τόκος

interest, usury

Definition

The Greek word τόκος (tokos) primarily means 'interest' or 'usury,' referring to the profit gained from lending money. In the New Testament, it is used exclusively in two parallel parables of Jesus (Matthew 25:27, Luke 19:23) to illustrate the concept of financial return on an investment. In these contexts, it metaphorically represents the spiritual productivity and faithfulness God expects from His servants with the resources (talents or minas) entrusted to them. There is no distinct secondary meaning in its biblical usage; it consistently carries this financial sense.

Biblical Usage

Τόκος is used only twice in the New Testament, both times in the words of Jesus within parables about stewardship. In Matthew 25:27 and Luke 19:23, a master rebukes a servant for hiding a sum of money instead of depositing it with bankers to earn interest (τόκος). The usage is identical in both Gospels, employing a common financial practice of the time as a metaphor for spiritual accountability and fruitful action.

Etymology

The noun τόκος derives from the verb τίκτω (tiktō, G5088), meaning 'to bear' or 'to bring forth.' Its core idea is thus 'that which is born' or 'offspring.' This root meaning naturally extended to the financial realm, where interest or profit was seen as the 'offspring' or fruit produced by loaned capital. This connection between birth and financial gain is a vivid metaphor embedded in the word itself.

Semantic Range

Though a financial term, τόκος is theologically significant because Jesus uses it to illustrate the principle of kingdom stewardship. It teaches that God's gifts—whether spiritual gifts, the gospel, or material resources—are given not for passive safekeeping but for active, fruitful use that yields a return for the Master. Understanding this metaphor challenges believers to live productively for God's glory, expecting accountability for how we have used what He has entrusted to us.

In the ancient Greco-Roman world, charging interest on loans was a common, though sometimes controversial, banking practice. Jewish law placed restrictions on charging interest to fellow Israelites (Exodus 22:25, Leviticus 25:36-37), but it was generally permitted in dealings with foreigners. Jesus's audience would have immediately understood the concept. His parable uses a culturally familiar activity (earning interest through bankers) to make a spiritual point about faithfulness, not to give a commentary on the ethics of usury itself.

κέρδος (kerdos, G2771) — This word means 'gain' or 'profit' in a more general commercial sense, not specifically the interest from a loan. τόκος is a specific type of κέρδος.

Word Details

Scripture References