Luke 19:18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

Spoken to
audience

The Parable of Money Usage: The king gives the first servant ten cities. 

KJV

Luke 19:18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

NIV

Luke 19:18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

LISTENERS HEARD

And the second came saying, "That mina of yours, Master, made five minas.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The most interesting thing about this verse is the verb translated as "gained" and "earned." It looks like it might be the same family as the unique words in three previous verses that talked about putting money to work. However, it isn't. This is a common word meaning "to make" or "to do." It is used in 198 of Jesus's verses. It has no relationship to these earlier words. This is the only place this common word is translated in this way. Obviously, the reason is to make is seem more like those earlier verses. 

MY TAKE

I'll take five times my money. 

GREEK ORDER

 

καὶ   ἦλθεν          δεύτερος λέγων        μνᾶ    σου,      κύριε,   ἐποίησεν πέντε μνᾶς.
And he came, the second,    saying, "That sum of yours, Master, made       five     sums.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
3

And the second came, saying, Lord, thy (MW) pound hath(WT) gained(WW) five pounds.

  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "pound" is not shown in the English translation. 
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "has" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "gained" should be something more like "produce."
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
7
“The second came and(IW) said(WF), ‘Sir(CW), your (MW) mina has(WT) earned(WW) five more.’
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "and"  at the beginning of the sentence is not shown in the English translation. 
  •  IW - Inserted Word-- The "and" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "saying."
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is word not usually translated as "sir." 
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "mina" is not shown in the English translation. 
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "has" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "earned" should be something more like "produce."
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "more" should be something more like "minas."
EACH WORD of KJV

And  -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

the -- This is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

second --The word for "second" means specifically the second of two and "later" in time. There is also no "the" to mark the adjective as a noun.

came -- The word translated as "came" primarily means "to start out" but Christ usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "come" or "go," but it is more like our phrase "being underway." Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. 

saying -- The word translated as "saying" is the most common word that means "to say," and "to speak," but it also means "to teach," which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. It also has many ancillary meanings such as "to count" ("to number" or like we might say, "to recount" a story) or "to choose for yourself." Christ usually uses this word to refer to his own speaking or teaching.

Lord -- The word translated as "lord" is the same word that is often translated as "Lord" or "the Lord" in the NT. It also means "lord", "master of the house," and "head of the family."

thy - The word translated as "thy" is the possessive form of the second person pronoun.

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

pound -- "Pounds" is the Greek word for a "a weight", "a sum of money", and the amount of about "100 drachmas".  The Greek word mna (μνᾶ) was borrowed from Semitic. Different city states used minae of different weights. The Aeginetan mina weighed 623.7 g (22.00 oz).  The Attic mina weighed 436.6 g (15.40 oz).] According to Plutarch, the price of a sheep was one drachma or a (about 40 kg) of wheat. Thus a mina was worth 100 sheep.

hath -- (WT) This helping verb "has" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here. 

gained -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "gained " has the primary meaning of "making" or producing" something or "causing" or "performing" as service. It describes a productive action.  This word doesn't mean "gained."  

five --"Five" is the number five. 

 pounds. -- "Pounds" is the Greek word for a "a weight", "a sum of money", and the amount of about "100 drachmas".   The Greek word mna (μνᾶ) was borrowed from Semitic. Different city states used minae of different weights. The Aeginetan mina weighed 623.7 g (22.00 oz).  The Attic mina weighed 436.6 g (15.40 oz).] According to Plutarch, the price of a sheep was one drachma or a (about 40 kg) of wheat. Thus a mina was worth 100 sheep.

EACH WORD of NIV

missing "and"  -- (MW) The untranslated word   "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

The -- This is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

second --The word for "second" means specifically the second of two and "later" in time. There is also no "the" to mark the adjective as a noun.

came -- The word translated as "came" primarily means "to start out" but Christ usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "come" or "go," but it is more like our phrase "being underway." Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. 

and -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.

said -- (WF) The word translated as "said" is the most common word that means "to say," and "to speak," but it also means "to teach," which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. It also has many ancillary meanings such as "to count" ("to number" or like we might say, "to recount" a story) or "to choose for yourself." Christ usually uses this word to refer to his own speaking or teaching. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "saying." 

Sir -- The word translated as "sir" is the same word that is often translated as "Lord" or "the Lord" in the NT. It also means "lord", "master of the house," and "head of the family." This is word not usually translated as "sir."  

your- The word translated as "your" is the possessive form of the second person pronoun.

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

mina-- "Pounds" is the Greek word for a "a weight", "a sum of money", and the amount of about "100 drachmas". 

has -- (WT) This helping verb "has" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here. 

earned -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "gained " has the primary meaning of "making" or producing" something or "causing" or "performing" as service. It describes a productive action.  This word doesn't mean "earned ."  

five --"Five" is the number five. 

more. -- "More" is the Greek word for a "a weight", "a sum of money", and the amount of about "100 drachmas".    The Greek word mna (μνᾶ) was borrowed from Semitic. Different city states used minae of different weights. The Aeginetan mina weighed 623.7 g (22.00 oz).  The Attic mina weighed 436.6 g (15.40 oz).] According to Plutarch, the price of a sheep was one drachma or a (about 40 kg) of wheat. Thus a mina was worth 100 sheep.This word doesn't mean "more."   

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

καὶ (conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "but." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even", "also," and "just."

ἦλθεν (verb 3rd sg aor ind act) "Come" is erchomai, which means "to start," "to set out", "to come", "to go," and any kind of motion. It means both "to go" on a journey and "to arrive" at a place.

[821 verses](article sg masc nom)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").   It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."  -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

δεύτερος (adj sg fem nom) "The second" is from deuteros, which means "second", "next", "second of two," and "later." 

λέγων ( part sg pres act masc nom ) "Saying" is lego, which means "to recount", "to tell over", "to say", "to speak", "to teach", "to mean", "boast of", "tell of", "recite," nominate," and "command." It has a secondary meaning "pick out," "choose for oneself", "pick up", "gather", "count," and "recount." A less common word that is spelled the same means "to lay", "to lay asleep" and "to lull asleep."

[821 verses](article sg fem nom)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

μνᾶ  (noun sg fem nom ) "Pound" is mna, which means "a weight", "a sum of money", and "100 drachmas".

σου, (adj sg masc gen) "Thy" is sou which means "of you" and "your." 

κύριε, ( noun sg masc voc ) "Lord" is kyrios (kurios), which means "having power", "being in authority" and "being in possession of." It also means "lord", "master of the house," and "head of the family." --

ἐποίησεν ( verb 3rd sg aor ind act ) "Hath gained" is poieo, which means "to make", "to produce", "to create", "to bring into existence", "to bring about", "to cause", "to perform", "to render", "to consider", "to prepare", "to make ready," and "to do."

πέντε  (number) "Five" is pente, the number five. 

μνᾶς. (noun pl fem acc) "Pounds" is mna, which means "a weight", "a sum of money", and "100 drachmas".

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