NET | Luke 16

The Parable of the Clever Steward

16  Jesus [ a ] also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who was informed of accusations [ b ] that his manager [ c ] was wasting [ d ] his assets. 2  So [ e ] he called the manager [ f ] in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? [ g ] Turn in the account of your administration, [ h ] because you can no longer be my manager.’ 3  Then [ i ] the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking my position [ j ] away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig, [ k ] and I’m too ashamed [ l ] to beg. 4  I know [ m ] what to do so that when I am put out of management, people will welcome me into their homes.’ [ n ] 5  So [ o ] he contacted [ p ] his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6  The man [ q ] replied, ‘100 measures [ r ] of olive oil.’ The manager [ s ] said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty.’ [ t ] 7  Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ The second man [ u ] replied, ‘100 measures [ v ] of wheat.’ The manager [ w ] said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write 80.’ [ x ] 8  The [ y ] master commended the dishonest [ z ] manager because he acted shrewdly. [ aa ] For the people [ ab ] of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries [ ac ] than the people [ ad ] of light. 9  And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth, [ ae ] so that when it runs out you will be welcomed [ af ] into the eternal homes. [ ag ]

10  “The one who is faithful in a very little [ ah ] is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11  If then you haven’t been trustworthy [ ai ] in handling worldly wealth, [ aj ] who will entrust you with the true riches? [ ak ] 12  And if you haven’t been trustworthy [ al ] with someone else’s property, [ am ] who will give you your own [ an ] ?   13  No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate [ ao ] the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise [ ap ] the other. You cannot serve God and money.” [ aq ]

More Warnings about the Pharisees

14  The Pharisees [ ar ] (who loved money) heard all this and ridiculed [ as ] him. 15  But [ at ] Jesus [ au ] said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, [ av ] but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized [ aw ] among men is utterly detestable [ ax ] in God’s sight.

16  “The law and the prophets were in force [ ay ] until John; [ az ] since then, [ ba ] the good news of the kingdom of God [ bb ] has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it. [ bc ] 17  But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a letter [ bd ] in the law to become void. [ be ]

18  “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries [ bf ] someone else commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19  “There was a rich man who dressed in purple [ bg ] and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously [ bh ] every day. 20  But at his gate lay [ bi ] a poor man named Lazarus [ bj ] whose body was covered with sores, [ bk ] 21  who longed to eat [ bl ] what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs [ bm ] came and licked [ bn ] his sores.

22  “Now [ bo ] the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. [ bp ] The [ bq ] rich man also died and was buried. [ br ] 23  And in Hades, [ bs ] as he was in torment, [ bt ] he looked up [ bu ] and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. [ bv ] 24  So [ bw ] he called out, [ bx ] ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus [ by ] to dip the tip of his finger [ bz ] in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish [ ca ] in this fire.’ [ cb ] 25  But Abraham said, ‘Child, [ cc ] remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. [ cd ] 26  Besides all this, [ ce ] a great chasm [ cf ] has been fixed between us, [ cg ] so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27  So [ ch ] the rich man [ ci ] said, ‘Then I beg you, father—send Lazarus [ cj ] to my father’s house 28  (for I have five brothers) to warn [ ck ] them so that they don’t come [ cl ] into this place of torment.’ 29  But Abraham said, [ cm ] ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to [ cn ] them.’ 30  Then [ co ] the rich man [ cp ] said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead [ cq ] goes to them, they will repent.’ 31  He [ cr ] replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to [ cs ] Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” [ ct ]

