This was a weight used among the Jews, Greeks, and Romans, but varying exceedingly in different countries and in different parts of the same country. The Jewish talent is usually estimated at about 125 pounds troy weight, though others estimate it a little less then 114 pounds troy. The common Attic talent was equal, on the usual estimate, to about 56 lbs. 11 oz. troy. In the New Testament, a talent is a denomination of money, which was anciently reckoned by weight. The value of the talent, therefore, varied in different countries, in proportion to the different weights of the talent. The Jewish talent appear, from Exodus 38:25,26, to have been equal to 3,000 shekels; and as the shekel is estimated at about fifty cents, the value of the talent would be about 1,5000 dollars. The Attic talent is usually reckoned at about 225 pounds sterling, or 1,000 dollars, though others make it only about 860 dollars. The talent spoken of in the New Testament is probably the Jewish, and is used only of an indefinitely large sum, Matthew 18:24; 25:14-30.

Of silver contained 3,000 shekels (Exodus 38:25,26), and was equal to 94 3/7 lbs. avoirdupois. The Greek talent, however, as in the LXX., was only 82 1/4 lbs. It was in the form of a circular mass, as the Hebrew name Kikkar Denotes. A talent of gold was double the weight of a talent of silver (2 Samuel 12:30). Parable of the talents (Matthew 18:24; 25:15).

TAL'ENT, n. L. talentum; Gr. to bear, allied to L. tollo. The word is said to have originally signified a balance or scales.

1. Among the ancients, a weight, and a coin. The true value of the talent cannot well be ascertained, but it is known that it was different among different nations. The Attic Talent, the weight, contained 60 Attic minae, or 6000 Attic drachmae, equal to 56 pounds, eleven ounces, English troy weight. The mina being reckoned equal to f3 4s.7d. sterling, or fourteen dollars and a third nearly, the talent was of the value of f193 15s sterling, about dollars. Other computations make it f225 sterling.

The Romans had the great talent and the little talent; the great talent is computed to be equal to f99 6s. 8d. sterling, and the little talent to f75 sterling.

2. Talent, among the Hebrews, was also a gold coin, the same with a shekel of gold; called also stater, and weighing only four drachmas.

But the Hebrew talent of silver, called cicar, was equivalent to three thousand shekels, or one hundred and thirteen pounds, ten ounces and a fraction, troy weight.

3. Faculty; natural gift or endowment; a metaphorical application of the word, said to be borrowed from the Scriptural parable of the talents. Matt.25.

He is chiefly to be considered in his three different talents, as a critic, a satirist, and a writer of odes.

'Tis not my talent to conceal my thoughts.

4. Eminent abilities; superior genius; as, he is a man of talents.

Talent, in the singular, is sometimes used in a like sense.

5. Particular faculty; skill. He has a talent at drawing.

6. Sp. talante, manner of performing any thing, will, disposition. Quality; disposition.

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