Luke 16

Luke · Chapter 16

Luke 16:3

1And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.2And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.3Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.4I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.5So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?6And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.7Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.8And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.9And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.10He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.11If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?12And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?13No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.14And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.15And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.16The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.17And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.18Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.26And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
3Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
SaidεἶπενeipenG2036
to say

εἶπον (eipon) εἶπον, 2 aorist of obsolete present ἔπω (cf. Veitch), used as aorist of λέγω, which see (AS)

thenδὲdeG1161
then

δέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; …

withinἐνenG1722
in/on/among

ἐν (en) ἐν, prep, (the most frequently of all in NT), with dative (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, with abl.). I. Of place, with dative of thing(s), of person(s), in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Luk.7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mat.7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mat.12:40; τ. ὄρει, 2Pe.1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Rev.3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Rom.8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν Abbott-Smith has ὑμῖν., Luk.1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Gal.3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mat.12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103), Luk.2:49; trop., of the region of thought or feeling, ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ (-αις), Mat.5:28, 2Co.4:6, al.; τ. συνειδήσεσιν, 2Co.5:11; af …

himselfἑαυτῷhe'autōG1438
/him/herself

αὑτοῦ (ahutou) αὑτοῦ, -ῆς, -οῦ = ἑαυτοῦ (which see), Mat.6:34, Luk.12:17, al. (MM, see word) (AS)

manager;οἰκονόμος·oikonomosG3623
manager

οἰκονόμος (oikonomos) οἰκονόμος, -ου, ὁ (οἶκος + νέμω, to manage) [in LXX chiefly for עַל ;] 1. prop., the manager of a household or estate, a house- or land-steward (usually a slave or freedman): Luk.12:42 16:1, 3 16:8, 1Co.4:2, Gal.4:2; ὀ οἰ. τ. πόλεως (RV, treasurer; cf. I Est.4:49), Rom.16:23. 2. Metaphorical (in wider sense; cf. οἰκονομία), an administrator, a steward: of Christian ministers, 1Co.4:1, Tit.1:7; of Christians generally, 1Pe.4:10.† (AS)

WhatτίtiG5101
which?

τίς (tis) τίς, neut., τί, genitive, τίνος, interrog. pron., [in LXX for מָה ,מִי ;] in masc. and fem., who, which, what?; in neut., which, what?, used both in direct and in indirect questions. I. I. As subst., 1. 1. masc., fem.: τίς; who, what?, Mat.3:7 26:68; Mrk.11:28, Luk.9:9, al. mult.; with genitive partit., Act.7:52, Heb.1:5, al; before ἐκ (= genitive partit.), Mat.6:27, Luk.14:28, Jhn.8:46; = ποῖος, Mrk.4:41 6:2, Luk.19:3, Act.17:19, al.; = πότερος (M, Pr., 77), Mat.21:31 27:17, Luk.22:27, al.; = ὅς or ὅστις (rare in cl.; cf. Bl., §50, 5; M, Pr., 93), Act.13:25. …

shall I do,ποιήσω,poiēsōG4160G
to do/make: do

ποιέω (poieō) ποιέω, -ῶ, [in LXX for a great variety of words, but chiefly for עשׂה ;] 1. to make, produce, create, cause: with accusative of thing(s), Mat.17:4, Mrk.9:5, Jhn.9:11, Act.9:39, Rom.9:20, al.; of God as Creator (with accusative of person(s) also), Mat.19:4, Mrk.10:6, Luk.11:40, Act.4:24, Heb.1:2, al.; like Heb. עשׂה, absol. = ἐργάζομαι, to work, Mat.20:12 (cf. Rut.2:19; so AV, but see infr.), Rev.13:5, R, mg. (but see infr.); σκάνδαλα, Rom.16:17; εἰρεήνην, Eph.2:15, Jas.3:18; ἐπίστασιν, Act.24:12; συστροφήν, Act.23:12; with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), Luk.1:68, Act.15:3; w …

forὅτιhotiG3754H
that/since: that

ὅτι (hoti) ὅτι, conjc. (prop. neut. of ὅστις). I. As conjc, introducing an objective clause, that; 1. after verbs of seeing, knowing, thinking, saying, feeling: Mat.3:9 6:32 11:25, Mrk.3:28, Luk.2:49, Jhn.2:22, Act.4:13, Rom.1:13 8:38 10:9, Php.4:15, Jas.2:24, al.; elliptically, Jhn.6:46, Php.3:12, al. 2. After εἶναι (γίνεσθαι): defining a demonstr. or of person(s) pron., Jhn.3:19 16:19, Rom.9:6, 1Jn.3:16 al.; with pron. interrog., Mat.8:27, Mrk.4:41, Luk.4:36, Jhn.4:22 al.; id. elliptically, Luk.2:49, Act.5:4, 9, al.; …

masterκύριόςkuriosG2962H
lord: God

κύριος (kurios) κύριος, -α, -ον (also -ος, -ον), [in LXX (subst.) chiefly for יהוה, also for בַּעַל ,אָדוֹן, etc. ;] having power (κῦρος) or authority; as subst., ὁ κ., lord, master; 1. in general: with genitive of thing(s), Mat.9:38 20:8, Mrk.12:9 13:35, Luk.19:33; τ. σαββάτου, Mat.12:8, Mrk.2:28, Luk.6:5; with genitive of person(s), δούλου, etc., Mat.10:24, Luk.14:21, Act.16:16, al.; absol, opposite to οἱ δοῦλοι, Eph.6:5, 9 al.; of the Emperor (Deiss., LAE, 161), Act.25:26; θεοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ κ. πολλοί, 1Co.8:5; of a husband, 1Pe.3:6; in voc, as a title of respect to masters, teachers, magistrates, etc., Ma …

