Tag Archives: Matthew 25:25

καὶ φοβηθεὶς ἀπελθὼν ἔκρυψα τὸ τάλαντόν σου ἐν τῇ γῇ· ἴδε ἔχεις τὸ σόν. (Matthew 25:25) Excuse or Confession? How Greek Grammar Frames Responsibility

In Matthew 25:25, the “wicked and lazy servant” explains to his master why he did nothing with the talent entrusted to him. His explanation is grammatically elegant yet theologically hollow. Through aorist participles, aorist indicatives, and an emphatic final declaration, the Greek text subtly exposes the servant’s fearful avoidance and faulty logic.

Let’s explore how the grammar itself participates in the rebuke.

1. Aorist Passive Participle: φοβηθείς φοβηθείς – Aorist Passive Participle, Nominative Masculine Singular of φοβέομαι, “to fear”

Placed at the front of the sentence for emphasis, this participle reveals the cause of the servant’s inaction: “being afraid”.… Learn Koine Greek