A napkin - A towel. He means by it that he had not wasted it nor thrown it by carelessly, but had been "very careful" of it; so much so as to be at the pains to tie it up in a towel and put it in a safe place, as if he had been "very faithful" to his trust. So many people employ their talents, their learning, their property, their influence. They "have" them; they "keep" them; but they never "use" them in the service of the Lord Jesus; and, in regard to their influence on the church or the world, it would be the same if God had never conferred on them these talents.

Lord, behold, here is thy pound - See Matthew 25:18.

And another came,.... Who was one of the servants; had a gift, but did not use, and improve it, nor did it turn to any account:

saying, Lord; owning also the lordship and dominion of Christ, as all will confess at the last day, even those who have no interest in him, and cannot call him their Lord;

behold, here is thy pound; he owns his gifts were the Lord's, and that he had received them from him, and now returns them:

which I have kept; he had kept that which was committed to him, and that even till his Lord came; he had not lost it, though it was not increased, or was of any advantage to Christ, or the souls of men, it being neglected by him; for it was

laid up in a napkin: the Greek word, here used for a napkin, is adopted by the Jews into their language, and is used for a veil and for a linen cloth: this puts me in mind of what the Jews call, "possession by a napkin", or linen cloth: their custom is this; when they buy, or sell any thing, to use a piece of cloth they call "sudar", the word in the text, which the contractors lay hold upon, whereby they ratify and confirm the bargain (m): but this man made no use of his "sudar", or napkin, in buying and selling; he traded not at all; he wrapped up his money in it, and both lay useless; his gift lay dormant and unexercised, which was given him to profit withal.

(m) Elias in Tisbbi in voce

I kept (εἶχον)

The imperfect. I was keeping while thou wert absent.

Napkin (σουδαρίῳ)

The Latin sudarium, from sudor, perspiration: a cloth for wiping off the sweat. Trench notes that the napkin which the idle servant does not need for its proper use (Genesis 3:19) he uses for the wrapping up of his pound.

{6} And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

(6) Against those who idly spend their life in deliberating and in contemplation.

19:20-23 Lord, behold, here is thy pound. See notes on Mt 25:24-27, where the case is similar. The lesson is that our abilities must be used for the Lord. It is not enough that we are not positively wicked; we must do good.

19:11-27 This parable is like that of the talents, Mt 25. Those that are called to Christ, he furnishes with gifts needful for their business; and from those to whom he gives power, he expects service. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal, 1Co 12:7. And as every one has received the gift, so let him minister the same, 1Pe 4:10. The account required, resembles that in the parable of the talents; and the punishment of the avowed enemies of Christ, as well as of false professors, is shown. The principal difference is, that the pound given to each seems to point out the gift of the gospel, which is the same to all who hear it; but the talents, distributed more or less, seem to mean that God gives different capacities and advantages to men, by which this one gift of the gospel may be differently improved.