μνᾶ

a mina

Definition

A μνᾶ (mina) was a significant unit of currency in the ancient Greek world, equivalent to 100 drachmae. In the New Testament, it appears exclusively in Jesus's Parable of the Ten Minas (Luke 19:11-27), where it functions as a sum of money entrusted by a nobleman to his servants. The parable uses the mina not merely as a financial unit but as a metaphor for the resources, opportunities, and responsibilities God entrusts to His people. The servants' management and investment of their minas directly symbolize their faithfulness and stewardship.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only in the Gospel of Luke, specifically in the Parable of the Ten Minas (Luke 19:13-25). All six occurrences are within this single narrative context. The usage is entirely metaphorical, representing a trust or deposit given by a master to his servants. The pattern involves the master distributing the minas (Luke 19:13), the servants reporting on their gains (Luke 19:16, 18, 20), and the master's subsequent judgment and redistribution based on their faithfulness (Luke 19:24-25).

Etymology

The word μνᾶ (mna) is a direct Greek loanword, derived from the Semitic root *maneh*, which was a unit of weight and later currency in the Ancient Near East. It entered the Greek language and monetary system, retaining its core meaning as a substantial weight of silver, standardized as 100 drachmae. Its meaning development is straightforward, moving from a weight to a specific monetary denomination.

Semantic Range

The μνᾶ is theologically significant as the central object in a parable about stewardship, accountability, and the kingdom of God. It represents the gifts, the gospel message, and the opportunities for service that Christ entrusts to every believer. Understanding it as a substantial sum (about three months' wages for a laborer) underscores the seriousness of this trust. The parable teaches that God expects active, fruitful investment of what He has given, and there will be a final accounting (Luke 19:15). The fate of the unfaithful servant who hid his mina (Luke 19:20-24) highlights the peril of spiritual neglect.

In the 1st-century Greco-Roman world, a mina was a substantial amount of money, roughly equivalent to 100 days' wages for a common laborer. This context is crucial for understanding the parable; the master entrusted a significant financial responsibility, not a trivial token. The cultural practice of wealthy men traveling to secure a kingship (as in Luke 19:12) and entrusting capital to slaves for business ventures was known in the Hellenistic world, making the story immediately relatable to Jesus's audience.

τάλαντον (talanton, G5007) — a much larger unit of currency (worth 60 minas), used in the similar Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). δηνάριον (dēnarion, G1220) — a common Roman silver coin, a day's wage, representing a much smaller unit of currency. ἀργύριον (argyrion, G694) — a general term for silver or money.

Word Details

Scripture References