The term "minas" refers to a unit of currency mentioned in the New Testament, specifically in the Parable of the Ten Minas found in the Gospel of Luke. The mina was a significant amount of money in ancient times, often equated to about three months' wages for a laborer. This parable is a key teaching of Jesus Christ, illustrating principles of stewardship, accountability, and the Kingdom of God.

Biblical Context

The Parable of the Ten Minas is recorded in Luke 19:11-27. Jesus tells this parable as He approaches Jerusalem, addressing the expectations of His followers who believed the Kingdom of God would appear immediately. In the parable, a nobleman goes to a distant country to receive a kingdom and then return. Before leaving, he entrusts ten of his servants with one mina each, instructing them to "engage in business until I return" (Luke 19:13).

Upon his return, the nobleman calls his servants to account for their business dealings. The first servant reports that his mina has earned ten more, to which the nobleman responds, "Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities" (Luke 19:17). The second servant's mina earns five more, and he is given authority over five cities. However, the third servant, who hid his mina out of fear, is rebuked and his mina is taken away and given to the one who earned ten.

Theological Significance

The Parable of the Ten Minas emphasizes the importance of faithful stewardship. Each servant is given the same amount initially, symbolizing the equal opportunity and responsibility each believer has in the service of God's Kingdom. The varying outcomes highlight the differing levels of faithfulness and diligence among believers. The rewards given to the faithful servants underscore the biblical principle that those who are faithful with little will be entrusted with much (cf. Matthew 25:21).

The parable also serves as a warning against complacency and fear. The servant who hid his mina represents those who fail to utilize the gifts and opportunities God provides. His punishment reflects the consequences of neglecting one's responsibilities in the Kingdom of God.

Cultural and Historical Background

In the ancient Near East, the mina was a standard unit of weight and currency. It was used in various cultures, including the Babylonians, Greeks, and Hebrews. The value of a mina could vary, but it was generally considered a substantial sum. In the context of the parable, the mina represents the resources, talents, and opportunities God entrusts to His people.

Application for Believers

The Parable of the Ten Minas calls believers to active and faithful service in anticipation of Christ's return. It encourages Christians to use their God-given resources wisely and to invest in the work of the Kingdom. The parable challenges believers to examine their own lives and consider how they are using their time, talents, and treasures for God's glory.

In summary, the concept of minas in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor for stewardship and accountability, urging believers to live with purpose and diligence as they await the fulfillment of God's Kingdom.(n.) Plural of Mina.3414. mna -- a mina (Gr. monetary unit)
... See also Lk 17:6; 2 Pet 1:1. Word Origin of Semitic origin maneh Definition a mina
(Gr. monetary unit) NASB Word Usage mina (4), minas (5). pound, mina. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3414.htm - 7k4488. maneh -- maneh, mina (a measure of weight or money)
... 4487, 4488. maneh. 4489 . maneh, mina (a measure of weight or money).
Transliteration: maneh Phonetic Spelling: (maw-neh') Short Definition: minas. ...
/hebrew/4488.htm - 6k

The Mango-Tree
... All things, save I, are full of life: The minas, pluming velvet breasts; The monkeys,
in their foolish strife; The swooping hawks, the swinging nests; ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/andromeda and other poems/the mango-tree.htm

Evening of the Third Day in Passion-Week-On the Mount of Olives ...
... LAST PARABLES: TO THE DISCIPLES CONCERNING THE LAST THINGS-THE PARABLE OF THE TEN
VIRGINS-THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS-SUPPLEMENTARY PARABLE OF THE MINAS AND THE ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter vii evening of the.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty --(Continued)
... friendly relations, they loaded each other with presents, and never waited to be
asked to exchange amenities;* and now my brother sends me two minas of gold as ...
/.../chapter ithe eighteenth theban dynastycontinued.htm

None of Your Party, O Manes, Will You Make a Galatian...
... ad gehennam omnes persequens, qui si ut obtemperare noluerit, plurimos deterrens
arroganti?? metu, Quod est ipse circumdatus, aliis adhibet minas vultus sui ...
/.../the acts of the disputation with the heresiarch manes/36 none of your party.htm

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah
... LAST PARABLES: TO THE DISCIPLES CONCERNING THE LAST THINGS-THE PARABLE OF THE TEN
VIRGINS-THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS-SUPPLEMENTARY PARABLE OF THE MINAS AND THE ...
//christianbookshelf.org/edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/

Of the Lord's Passion, and that it was Foretold.
... other way. [769] Minas patitur. [770] Zechariah 12:10. [771] Psalm
22:16-18. [Compare vol. ip 176, [62]note 4, this series.]. [772 ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xviii of the lords passion.htm

The Three Last Parables of the Per??an Series: the Unrighteous ...
... the very beginning of it - one was brought to him, a debtor of ten thousand talents.'
Reckoning them only as Attic talents (1 talent = 60 minas = 6,000 dinars ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xix the three last.htm

Chaldaean Civilization
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 3. <. ...
/.../chapter iiichaldaean civilization.htm

Index i. Of Subjects
... the ten virgins, 453-459; the talents, 459-465; the minas, 465-467; the three series
of Parables, i.579-580; character of first and second series, ii.233, 234. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/index i of subjects.htm

Canones Synodi Dordrechtan??.
... opus hoc suum grati?? per pr??dicationem Evangelii in nobis inchoare; ita per ejusdem
auditum, lectionem, meditationem, adhortationes, minas, promissa, nec non ...
/.../canones synodi dordrechtanae.htm

Minas (9 Occurrences)
...Minas (9 Occurrences). Luke 19:13 And having called his own ten bondmen, he gave
to them ten minas, and said to them, Trade while I am coming. (DBY NAS NIV). ...
/m/minas.htm - 8k

Mina (6 Occurrences)
... NAS NIV). Luke 19:16 The first came before him, saying,'Lord, your mina has
made ten more minas.' (WEB DBY NAS NIV). Luke 19:18 "The ...
/m/mina.htm - 9k

20000 (4 Occurrences)
... 7:71 Some of the heads of fathers' houses gave into the treasury of the work twenty
thousand darics of gold, and two thousand two hundred minas of silver. ...
/num/20000.htm - 7k

Darics (5 Occurrences)
... Ezra 2:69 they gave after their ability into the treasury of the work sixty-one
thousand darics of gold, and five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred ...
/d/darics.htm - 8k

Sixty (70 Occurrences)
... Ezra 2:69 they gave after their ability into the treasury of the work sixty-one
thousand darics of gold, and five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred ...
/s/sixty.htm - 28k

Ten (234 Occurrences)
... Luke 19:16 The first came before him, saying,'Lord, your mina has made ten
more minas.' (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/t/ten.htm - 60k

Treasury (25 Occurrences)
... Ezra 2:69 they gave after their ability into the treasury of the work sixty-one
thousand darics of gold, and five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred ...
/t/treasury.htm - 27k

5000 (3 Occurrences)
... Ezra 2:69 they gave after their ability into the treasury of the work sixty-one
thousand darics of gold, and five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred ...
/num/5000.htm - 7k

100 (8 Occurrences)
... Ezra 2:69 they gave after their ability into the treasury of the work sixty-one
thousand darics of gold, and five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred ...
/num/100.htm - 8k

2200 (1 Occurrence)
... 7:71 Some of the heads of fathers' houses gave into the treasury of the work twenty
thousand darics of gold, and two thousand two hundred minas of silver. ...
/num/2200.htm - 6k

What is the meaning of the Parable of the Ten Minas? | GotQuestions.org

How many parables are in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What are the modern equivalents of biblical weights and measures? | GotQuestions.org

Minas: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus