Verse 13 is influenced by the ending of Mark’s discourse on the last things (13.35), while verse 14 is evidently dependent upon Mark 13.34. One commentator observes that in both Gospels the sentence is incomplete, requiring “some sort of addition, such as ‘The Kingdom of God is like….’ ” In Greek the verse begins with the same two particles, “just as” and “for,” which Revised Standard Version renders For it will be as. Good News Translation has “At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like this,” and Barclay has “What will happen in the Kingdom of Heaven is like what happened when a man went on a journey abroad.” Both Good News Translation and Barclay take seriously the need to restructure more radically.

Going on a journey translates the same verb represented as “went into another country” by Revised Standard Version in 21.33. In the Lukan parallel the man is identified as “A nobleman … to receive a kingdom,” and a different verb phrase (“went into a far country”) is used (19.12).

The man called his servants, that is, “he summoned them” or “called them to meet with him.”

Entrusted is the choice of several English translations (New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, for example); Good News Translation has “put … in charge of.” The servants did not become owners of the property, but it was their responsibility to take good care of it.

Property translates the same noun used in 19.21 and again in 24.47. It occurs nowhere else in the Gospel. It is clear that the talents were his property, but it is not clear if other things were included, such as land and buildings.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .