Greek: New Testament (NAS)
English: John Barach
English: John Barach
Chapter 16
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
| 1 Ἔλεγεν δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς, Ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν πλούσιος ὃς εἶχεν οἰκονόμον, καὶ οὗτος διεβλήθη αὐτῷ ὡς διασκορπίζων τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ. 2 καὶ φωνήσας αὐτὸν εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Τί τοῦτο ἀκούω περὶ σοῦ; ἀπόδος τὸν λόγον τῆς οἰκονομίας σου, οὐ γὰρ δύνῃ ἔτι οἰκονομεῖν. 3 εἶπεν δὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὁ οἰκονόμος, Τί ποιήσω, ὅτι ὁ κύριός μου ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ; σκάπτειν οὐκ ἰσχύω, ἐπαιτεῖν αἰσχύνομαι. 4 ἔγνων τί ποιήσω, ἵνα ὅταν μετασταθῶ ἐκ τῆς οἰκονομίας δέξωνταί με εἰς τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν. |
| 1 Now He was also saying to the disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager, and this man was accused to him of squandering his possessions. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3 Then the manager said within himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from the management, people will welcome me into their homes.’ |
| 5 καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος ἕνα ἕκαστον τῶν χρεοφειλετῶν τοῦ κυρίου ἑαυτοῦ ἔλεγεν τῷ πρώτῳ, Πόσον ὀφείλεις τῷ κυρίῳ μου; 6 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, Ἑκατὸν βάτους ἐλαίου. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Δέξαι σου τὰ γράμματα καὶ καθίσας ταχέως γράψον πεντήκοντα. 7 ἔπειτα ἑτέρῳ εἶπεν, σὺ δὲ πόσον ὀφείλεις; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, Ἑκατὸν κόρους σίτου. λέγει αὐτῷ, Δέξαι σου τὰ γράμματα καὶ γράψον ὀγδοήκοντα. 8 καὶ ἐπῄνεσεν ὁ κύριος τὸν οἰκονόμον τῆς ἀδικίας ὅτι φρονίμως ἐποίησεν· ὅτι οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου φρονιμώτεροι ὑπὲρ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ φωτὸς εἰς τὴν γενεὰν τὴν ἑαυτῶν εἰσιν. 9 Καὶ ἐγὼ ὑμῖν λέγω, ἑαυτοῖς ποιήσατε φίλους ἐκ τοῦ μαμωνᾶ τῆς ἀδικίας, ἵνα ὅταν ἐκλίπῃ δέξωνται ὑμᾶς εἰς τὰς αἰωνίους σκηνάς. |
| 5 And summoning each one of his master’s debtors, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He said, ‘A hundred baths of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your contract, sit down quickly, and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred kors of wheat.’ He says to him, ‘Take your contract and write eighty.’ 8 And the master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they may welcome you into the eternal dwellings.” |
Faithfulness in Little and Much
| 10 ὁ πιστὸς ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ καὶ ἐν πολλῷ πιστός ἐστιν, καὶ ὁ ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ ἄδικος καὶ ἐν πολλῷ ἄδικός ἐστιν. 11 εἰ οὖν ἐν τῷ ἀδίκῳ μαμωνᾷ πιστοὶ οὐκ ἐγένεσθε, τὸ ἀληθινὸν τίς ὑμῖν πιστεύσει; 12 καὶ εἰ ἐν τῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ πιστοὶ οὐκ ἐγένεσθε, τὸ ἡμέτερον τίς ὑμῖν δώσει; 13 Οὐδεὶς οἰκέτης δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν· ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει. οὐ δύνασθε θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ. |
| 10 “The one who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and the one who is unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful with unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” |
Confronting the Pharisees
| 14 Ἤκουον δὲ ταῦτα πάντα οἱ Φαρισαῖοι φιλάργυροι ὑπάρχοντες καὶ ἐξεμυκτήριζον αὐτόν. 15 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ δικαιοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὁ δὲ θεὸς γινώσκει τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν· ὅτι τὸ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὑψηλὸν βδέλυγμα ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ. 16 Ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται μέχρι Ἰωάννου· ἀπὸ τότε ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ εὐαγγελίζεται καὶ πᾶς εἰς αὐτὴν βιάζεται. 17 Εὐκοπώτερον δέ ἐστιν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν παρελθεῖν ἢ τοῦ νόμου μίαν κεραίαν πεσεῖν. 18 Πᾶς ὁ ἀπολύων τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ γαμῶν ἑτέραν μοιχεύει, καὶ ὁ ἀπολελυμένην ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς γαμῶν μοιχεύει. |
