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Luk_19:12-13. Here is represented a man of noble descent, a nobleman, who journeys into the far country to the governor, who possesses the supremacy, in order to receive, as a vassal, from him regal power over those who have been his fellow-citizens up to that time. This representation is borrowed from the circumstances of governors in Palestine at that time, the kings of which, the Herods, received from Rome their βασιλεία ; especially the instance of Archelaus, in respect of the fruitless protest raised against him by the Jews (Joseph. Antt. xvii. 11. 1), is sufficiently similar, reasonably to derive the parabolic narrative, so far as that part of it is concerned, from the remembrance of that transaction.[232]
εἰς χώραν μακράν ] a contrast with the ΠΑΡΑΧΡῆΜΑ , Luk_19:11, for Jesus must first go into heaven to the Father, but not consequently removing the Parousia beyond the duration of the lifetime of the generation (Baur, Zeller), since the reckoning at the return has to do with the same servants.
ἑαυτῷ ] he wished to receive the kingly dignity for himself, although till then there had been another king.
Luk_19:13. ἑαυτοῦ ] ten slaves of his own, of whom therefore he might rightly expect the care of his interest. Comp. on Mat_25:14.
δέκα μνᾶς ] to wit, to each one.[233] The Attic mina = 100 drachmas, i.e. according to Wurm, de ponderum etc. rationibus, p. 266, = from 22 thal. 16 grosch. to 24 thal 3 grosch. Vienna standard money [scil. = from £3, 7s. 8d. to £3, 12s. 4d.]. The small sum astonishes us (even if we should understand thereby Hebrew minae; one îÈðÆä = 100 shekels, 1Ki_10:17; 2Ch_9:16). Compare, on the other hand, the talents, Matthew 25. But in Matt. l.c. the lord transfers to his servants his whole property; here, he has only devoted a definite sum of money to the purpose of putting ten servants to the proof therewith, and the smallness of this amount corresponds to what is so carefully emphasized in our parable, viz. the relation of faithfulness in the least to its great recompense, Luk_19:17, which relation is less regarded in the parable in Matthew; hence in his Gospel (Mat_25:21; Mat_25:23) it is only said ἐπὶ ὀλίγα (not as in Luk_19:17, ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ ); and the recompense of the individuals is stated indefinitely and in similar terms. The device that the lord took most of his money with him on the journey (Kuinoel) explains nothing; but the assumption of a mistake in the translation (Michaelis), whereby out of minae is made portions ( îÇðåÉú ), is sheer invention.
πραγματ .] follow commercial pursuits, Plut. Sull. vii. 17, Cat. min. 54; Lucian, Philops. 36.
ἐν ᾧ ἔρχομαι ] during which (to wit, during this your ΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΕΎΕΣΘΑΙ ) I come, i.e. in the midst of which I return. As to ἜΡΧ . in the sense of coming again, which the context affords, see on Joh_4:16.
[232] Possibly even the locality suggested to Jesus the reference to Archelaus. For in Jericho stood the royal palace which Archelaus had built with great magnificence, Joseph. Antt. xvii. 13. 1.
[233] An essential variation from Matthew 25. The equality of the pecuniary sum which is given to all shows that it was not the (very varied) charismatic endowment for office, but the office itself, that was meant to be typified, whose equal claims and duties, however, were observed by the individuals very differently and with very unequal result.