Footnotes

  1. Luke 16:1 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  2. Luke 16:1 tn These are not formal legal charges, but reports from friends, acquaintances, etc.; Grk “A certain man was rich who had a manager, and this one was reported to him as wasting his property.”
  3. Luke 16:1 sn His manager was the steward in charge of managing the house. He could have been a slave trained for the role.
  4. Luke 16:1 tn Or “squandering.” This verb is graphic; it means to scatter (L&N 57.151).
  5. Luke 16:2 tn Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the reports the man received about his manager.
  6. Luke 16:2 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the manager) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  7. Luke 16:2 sn Although phrased as a question, the charges were believed by the owner, as his dismissal of the manager implies.
  8. Luke 16:2 tn Or “stewardship”; the Greek word οἰκονομία ( oikonomia ) is cognate with the noun for the manager ( οἰκονόμος ,  oikonomos ).
  9. Luke 16:3 tn Here δέ ( de ) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events in the parable.
  10. Luke 16:3 tn Grk “the stewardship,” “the management.”
  11. Luke 16:3 tn Here “dig” could refer (1) to excavation (“dig ditches,” L&N 19.55) or (2) to agricultural labor (“work the soil,” L&N 43.3). In either case this was labor performed by the uneducated, so it would be an insult as a job for a manager.
  12. Luke 16:3 tn Grk “I do not have strength to dig; I am ashamed to beg.” sn To beg would represent a real lowering of status for the manager, because many of those whom he had formerly collected debts from, he would now be forced to beg from.
  13. Luke 16:4 tn This is a dramatic use of the aorist and the verse is left unconnected to the previous verse by asyndeton, giving the impression of a sudden realization.
  14. Luke 16:4 sn Thinking ahead, the manager develops a plan to make people think kindly of him ( welcome me into their homes ).
  15. Luke 16:5 tn Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the manager’s decision.
  16. Luke 16:5 tn Grk “summoning.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος ( proskalesamenos ) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  17. Luke 16:6 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the first debtor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  18. Luke 16:6 sn A  measure (sometimes translated “bath”) was just over 8 gallons (about 30 liters). This is a large debt—about 875 gallons (3000 liters) of olive oil, worth 1000 denarii, over three year’s pay for a daily worker.
  19. Luke 16:6 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the manager) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ ( de ) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
  20. Luke 16:6 sn The bill was halved ( sit down quickly, and write fifty ). What was the steward doing? This is debated. 1) Did he simply lower the price? 2) Did he remove interest from the debt? 3) Did he remove his own commission? It is hard to be sure. Either of the latter two options is more likely. The goal was clear: The manager would be seen in a favorable light for bringing a deflationary trend to prices.
  21. Luke 16:7 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the second debtor) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ ( de ) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
  22. Luke 16:7 sn The 100 measures here was 100 cors. A cor was a Hebrew dry measure for grain, flour, etc., of between 10-12 bushels (about 390 liters). This was a huge amount of wheat, representing the yield of about 100 acres, a debt of between 2500-3000 denarii.
  23. Luke 16:7 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the manager) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  24. Luke 16:7 sn The percentage of reduction may not be as great because of the change in material.
  25. Luke 16:8 tn Grk “And the.” Here καί ( kai ) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  26. Luke 16:8 sn Is the manager dishonest because of what he just did? Or is it a reference to what he had done earlier, described in v. 1 ? This is a difficult question, but it seems unlikely that the master, having fired the man for prior dishonesty, would now commend those same actions. It would also be unusual for Jesus to make that point of the story the example. Thus it is more likely the reference to dishonesty goes back to the earliest events, while the commendation is for the cleverness of the former manager reflected in vv. 5-7 .
  27. Luke 16:8 sn Where this parable ends is debated: Does it conclude with v. 7 , after v. 8a , after v. 8b , or after v. 9 ?   Verse 8a looks as if it is still part of the story, with its clear reference to the manager, while 8b looks like Jesus’ application, since its remarks are more general. So it is most likely the parable stops after v. 8a .
  28. Luke 16:8 tn Grk “sons” (an idiom).
  29. Luke 16:8 tn Grk “with their own generation.”
  30. Luke 16:8 tn Grk “sons.” Here the phrase “sons of light” is a reference to the righteous. The point is that those of the world often think ahead about consequences better than the righteous do.
