Matthew 25:16

πορευθεὶς … εἰργάσατο. The ideas of trade and travelling were very nearly connected in ancient times, as the Greek words for traffic shew: ἔμπορος, ἐμπορία, ἐμπορεύομαι, πωλέω. Cp. also the connection between venio, veneo and vendito, ventito. See James 4:13, Ἄγε νῦν οἱ λέγοντες· Σήμερον ἢ αὔριον πορευσόμεθα εἰς τήνδε τὴν πόλιν καὶ ποιήσωμεν ἐκεῖ ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ ἐμπορεύσομεθα καὶ κερδήσομεν. Contrast therefore πορευθὶς here with ἀπελθὼν Matthew 25:18.

εἰργάσατο ἐν αὐτοῖς. ‘Traded with them.’ Made money (χρήματα) by them. A technical use of the word. cp. Demosth., Contr. Dionys., καὶ δὶς ἢ τρὶς ὑπῆρχεν αὐτοῖς εἰργάσασθαι τῷ αὐτῷ�; Aristoph. Eq. 840, ᾗ πολλὰ χρήματʼ ἐργάσει σείων τε καὶ ταράττων.