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Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ The second man[a] replied, ‘100 measures[b] of wheat.’ The manager[c] said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write 80.’[d] The[e] master commended the dishonest[f] manager because he acted shrewdly.[g] For the people[h] of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries[i] than the people[j] of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth,[k] so that when it runs out you will be welcomed[l] into the eternal homes.[m]

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Footnotes

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Luke 16:7 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the manager) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  4. Luke 16:7 sn The percentage of reduction may not be as great because of the change in material.
  5. Luke 16:8 tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Luke 16:8 tn Grk “sons” (an idiom).
  9. Luke 16:8 tn Grk “with their own generation.”
  10. 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.
  11. 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).
  12. Luke 16:9 tn Grk “they may welcome you.”
  13. Luke 16:9 tn Grk “eternal tents” (as dwelling places).

“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“‘A thousand bushels[a] of wheat,’ he replied.

“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world(A) are more shrewd(B) in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.(C) I tell you, use worldly wealth(D) to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 16:7 Or about 30 tons