| 14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were hearing all these things and were scoffing at Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 16 The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then, the kingdom of God is being preached as good news, and everyone is forcing their way into it. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in the Law to fail. 18 Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.” |
The Rich Man (Dives) and Lazarus
| 19 Ἄνθρωπος δέ τις ἦν πλούσιος, καὶ ἐνεδιδύσκετο πορφύραν καὶ βύσσον εὐφραινόμενος καθ' ἡμέραν λαμπρῶς. 20 πτωχὸς δέ τις ὀνόματι Λάζαρος ἐβέβλητο πρὸς τὸν πυλῶνα αὐτοῦ εἱλκωμένος 21 καὶ ἐπιθυμῶν χορτασθῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν πιπτόντων ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τοῦ πλουσίου· ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κύνες ἐρχόμενοι ἐπέλειχον τὰ ἕλκη αὐτοῦ. 22 ἐγένετο δὲ ἀποθανεῖν τὸν πτωχὸν καὶ ἀπενεχθῆναι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων εἰς τὸν κόλπον Ἀβραάμ· ἀπέθανεν δὲ καὶ ὁ πλούσιος καὶ ἐτάφη. 23 καὶ ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ, ὑπάρχων ἐν βασάνοις, ὁρᾷ Ἀβραὰμ ἀπὸ μακρόθεν καὶ Λάζαρον ἐν τοῖς κόλποις αὐτοῦ. 24 καὶ αὐτὸς φωνήσας εἶπεν, Πάτερ Ἀβραάμ, ἐλέησόν με καὶ πέμψον Λάζαρον ἵνα βάψῃ τὸ ἄκρον τοῦ δακτύλου αὐτοῦ ὕδατος καὶ καταψύξῃ τὴν γλῶσσάν μου, ὅτι ὀδυνῶμαι ἐν τῇ φλογὶ ταύτῃ. |
| 19 “Now there was a certain rich man, and he routinely dressed in purple and fine linen, feasting in splendor every single day. 20 And a certain poor man named Lazarus had been laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed from the things falling from the rich man’s table; but even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in Hades, lifting up his eyes while being in torment, he sees Abraham from far away and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame.’ |
| 25 εἶπεν δὲ Ἀβραάμ, Τέκνον, μνήσθητι ὅτι ἀπέλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου, καὶ Λάζαρος ὁμοίως τὰ κακά· νῦν δὲ ὧδε παρακαλεῖται, σὺ δὲ ὀδυνᾶσαι. 26 καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις μεταξὺ ἡμῶν καὶ ὑμῶν χάσμα μέγα ἐστήρικται, ὅπως οἱ θέλοντες διαβῆναι ἔνθεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς μὴ δύνωνται, μηδὲ ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαπερῶσιν. 27 εἶπεν δέ, Ἐρωτῶ σε οὖν, πάτερ, ἵνα πέμψῃς αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου, 28 ἔχω γὰρ πέντε ἀδελφούς, ὅπως διαμαρτύρηται αὐτοῖς, ἵνα μὴ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔλθωσιν εἰς τὸν τόπον τοῦτον τῆς βασάνου. 29 λέγει δὲ Ἀβραάμ, Ἔχουσι Μωϋσέα καὶ τοὺς προφήτας· ἀκουσάτωσαν αὐτῶν. 30 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, Οὐχί, πάτερ Ἀβραάμ, ἀλλ' ἐάν τις ἀπὸ νεκρῶν πορευθῇ πρὸς αὐτοὺς μετανοήσουσιν. 31 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ, Εἰ Μωϋσέως καὶ τῶν προφητῶν οὐκ ἀκούουσιν, οὐδ' ἐάν τις ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῇ πεισθήσονται. |
| 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and likewise Lazarus the bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 And besides all these things, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to pass over from here to you are not able, nor may they cross over from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham says, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’” |
Chapter Summary: In this chapter, after the emotional highs of the “Lost” parables in Chapter 15, Jesus turns to His disciples with one of His most difficult and provocative stories. He uses a white-collar criminal as an unlikely example of foresight, challenging His followers to be as “shrewd” about eternity as worldly people are about their financial survival. He follows that story with his teaching on wealth. It provides a stark, cinematic reversal of fortunes that would have been deeply shocking to an audience that often equated wealth with divine favor.
