For those who want to know what Jesus really said, how he said it, why crowds came to hear him, and shades of meaning lost or hidden in translation.

Home

Today's Verse Analysis

Luke 19:23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank,

The Parable of Money Usage

Spoken to
audience

Luke 19:23 καὶ διὰ τί οὐκ ἔδωκάς μου τὸ ἀργύριον ἐπὶ τράπεζαν; κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν σὺν τόκῳ ἂν αὐτὸ ἔπραξα.

KJV Verse

Luke 19:23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

NIV Verse:

Luke 19:23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’

What His Listeners Heard:

And so, why didn't you give that cash of mine over a counter? And I, showing up, might obtain it along with interest?

Lost In Translation:

The word translated as "the bank" is uncommon for Jesus and a bit of a pun. It has the primary meaning of "table" or "counter" referring to the "tables" or "counters" of money-brokers. This is precisely how we use the terms "over the counter" to refer to trading stocks through a broker network rather than a stock exchange.  It is not the Greek word used elsewhere in the NT translated as "money-changers". This word is used because it is a pun, since the word also means the grinding surface of teeth and the lower mill stone which grinds grain. So in a sense the money brokers are "grinders".

However, the particle word translated as "might" and "could" is important here. There is no exact equivalent in English, but it is used to indicate the possibility of something rather than its certainty. So the master is indicating that the interest was not guaranteed, just a possibility. The chance of gain is worth the risk of loss. 

KJV w/Translation Issues :

Wherefore then(WW) gavest not thou my (MW) money into the(IW) bank(CW), [that at my(WW)] coming I might have(WT] required(WW) [mine own(WW)] with usury?

KJV List (See full page for word-by-word analysis):
For analysis of each word of original Greek and biblical verses, click here.

Constantly Updated

My analysis standards and methods are constantly improving. New information on each verse is provided as articles are updated. It requires approximately two years for me to work through updating each of Jesus's verses.

What Jesus's Listeners Heard

The everyday meanings of the Greek words Jesus used were different than the definitions they have been given over time in biblical translation. The word translations here are based upon documents of his time such as the Greek Septuagint, not ideas unknown in his time.

About this Site

See what Jesus said in Greek and see how his words are changed in English translation. My goal is to translate Jesus's words as they were heard when he taught, not the way they are interpreted today. The work here resurrects the humor and cleverness of Jesus's words lost in translation.

Free Subscriptions

Regular emails from Substack, subscribe to Rediscovering Jesus's Words.

 

Do Your Own Research

Each article provides detailed information on all the Greek words in each verse with links simplifying your own research. It compares the Greek to popular translations to show where words are confused, changed, left out, and added. This site offers research available nowhere else, such as how often Jesus uses a specific Greek word and links to a list of every verse in which he uses a given word.