[Greek] τόκος (tokos), [Latin] usura: interest, a bringing forth, usury, childbirth, offspring; Mt.25:27, Lk.19:23
The Madonna of the Incarnation: painting by Bernardino Luini (1515). Mary is the theotokos (God-bearer) or Mother of God
Background information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means childbirth, offspring, interest, and a bringing forth.
Homer’s Iliad 15.141: “And a hard thing it is to preserve the lineage and offspring of man.”
Homer’s Iliad 19.119: “Hera departed from Olympos and swiftly came to Achaean Argos who bared a son in her womb.”
Plato’s Republic 555e: “These money-makers with bent down heads inserting the sting (interest) of their money into any of the remainder who do resist, harvesting them as in interests as it were a manifold progeny of the parent sum.”
Hymn 2 to Demeter 2.101: “And she was like an ancient woman who is cut off from childbearing and the gifts of Aphrodite.”
Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes 407: “Perhaps the folly of it might yield to onesome prophetic understanding, then to its bearer this arrogant symbol.”
Plato’s Republic 6.507a: “But at any rate receive this interest and the offspring of the good.”
Old Testament: This term, derived from the Hebrew verbal meaning to bite, means debt, interest (on a debt) and usury. Usury was generally forbidden by biblical ordinance.
New Testament: This term means interest on a monetary loan. The practice of usury, or charging interest on a loan, remained prevalent through the time of Christ and into the early church period. In the parable of the talents, the servant, who received one talent, buried his master’s money. In the parable of the ten gold coins, one servant stored the coin in a handkerchief. These two servants were scolded for not adequately increasing the value of their talent (coin). These servants’ resources (responsibilities) were taken away.
Scripture:
“Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?” Mt.25:27
The servant was scolded for not effectively saving and earning interest on his talent. For to everyone who has, more will be given. But for one who has not, it will be taken away.
Theotokos: This is a Greek title given to Mary. This term means “God-bearer” or Mother of God. Theotokos is predominately used in eastern Christianity. The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God is a feast day (holy day of obligation) celebrated by the Roman rite of the Catholic Church on January 1.
Conclusion:
Token, usury
At first glance (with just a token understanding), I had thought that this term only applies to tokens. Further study of this term ‘brought forth’ a deeper meaning. This term refers to begetting, bringing forth, and providing offspring. Plato presents nefarious money-makers who sting (charge interest) against others. In a sense, interest becomes an ‘offspring” from a financial transaction. A token is also a form of money or currency.
In the Old Testament, usury was prohibited by biblical ordinance.
In the New Testament, however, this term is used in a more positive sense in the wise use of money and wealth production. The servants were scolded for squandering their resources. To what one has, more will be given. For one who has not, it will be taken away.
Jan 1, 2024: This post was made as a small token of my appreciation for Mary, the Mother of God.