“Accused” (dieblēthē): This verb is the root of diabolos (devil/accuser). It implies a report given with a potentially hostile intent. The manager wasn’t just incompetent; he was being “snitched on” for his wastefulness.
“Not strong enough to dig” (skaptein ouk ischyō): We see the return of ischyō (to be strong/able). The manager admits he lacks the physical stamina for manual labor. He is a man of “the pen,” not “the spade,” so he uses his wits to secure his future.
“Baths” and “Kors” (vv. 6-7): A “bath” of oil was about 8-9 gallons, and a “kor” of wheat was about 10-12 bushels. These were massive debts. The 50% discount on oil and 20% on wheat likely represented the removal of the manager’s own commission or the usurious interest forbidden by law, making his “shrewdness” a clever way to gain friends while appearing to follow the Law.
“Shrewdly” (phronimōs): This is the key to the parable. The master doesn’t praise the man’s dishonesty, but his forethought. He realized his current “economy” was ending and used temporary resources to secure a permanent home.
“Mammon” (mamōna): An Aramaic term for wealth or property. Jesus personifies it as a rival god. By calling it “unrighteous,” He suggests that money is inherently part of this fallen system and should be used as a tool for the Kingdom, not worshipped.
“Scoffing” (exemyktērizon): This is a graphic verb. It literally means “to turn up the nose at” or “to sneer.” The Pharisees’ reaction was visible, physical disdain.
“Forcing their way into it” (pas eis autēn biazetai): This is a difficult phrase. It can mean people are entering the Kingdom with great enthusiasm/violence, or that everyone is being “urged” or “pressed” to enter. Given the context of the Law and Prophets, it likely refers to the radical intensity required to follow Jesus.
“Stroke of a letter” (keraia): Literally “a little horn.” It refers to the tiny decorative serifs or strokes that distinguish one Hebrew letter from another. Jesus is affirming that while the era of the Law has transitioned to the Kingdom, the authority and moral truth of the Law remain indestructible.
“Purple and fine linen” (porphyran kai bysson): These were the ultimate luxury fabrics. Purple dye (from murex shells) was worth its weight in silver, and Egyptian “fine linen” was used for the highest quality undergarments. This man was wearing the ancient equivalent of a custom-tailored designer tuxedo every day.
“Lazarus” (Lazaros): This is the only parable where Jesus gives a character a name. Lazaros is the Greek form of Eleazar, meaning “God helps.” The name is a bitter irony in life, but a reality in death.
“Had been laid” (ebeblēto): This is a passive verb (pluperfect). It suggests that Lazarus was disabled and relied on others to “dump” or “place” him at the gate in hopes of receiving alms.
“Abraham’s side” (kolpon Abraam): Literally “Abraham’s bosom.” It refers to the place of honor at a banquet (leaning back against someone’s chest). Lazarus, who hungered for crumbs at the rich man’s table, is now the guest of honor at the Messianic feast.
“Lifting up his eyes” (eparas tous ophthalmous): In life, the rich man likely never looked down at Lazarus; in Hades, he is forced to look up at him.
“I am in agony” (odynōmai): A word for intense, piercing pain. Note that even in Hades, the rich man still views Lazarus as a servant, asking Abraham to “send” him to perform a menial task. His social conditioning hasn’t changed, even though his location has.
“Great chasm has been fixed” (chasma mega estēriktai): The word estēriktai (from stērizō) means “firmly established” or “set in stone.” It emphasizes the absolute permanence of the post-death state.