  31. Luke 16:9 tn Grk “unrighteous mammon.” Mammon is the Aramaic term for wealth or possessions. The point is not that money is inherently evil, but that it is often misused so that it is a means of evil; see 1 Tim 6:6-10 ,   17-19 . The call is to be generous and kind in its use. Zacchaeus becomes the example of this in Luke’s Gospel ( 19:1-10 ).
  32. Luke 16:9 tn Grk “they may welcome you.”
  33. Luke 16:9 tn Grk “eternal tents” (as dwelling places).
  34. Luke 16:10 sn The point of the statement faithful in a very little is that character is shown in how little things are treated.
  35. Luke 16:11 tn Or “faithful.”
  36. Luke 16:11 tn Grk “the unrighteous mammon.” See the note on the phrase “worldly wealth” in v. 9 .
  37. Luke 16:11 sn Entrust you with the true riches is a reference to future service for God. The idea is like 1 Cor 9:11 , except there the imagery is reversed.
  38. Luke 16:12 tn Or “faithful.”
  39. Luke 16:12 tn Grk “have not been faithful with what is another’s.”
  40. Luke 16:12 tn Grk “what is your own.”
  41. Luke 16:13 sn The contrast between hate and love here is rhetorical. The point is that one will choose the favorite if a choice has to be made.
  42. Luke 16:13 tn Or “and treat [the other] with contempt.”
  43. Luke 16:13 tn Grk “God and mammon.” This is the same word ( μαμωνᾶς ,  mamōnas ; often merely transliterated as “mammon”) translated “worldly wealth” in vv. 9 ,   11 . sn The term money is used to translate mammon , the Aramaic term for wealth or possessions. The point is not that money is inherently evil, but that it is often misused so that it is a means of evil; see 1 Tim 6:6-10 ,   17-19 . Here “money” is personified as a potential master and thus competes with God for the loyalty of the disciple. The passage is ultimately not a condemnation of wealth (there is no call here for absolute poverty) but a call for unqualified discipleship. God must be first, not money or possessions.
  44. Luke 16:14 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17 .
  45. Luke 16:14 tn A figurative extension of the literal meaning “to turn one’s nose up at someone”; here “ridicule, sneer at, show contempt for” (L&N 33.409).
  46. Luke 16:15 tn Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  47. Luke 16:15 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  48. Luke 16:15 tn Grk “before men.” The contrast is between outward appearance (“in people’s eyes”) and inward reality (“God knows your hearts”). Here the Greek term ἄνθρωπος ( anthrōpos ) is used twice in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, but “men” has been retained in the text to provide a strong verbal contrast with “God” in the second half of the verse.
  49. Luke 16:15 tn Or “exalted.” This refers to the pride that often comes with money and position.
  50. Luke 16:15 tn Or “is an abomination,” “is abhorrent” (L&N 25.187).
  51. Luke 16:16 tn There is no verb in the Greek text; one must be supplied. Some translations (NASB, NIV) supply “proclaimed” based on the parallelism with the proclamation of the kingdom. The transitional nature of this verse, however, seems to call for something more like “in effect” (NRSV) or, as used here, “in force.” Further, Greek generally can omit one of two kinds of verbs—either the equative verb or one that is already mentioned in the preceding context ( ExSyn 39).
  52. Luke 16:16 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
  53. Luke 16:16 sn Until John; since then . This verse indicates a shift in era, from law to kingdom.
  54. Luke 16:16 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself. See Luke 6:20 ;   11:20 ;   17:20-21 .
  55. Luke 16:16 tn Many translations have “entereth violently into it” (ASV) or “is forcing his way into it” (NASB, NIV). This is not true of everyone. It is better to read the verb βιάζεται here as passive rather than middle, and in a softened sense of “be urged.” See Gen 33:11 ;   Judg 13:15-16 ;   19:7 ;   2 Sam 3:25 ,   27 in the LXX. This fits the context well because it agrees with Jesus’ attempt to persuade his opponents to respond morally. For further discussion and details, see D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 2:1352-53. For a summary of the lexical options see BDAG 175 s.v. βιάζω . Differences in the context suggest a different meaning for the same term in Matt 11:12 .
  56. Luke 16:17 tn Or “one small part of a letter” (L&N 33.37).
  57. Luke 16:17 tn Grk “to fall”; that is, “to drop out of the text.” Jesus’ point may be that the law is going to reach its goal without fail, in that the era of the promised kingdom comes.
  58. Luke 16:18 sn The examples of marriage and divorce show that the ethical standards of the new era are still faithful to promises made in the presence of God. To contribute to the breakup of a marriage, which involved a vow before God, is to commit adultery . This works whether one gets a divorce or marries a person who is divorced, thus finalizing the breakup of the marriage. Jesus’ point concerns the need for fidelity and ethical integrity in the new era.
  59. Luke 16:19 sn Purple describes a fine, expensive dye used on luxurious clothing, and by metonymy, refers to clothing colored with that dye. It pictures someone of great wealth.
  60. Luke 16:19 tn Or “celebrated with ostentation” (L&N 88.255), that is, with showing off. Here was the original conspicuous consumer.
  61. Luke 16:20 tn The passive verb ἐβέβλητο ( ebeblēto ) does not indicate how Lazarus got there. Cf. BDAG 163 s.v. βάλλω 1.b, “he lay before the door”; Josephus, Ant . 9.10.2 (9.209).
  62. Luke 16:20 sn This is the one time in all the gospels that a figure in a parable is mentioned by name. It will become important later in the account.
  63. Luke 16:20 tn Or “was covered with ulcers.” The words “whose body” are implied in the context (L&N 23.180).
  64. Luke 16:21 tn Grk “to eat his fill,” but this phrase has been simplified as “to eat” for stylistic reasons.
  65. Luke 16:21 tn The term κύνες ( kunes ) refers to “wild” dogs (either “street” dogs or watchdogs), not house pets (L&N 4.34).
  66. Luke 16:21 sn When the dogs came and licked his sores it meant that he was unclean. See the negative image of Rev 22:15 that draws on this picture.
  67. Luke 16:22 tn Grk “Now it happened that the.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο ( egeneto , “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  68. Luke 16:22 tn Grk “to Abraham’s bosom.” The phrase “carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom” describes being gathered to the fathers and is a way to refer to heaven ( Gen 15:15 ;   47:30 ;   Deut 31:16 ).
  69. Luke 16:22 tn Grk “And the.” Here καί ( kai ) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  70. Luke 16:22 sn The shorter description suggests a different fate, which is confirmed in the following verses.
  71. Luke 16:23 sn The Greek term Hades stands for the Hebrew concept of Sheol . This is where the dead were gathered ( Pss 16:10 ;   86:13 ). In the NT Hades sometimes has an additional negative force of awaiting judgment ( Rev 20:13 ).
  72. Luke 16:23 sn Hades is a place of torment , especially as one knows that he is separated from God.
  73. Luke 16:23 tn Grk “he lifted up his eyes” (an idiom).
  74. Luke 16:23 tn Grk “in his bosom,” the same phrase used in 16:22 . This idiom refers to heaven and/or participation in the eschatological banquet. An appropriate modern equivalent is “at Abraham’s side.”
  75. Luke 16:24 tn Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous actions in the narrative.
  76. Luke 16:24 tn Grk “calling out he said”; this is redundant in contemporary English style and has been simplified to “he called out.”
  77. Luke 16:24 sn The rich man had not helped Lazarus before, when he lay outside his gate ( v. 20 ), but he knew him well enough to know his name. This is why the use of the name Lazarus in the parable is significant. (The rich man’s name, on the other hand, is not mentioned, because it is not significant for the point of the story.)
  78. Luke 16:24 sn The dipping of the tip of his finger in water is evocative of thirst. The thirsty are in need of God’s presence ( Ps 42:1-2 ;   Isa 5:13 ). The imagery suggests the rich man is now separated from the presence of God.
  79. Luke 16:24 tn Or “in terrible pain” (L&N 24.92).
  80. Luke 16:24 sn Fire in this context is OT imagery; see Isa 66:24 .
  81. Luke 16:25 tn The Greek term here is τέκνον ( teknon ), which could be understood as a term of endearment.
  82. Luke 16:25 tn Or “in terrible pain” (L&N 24.92). Here is the reversal Jesus mentioned in Luke 6:20-26 .
  83. Luke 16:26 tn Grk “And in all these things.” There is no way Lazarus could carry out this request even if divine justice were not involved.
  84. Luke 16:26 sn The great chasm between heaven and hell is impassable forever. The rich man’s former status meant nothing now.
  85. Luke 16:26 tn Grk “between us and you.”
  86. Luke 16:27 tn Here δέ ( de ) has been translated as “so” to indicate the rich man’s response to Abraham’s words.
  87. Luke 16:27 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the rich man, v. 19 ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  88. Luke 16:27 tn Grk “Then I beg you, father, that you send him”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  89. Luke 16:28 sn To warn them . The warning would consist of a call to act differently than their dead brother had, or else meet his current terrible fate.
  90. Luke 16:28 tn Grk “lest they also come.”
  91. Luke 16:29 tn Grk “says.” This is one of the few times Luke uses the historical present.
  92. Luke 16:29 tn Or “obey”; Grk “hear.” This recalls the many OT texts calling for a righteous heart to respond to people in need ( Deut 14:28-29 ;   Isa 3:14-15 ;   Amos 2:6-8 ;   Mic 2:1-2 ;   Zech 7:9-10 ).
  93. Luke 16:30 tn Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  94. Luke 16:30 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the rich man, v. 19 ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  95. Luke 16:30 sn If someone from the dead goes to them . The irony and joy of the story is that what is denied the rich man’s brothers, a word of warning from beyond the grave, is given to the reader of the Gospel in this exchange.
  96. Luke 16:31 tn Here δέ ( de ) has not been translated.
  97. Luke 16:31 tn Or “obey”; Grk “hear.” See the note on the phrase “respond to” in v. 29 .
  98. Luke 16:31 sn The concluding statement of the parable, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead , provides a hint that even Jesus’ resurrection will not help some to respond. The message of God should be good enough. Scripture is the sign to be heeded.