet of a good man whose empty tomb has emptied fear.

v14
      JWsper gar "Again it will be like" - as for. Probably the phrase is used to parallel the introduction of the preceding parable, which serves to indicate that we are dealing with a kingdom parable and not a teaching parable. The TEV, CEV and Barclay take a plunge on "at that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like."
      apodhmwn (apodhmew) pres. part. "going on a journey" - The participle is adjectival, modifying "man". The word is used of moving away from one's own district.
      doulouV (oV) "servants" - slaves. Obviously "slaves" is not intended; "associates".
      paredwken (paradidwmi) aor. "entrusted" - give, deliver to. May be streatched to "entrust" although this is reading into the parable. "Put them in charge of", TEV.
      ta uJparconta (uJparcw) part. "property" - possessions.

v15
      talanta (on) "talents" - In New Testament times a talent was a unit of exchange which varied in its value. The word can be used of money or silver or a weight of between 26 and 36 kilos of copper, silver or gold. So, it is a variable amount of money. In our usage we think of a talent as skills or mental powers. This meaning derives from a false understanding of the parable itself. "Five thousand gold coins", TEV.
      dunamin (iV ewV) "ability" - power.... ability is best. "He gave each man a sum proportionate to his ability", Barclay.

v16
      oJ labwn pres. part. "the man who had received" - the one receiving. Participle as a substantive.
      euqewV poreuqeiV (poreuomai) aor. part. "went at once" - having gone. The participle is adverbial, temporal and is obviously linked to euqewV, the last word in v15, but obviously really the first word in v16 (in the Gk.). The "servants" immediately put the money to work which had been entrusted to them.
      hrgasato (ergazomai) aor. "put his money to work" - worked [with them]. "Went at once and traded with them", Moffatt.

v18
      oJ labwn (lambanw) aor. part. "the man who had received" - the one having received. Participle as a substantive. "But the servant with one thousand coins", CEV.
      argurion "money" - silver, but can also mean money in general. A normal way to hid money from thieves was to burry it, and silver could be buried without damage.
      apelqwn (apercomai) aor. part. "went off" - having gone out. Attendant circumstance participle identifying action accompanying the main verb "dug"; "went off and dug a hole", Moffatt.

v19
      meta de polun cronon "After a long time" - and after much time. The settling of accounts follows a long interim. There is no idea of delay here, nor of what a "long time" may entail.
      sunairei lagon met "settled accounts with" - A technical term meaning "to make a reckoning." "He called them in and asked them what they had done with his money", CEV.

v20
      proselqwn (prosercomai) aor. part. "-" - having approached. The participle is adverbial, temporal; "then the servant who had twelve hundred pounds came forward, bringing twelve hundred more", Moffatt.
      legwn (legw) pres. part. "he said" - saying. The participle is adverbial, temporal, "then he came forward saying/ and said"

v21
      eu adv. "well done" - excellent, well, good. The faithful servant is affirmed for his faithfulness. "You have shown yourself to be a good and trustworthy servant", Barclay.
      katasthsw (kaqisthmi) fut. "I will put [you] in charge" - appoint. The first of two rewards - greater responsibilities. If life prepares us for our reign with Christ in eternity, it is possible that the lessons gained here will determine the degree of responsibilities we will be given there. The problem is this parable does not make this case, true though it may be. "I will give you a much larger responsibility", TH.
      pollwn adj. "many things" - many, much. The greater responsibilities awarded to the two faithful servants are not necessarily the same, cf. v23.
      caran (a) "happiness" - joy. The second of the two rewards is the pleasure/delight of the master, cf. Jn.15:11. Possibly "joy" here means "feast", so "the happiness of the heavenly banquet", NJB footnote. Of course, the sense "feast" reflects a desire to apply the reward in terms of "the heavenly feast."

v24
      proselqwn (prosercomai) aor. part. "then ...... came" - having come. The participle is temporal, as NIV.
      oJ eilhfwV (lambanw) perf. part. "the man who had received" - the one having received. Note the tese change from aorist to perfect, expressing the fact that "he is the man who has received a talent of which he has made no use", Bruce.
      oJti "that" - Here introducing a dependent statement of perception expressing what he knows.
      sklhroV adj. "hard" - hard, severe, harsh. By saying the master harvests where he has not sown, the servant is possibly saying the master is grasping, an exploiter. Therefore, he gives him back the exact amount entrusted to him. "A shrewd and ruthless businessman", Barclay.
      qerizwn (qerizw) pres. part. "harvesting" - reaping. The participle, as with "gathering", is adjectival modifying the substantival phrase "you are a hard man", "who reaps ...."

v25
      fobhqeiV (fobeomai) aor. pas. part. "I was afraid" - having been afraid. The participle is adverbial, causal, "because I was afraid and because you had gone away, I hid your talent." The servant was debilitated by fear and therefore did not act as required - putting the talent to work. "I was afraid that you might punish me if I lost your money", TH.

v26
      de "-" - but, and. Taking an adversative sense here where the master replies with displeasure, not pleasure, at the servants actions.
      oknhre adj. "lazy" - slothful, idle, rather than ambitious and wanting to do something worthwhile. Possibly "troublesome", Phil.3:1, but better, "hesitate" (eg., because of fear), Morris.

v27
      edei "[you] should [have]" - it was necessary. Expressing what the servant should have done.
      balein (ballw) aor. inf. "have put" - to deposit. The infinitive functioning as the subject of "was necessary."
      ta arguria (on) "money" - silver. The plural indicates that money is in mind, say "silver coins", although a singular variant exists.

v29
      perisseuqhsetai (perisseuw) fut. pas. "he will have an abundance" - The reward is undefined and we are very unwise to use this parable to define it. "More than enough", TEV.
      tou mh econtoV (ecw) pres. act. part. gen. sing. "whoever does not have" - of/from the one not having. Genitive of origin. The faithless servant has done nothing for the master.