of meμουmouG3165
me

μέ (me) 1. apostrophe for με. 2. rarely for μοι, (Homer) (ML)

is taking awayἀφαιρεῖταιaphaireitaiG0851
to remove

ἀφαιρέω (aphaireō) ἀφ-αιρέω, -ῶ [in LXX (Cremer, 615 f.) for סוּר, עָבַר, H7311 כָּרַת, etc. (35 words in all) ;] to take from, take away, take off: with accusative, τὸ ὠτίον, Mat.26:51, Mrk.14:47 (ὠτάριον, WH), Luk.22:50 (οὖς); ὄνειδος, Luk.1:25; before ἀπό, Rev.22:19, Luk.16:3 (mid.); pass., C. genitive, Luk.10:42; ἀ. ἁμαρτίος, Heb.10:4, Rom.11:27 (mid.) (MM, see word).† (AS)

managementοἰκονομίανoikonomianG3622
management

οἰκονομία (oikonomia) οἰκονομία, -ας, ἡ (οἰκονομέω), [in LXX: Isa.22:19, 21 (מַצָּב, מֶמְשָׁלָה)* ;] 1. prop. (Plat., Arist.), the office of οἰκονόμος, stewardship: Luk.16:2-4. 2. In later writers (Plut., al.; see AR on Eph.1:10; MM, xviii), generally, administration, dispensation: 1Co.9:17, Eph.1:10 3:2, 9, Col.1:25, 1Ti.1:4.† (AS)

fromἀπ᾽ap᾽G0575
away from

ἀπό (apo) ἀπό (on the frequently neglect of elision bef. vowels, see Tdf., Pr., 94, WH, App., 146), prep. with genitive (WM, 462ff.; on its relation to ἐκ, παρά, ὑπό, ib. 456f.), [in LXX for לְ ,בְּ ,מִן ;] from (i.e. from the exterior). 1. Of separation and cessation; (1) of motion from a place: Mat.5:29, 30 7:23, Luk.5:2 22:41, al.; (2) in partitive sense (M, Pr., 72, 102, 245; MM, see word; Bl., §40, 2), Mat.9:16 27:21, Jhn.21:10, Act.5:2, al.; also after verbs of eating, etc.; …

me?ἐμοῦ;emouG1473
I/we

ἐγώ (egō) ἐγώ, genitive, etc., ἐμοῦ, ἐμοί, ἐμέ (enclitic μου, μοι, με), pl. ἡμεῖς, -ῶν, -ῖν, -ᾶς, of person(s) pron. I. (a) The nom. is usually emphatic, when expressed as subjc, as in Mat.3:11, Mrk.1:8, Luk.3:16, al. But often there is no apparent emphasis, as Mat.10:16, Jhn.10:17; ἰδοὺ ἐ. (= Heb. הִנֵּנִי, cf. 1Ki.3:8), Act.9:10; ἐ. (like Heb. אֲנִי), I am, Jhn.1:23 (LXX), Act.7:32 (LXX). …

To digσκάπτεινskapteinG4626
to dig

σκάπτω (skaptō) σκάπτω [in LXX: Isa.5:6 (עֲדַר ni.)* ;] to dig: Luk.6:48 13:8 16:3.† (AS)

notοὐκoukG3756
no

οὐ (ou) οὐ, before a vowel with smooth breathing οὐκ, before one with rough breathing οὐχ (but improperly οὐχ ἰδού, Act.2:7, WH, mg.; cf. WH, Intr., §409; M, Pr., 44, 244), [in LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,לֹא ;] neg. particle, not, no, used generally with indic, and for a denial of fact (cf . μή); 1. absol. (accented), οὔ, no: Mat.13:29 Jhn.1:21 21:5; οὒ οὕ, Mat.5:37 Jas.5:12. …

I am able,ἰσχύω,ischuōG2480
be strong

ἰσχύω (ischuō) ἰσχύω (ἰσχύς), [in LXX for חָזַק, גִּבּוֹר, עָצַם, etc. ;] 1. to be strong in body: Mat.9:12, Mrk.2:17. 2. to be powerful, have power, prevail: Act.19:20, Rev.12:8; before κατά, with genitive of person(s), Act.19:16; with inf., to be able (MM, Exp., xv): Mat.8:28 26:40, Mrk.5:4 9:18 (inf. understood) Mrk.14:37, Luk.6:48 8:43 13:24 14:6, 29-30 16:3 20:26, Jhn.21:6, Act.6:10 15:10 25:7 27:16; with accusative, Php.4:13, Jas.5:16; of things, to avail, be serviceable (MM, Exp., l.with): Mat.5:13, Gal.5:6, Heb.9:17 (cf. ἐν-, ἐξ-, ἐπ-, κατ-ισχύω).† (AS)

to begἐπαιτεῖνepaiteinG1871
to ask/beg

ἐπαιτέω (epaiteō) ἐπ-αιτέω, -ῶ, [in LXX: Psa_109:10 (H7592) Sir_40:28 * ;] 1. to ask besides. 2. to beg (as a mendicant; cf. MM, Exp., xiv): Luk.16:3 18:35 (Cremer, 74).† (AS)

I am ashamed.αἰσχύνομαι.aischunomaiG0153
be ashamed

αἰσχύνω (aischunō) αἰσχύνω (αἶσχος, shame), [in LXX chiefly for בּוּשׁ ;] 1. to disfigure (Hom.). 2. to dishonour (Pro.29:15). 3. to make ashamed (Sir.13:7). Pass., to be put to shame, be ashamed: 2Co.10:8; Php.1:20, 1Pe.4:16, 1Jn.2:28; with inf. (M, Pr., 205), Luk.16:3 (cf. ἐπ- (-ομαι), κατ- αἰσχύνω). † (AS)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.