Matthew 25:15 · measurement explained
Five, two, and one talent entrusted
The master entrusts different large sums to three servants according to ability before leaving on his journey.
Read the verse first
To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.
World English Bible · engwebp-source-2026-09-12
Modern measurement range
First servant: five talents
165–180 kg
363.76–396.83 lb
Using the talent by weight estimate. Standards changed across cultures and centuries. In parables, the mass equivalent illustrates scale but is not a modern cash valuation.
Calculate another amount →Second servant: two talents
66–72 kg
145.5–158.73 lb
Using the talent by weight estimate. Standards changed across cultures and centuries. In parables, the mass equivalent illustrates scale but is not a modern cash valuation.
Calculate another amount →Third servant: one talent
33–36 kg
72.75–79.37 lb
Using the talent by weight estimate. Standards changed across cultures and centuries. In parables, the mass equivalent illustrates scale but is not a modern cash valuation.
Calculate another amount →Weight equivalents prevent 'one talent' from sounding small, while the parable's meaning cannot be reduced to metal mass or a modern portfolio lesson.
What this conversion does—and does not—show
It gives a defensible modern scale for the amount stated in the verse. Ancient standards varied by time and place, so the endpoints are deliberately approximate. A volume is not a food mass, a metal weight is not a modern cash value, and a conversion does not settle a textual, archaeological, or theological debate.
Conversion references: ESV weights and measures ↗, American Bible Society ↗, and Encyclopedia of the Bible ↗. Reference pages accessed October 10, 2026.