Bible Dictionary: Talent

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Easton's Bible Dictionary

Of silver contained 3,000 shekels (Exodus 38:25, 26), and was equal to 94 3/7 lbs. avoirdupois. The Greek talent, however, as in the LXX., was only 82 1/4 lbs. It was in the form of a circular mass, as the Hebrew name kikkar denotes. A talent of gold was double the weight of a talent of silver (2 Samuel 12:30). Parable of the talents (Matthew 18:24; 25:15).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (v. t.) Among the ancient Greeks, a weight and a denomination of money equal to 60 minae or 6,000 drachmae. The Attic talent, as a weight, was about 57 lbs. avoirdupois; as a denomination of silver money, its value was 243 15s. sterling, or about USD1,180.

2. (v. t.) Among the Hebrews, a weight and denomination of money. For silver it was equivalent to 3,000 shekels, and in weight was equal to about 93/ lbs. avoirdupois; as a denomination of silver, it has been variously estimated at from 340 to 396 sterling, or about USD1,645 to USD1,916. For gold it was equal to 10,000 gold shekels.

3. (v. t.) Inclination; will; disposition; desire.

4. (v. t.) Intellectual ability, natural or acquired; mental endowment or capacity; skill in accomplishing; a special gift, particularly in business, art, or the like; faculty; a use of the word probably originating in the Scripture parable of the talents (Matt. xxv. 14-30).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

TALENT

tal'-ent (kikkar; talanton): A weight composed of 60 manehs (English Versions of the Bible "pounds") equal to about 120 pounds troy and 96 pounds avoirdupois, or 672, 500 grains, of the Phoenician standard. See WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. When used in the monetary sense the talent might be either of silver or gold, and the value varied according to the standard, but is probably to be taken on the Phoenician, which would give about 410 British pounds, or USD2,050 (in 1915), for the silver talent and 6,150 British pounds or USD30, 750 (in 1915), for the gold.

See MONEY.

Figurative: "Talent," like "pound," is used metaphorically in the New Testament for mental and spiritual attainments or gifts (Matthew 25:15-28).

H. Porter

Greek

5007. talanton -- a balance, hence that which is weighed, ie a ...
... 5006, 5007. talanton. 5008 . a balance, hence that which is weighed,
ie a talent (about 3000 shekels in weight). Part of Speech ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5007.htm - 7k

5006. talantiaios -- worth a talent, ie of a talent's weight
... worth a talent, ie of a talent's weight. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration:
talantiaios Phonetic Spelling: (tal-an-tee-ah'-yos) Short Definition: a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5006.htm - 6k

3414. mna -- a mina (Gr. monetary unit)
... 3414 (from the Latin, "") - the Greek silver-ingot (monetary weight) weighing
about 1/A of a talent (approximately 13 ounces). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3414.htm - 7k

Topical Bible Verses

1 Corinthians 12:4
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
Topicalbible.org

Matthew 25:15
And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Topicalbible.org

Matthew 25:28
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him which has ten talents.
Topicalbible.org

Matthew 18:24
And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought to him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
Topicalbible.org

1 Kings 10:14
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred three score and six talents of gold,
Topicalbible.org

1 Kings 10:10
And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
Topicalbible.org

Exodus 38:25
And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and three score and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
Topicalbible.org

1 Kings 9:28
And they came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.
Topicalbible.org

1 Kings 9:14
And Hiram sent to the king six score talents of gold.
Topicalbible.org

Strong's Hebrew

3603. kikkar -- a round, a round district, a round loaf, a round ...
... kikkar. 3604 . a round, a round district, a round loaf, a round weight, a talent
(a measure of weight or money). ... loaf, morsel, piece, plain, talent. ...
/hebrew/3603.htm - 6k

3604. kikkar -- a talent (a measure of weight or money)
... 3603, 3604. kikkar. 3605 . a talent (a measure of weight or money).
Transliteration: kikkar Phonetic Spelling: (kik-kare') Short Definition: talents. ... ...
/hebrew/3604.htm - 6k

Library

Why the Talent was Buried
... D.; ST. MATTHEW Chaps. XVIII to XXVIII WHY THE TALENT WAS BURIED. ... And I was afraid,
and went and hid thy talent in the earth.'-MATT. xxv.24, 25. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/why the talent was buried.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xxv. 24, Etc. , Where the ...
... On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xxv. 24, etc., where the slothful servant who
would not put out the talent he had received, is condemned. [XCIV. Ben.] ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon xliv on the words.htm

The Overcoming of Insignificance
... The one-talent man is its real object, and the lessons of larger endowment
are only by the way. The one-talent man is not the bad ...
/.../peabody/mornings in the college chapel/liv the overcoming of insignificance.htm

Liii the Average Man
... The five-talent man gets distinction, and the one-talent man gets rebuke, but the
two-talent man, the man with ordinary gifts and ordinary returns from them ...
/.../peabody/mornings in the college chapel/liii the average man.htm

The Parable of the Talents
... them by way of profit. But he that had had but one talent went away and
covered it up in a cloth and hid it away. After a long time ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the new testament/the parable of the talents.htm

To Each According to his Ability
... Still others He finds sleeping or hiding their talent; to such His voice speaks
in solemn warning: from him that hath shall be taken away even that he hath ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/working for god/v to each according to.htm

Different Ways of Using Talents
... gained two more. But he who had received one talent went away and dug
a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. "After a ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/different ways of using talents.htm

Whether an Advocate is Bound to Defend the Suits of the Poor?
... who has an opportunity of speaking with the wealthy plead the cause of the poor:
for the slightest gift you have received will be reputed a talent." Now every ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether an advocate is bound.htm

Gifts and Talents.
... teaching we therefore conclude that the Holy Spirit has a work in connection with
mechanical arts and official functions"in every special talent whereby some ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/viii gifts and talents.htm

Essay v. Whose Powers Shed Round Him in the Common Strife...
... character. Valuing in others merits which he himself possessed, Sir Alexander
Ball felt no jealous apprehension of great talent. ...
/.../coleridge/confessions of an inquiring spirit etc/essay v whose powers shed.htm

Thesaurus

Talent (16 Occurrences)
... avoirdupois. The Greek talent, however, as in the LXX., was only 82 1/4 lbs. ... A talent
of gold was double the weight of a talent of silver (2 Samuel 12:30). ...
/t/talent.htm - 14k

Weights (14 Occurrences)
... 6 oz. (5.) Talent of silver (2 Kings 5:22), equal to 3,000 shekels, ie, 125 lbs.
(6.) Talent of gold (Exodus 25:39), double the preceding, ie, 250 lbs. Int. ...
/w/weights.htm - 21k

Measures (50 Occurrences)
... weights there was a tendency on the part of the Hebrews to employ the decimal system,
making the maneh 50 shekels instead of 60, and the talent 3,000 instead ...
/m/measures.htm - 35k

Talents (36 Occurrences)
... Matthew 25:28 Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who
has the ten talents. (WEB KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/t/talents.htm - 19k

Malcam (6 Occurrences)
... When Rabbah was taken by David, the crown of this idol was among the spoils. The
weight is said to have been "a talent of gold" (above 100 lbs.). ...
/m/malcam.htm - 9k

Quantity (18 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 12:30 He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight
was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on ...
/q/quantity.htm - 13k

Utensils (72 Occurrences)
... Exodus 25:39 Of a talent of pure gold shall they make it, with all these utensils. ...
Exodus 37:24 Of a talent of pure gold he made it, and all its utensils. ...
/u/utensils.htm - 28k

Weigh (24 Occurrences)
... hath turned aside and bringeth in unto me a man, and saith, Keep this man; if he
be at all missing, then hath thy life been for his life, or a talent of silver ...
/w/weigh.htm - 14k

Imposed (16 Occurrences)
... at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the
land to a tribute of one hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold. ...
/i/imposed.htm - 11k

Milcom (8 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 12:30 And he took the crown of Milcom from his head; the weight of it was
a talent of gold, and in it were stones of great price; and it was put on ...
/m/milcom.htm - 9k

Bible Concordance

Talent (16 Occurrences)

Matthew 25:15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 25:18 But he who received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
(See NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 25:24 "He also who had received the one talent came and said,'Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 25:25 I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.'
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 25:28 Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Revelation 16:21 Great hailstones, about the weight of a talent, came down out of the sky on people. People blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for this plague is exceedingly severe.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT)

Exodus 25:39 It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these accessories.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 37:24 He made it of a talent of pure gold, with all its vessels.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 38:27 The one hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the one hundred talents, a talent for a socket.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 12:30 He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David's head. He brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Kings 20:39 As the king passed by, he cried to the king; and he said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man to me, and said,'Guard this man! If by any means he be missing, then your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.'
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Kings 5:22 He said, "All is well. My master has sent me, saying,'Behold, even now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.'"
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Kings 23:33 Pharaoh Necoh put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of one hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 20:2 David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set on David's head: and he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Chronicles 36:3 The king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Zechariah 5:7 (and behold, a talent of lead was lifted up); and this is a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah basket."
(WEB KJV ASV WBS)

Subtopics

Talent

Talent: (A Weight Equal to Three-Thousand Shekels-About One Hundred Twenty-Five Pounds)

Talent: General Scriptures Concerning

Talent: Value of Parables of The

Related Terms

Weights (14 Occurrences)

Measures (50 Occurrences)

Talents (36 Occurrences)

Malcam (6 Occurrences)

Quantity (18 Occurrences)