“Warning them” (diamartyrētai): A strong word for “giving a solemn witness.” The rich man realizes that his brothers are living exactly as he did, oblivious to the “math” of the Kingdom.
“Will not be persuaded” (peisthēsontai): The ending is prophetic. Jesus suggests that the problem isn’t a lack of evidence (like a ghost appearing), but a heart that refuses to “listen” to the Word of God already given.
“Accused” (dieblēthē): This verb is the root of diabolos (devil/accuser). It implies a report given with a potentially hostile intent. The manager wasn’t just incompetent; he was being “snitched on” for his wastefulness.
“Not strong enough to dig” (skaptein ouk ischyō): We see the return of ischyō (to be strong/able). The manager admits he lacks the physical stamina for manual labor. He is a man of “the pen,” not “the spade,” so he uses his wits to secure his future.
“Baths” and “Kors” (vv. 6-7): A “bath” of oil was about 8-9 gallons, and a “kor” of wheat was about 10-12 bushels. These were massive debts. The 50% discount on oil and 20% on wheat likely represented the removal of the manager’s own commission or the usurious interest forbidden by law, making his “shrewdness” a clever way to gain friends while appearing to follow the Law.
“Shrewdly” (phronimōs): This is the key to the parable. The master doesn’t praise the man’s dishonesty, but his forethought. He realized his current “economy” was ending and used temporary resources to secure a permanent home.
“Mammon” (mamōna): An Aramaic term for wealth or property. Jesus personifies it as a rival god. By calling it “unrighteous,” He suggests that money is inherently part of this fallen system and should be used as a tool for the Kingdom, not worshipped.
“Scoffing” (exemyktērizon): This is a graphic verb. It literally means “to turn up the nose at” or “to sneer.” The Pharisees’ reaction was visible, physical disdain.
“Forcing their way into it” (pas eis autēn biazetai): This is a difficult phrase. It can mean people are entering the Kingdom with great enthusiasm/violence, or that everyone is being “urged” or “pressed” to enter. Given the context of the Law and Prophets, it likely refers to the radical intensity required to follow Jesus.
“Stroke of a letter” (keraia): Literally “a little horn.” It refers to the tiny decorative serifs or strokes that distinguish one Hebrew letter from another. Jesus is affirming that while the era of the Law has transitioned to the Kingdom, the authority and moral truth of the Law remain indestructible.
“Purple and fine linen” (porphyran kai bysson): These were the ultimate luxury fabrics. Purple dye (from murex shells) was worth its weight in silver, and Egyptian “fine linen” was used for the highest quality undergarments. This man was wearing the ancient equivalent of a custom-tailored designer tuxedo every day.
“Lazarus” (Lazaros): This is the only parable where Jesus gives a character a name. Lazaros is the Greek form of Eleazar, meaning “God helps.” The name is a bitter irony in life, but a reality in death.
“Had been laid” (ebeblēto): This is a passive verb (pluperfect). It suggests that Lazarus was disabled and relied on others to “dump” or “place” him at the gate in hopes of receiving alms.
“Abraham’s side” (kolpon Abraam): Literally “Abraham’s bosom.” It refers to the place of honor at a banquet (leaning back against someone’s chest). Lazarus, who hungered for crumbs at the rich man’s table, is now the guest of honor at the Messianic feast.
“Lifting up his eyes” (eparas tous ophthalmous): In life, the rich man likely never looked down at Lazarus; in Hades, he is forced to look up at him.
“I am in agony” (odynōmai): A word for intense, piercing pain. Note that even in Hades, the rich man still views Lazarus as a servant, asking Abraham to “send” him to perform a menial task. His social conditioning hasn’t changed, even though his location has.
“Great chasm has been fixed” (chasma mega estēriktai): The word estēriktai (from stērizō) means “firmly established” or “set in stone.” It emphasizes the absolute permanence of the post-death state.
“Warning them” (diamartyrētai): A strong word for “giving a solemn witness.” The rich man realizes that his brothers are living exactly as he did, oblivious to the “math” of the Kingdom.
“Will not be persuaded” (peisthēsontai): The ending is prophetic. Jesus suggests that the problem isn’t a lack of evidence (like a ghost appearing), but a heart that refuses to “listen” to the Word of God already given.