UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: talent

Semantic entry: 6.82

Semantic domains: Artifacts

Subdomains: Money and Monetary Units

Definition: a Greek monetary unit (also a unit of weight) with a value which fluctuated, depending upon the particular monetary system which prevailed at a particular period of time (a silver talent was worth approximately six thousand denarii with gold talents worth at least thirty times that much)

Notes: In OET MAT 25:15 what is important is the relative number of talents or sums of money. In a number of translations the respective amounts are stated in terms of local currency. For example, in English one may speak of five thousand dollars as equivalent to five talents, though in terms of buying power, five talents would be worth much more than five thousand dollars. What is important, however, in this story is not the precise sums of money but the relative amount which was given to the different servants.|The ‘ten thousand talents’ referred to in OET MAT 18:24 would be equivalent to millions of denarii. The sum in this parable is perhaps greatly exaggerated, precisely in order to emphasize the vast differences between the two debts. It is also true, of course, that in ancient times persons with extensive mercantile businesses sometimes became slaves as a result of defeat in war, and they were purchased by business syndicates together with their business enterprises, which they would continue to manage.

Further resources: realia:11.2.3