πραγμᾰτ-εύομαι G4231
to do business, trade, invest; to engage in commercial activity
This verb means to busy oneself with business, trade, or investment—to put resources to work for profit. In Luke 19:13, the nobleman commands his servants 'do business' with the minas until he returns. The term implies active engagement, not passive holding. It suggests entrepreneurial activity, taking initiative, and bearing risk to generate returns. The parable commends faithful stewardship that multiplies the master's resources through diligent, wise investment.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The master's command to 'do business' with the minas in Luke 19:13, expecting servants to actively trade and invest during his absence. The verb implies entrepreneurial engagement, not passive stewardship. Multilingual evidence shows commercial vocabulary ('Do-business', 'Negociad', 'faire-des-affaires', 'Πραγματεύσασθε'). The parable rewards those who multiply resources through active, wise trading, and condemns the one who simply preserved capital without putting it to work. 1×
AR["تاجِروا"]·ben["ব্যবসা-কর"]·DE["Πραγματεύσασθε"]·EN["Do-business"]·FR["faire-des-affaires"]·heb["סַחֲרוּ"]·HI["व्यापार-करो"]·ID["Perdagangkanlah"]·IT["pragmateusasthe"]·jav["Padagangaken"]·KO["장사하라"]·PT["Negociai"]·RU["Управляйте"]·ES["Negociad"]·SW["Fanyeni-biashara"]·TR["Ticaret-yapın"]·urd["کاروبار-کرو"]
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H7069 1. Buy, purchase (59×)H1892 1. vanity, futility, absurdity (58×)H5159 2. heritage as covenant portion (52×)H6299 1. redeem or ransom (Qal active) (49×)H4376 1. Sell (Qal active) (47×)H1350a 1. Redeem, buy back (46×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πραγμᾰτ-εύομαι, Ionic dialect πρηγμ-, aorist ἐπραγματευσάμην, Ionic dialect ἐπρηγμ-, Refs 5th c.BC+; also ἐπραγματεύθην, Ionic dialect ἐπρηγμ-, Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect πεπραγμάτευμαι Refs 5th c.BC+; also in passive sense, see below:—busy oneself, take trouble, ἀπέδωκαν τὸν νεκρὸν οὐδὲν ἔτι πρηγματευθέντες Hdt.[same place],Refs 5th c.BC+; πολλὰ ἐπί τινι π. work at at thing, labour to bring it…