talanton

What it means

Originally a weight, then the largest unit of money in the ancient world: roughly 6,000 denarii, or about 6,000 days' wages. Ten thousand (a "myriad," the biggest single number word in Greek) talents is deliberately beyond anything repayable. Matthew is the only New Testament writer who uses the word, here and in the parable of the talents (chapter 25). English "talent" for ability comes from that later parable, not from the word's original meaning.

Range of meaning

• A weightA large measure of weight, roughly 60 to 75 pounds.
• A sum of moneyThe largest unit of currency.

In Matthew

• Chapter 18

  A debt of ten thousand talents (18:24).

• Chapter 25

  Five talents, two talents, one talent (25:15-28).