SEV Biblia, Chapter 16:1
¶ Y dijo tambin a sus discípulos: Había un hombre rico, el cual tenía un mayordomo, y ste fue acusado delante de l como disipador de sus bienes.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 16:1
Verse 1. A steward] oikonomov, from oikov, a house, or oikia, a family, and nemw, I administer; one who superintends domestic concerns, and ministers to the support of the family, having the products of the field, business, &c., put into his hands for this very purpose. See on chap. viii. 3. There is a parable very like this in Rab. Dav. Kimchi's comment on Isaiah, Isa. xl. 21: "The whole world may be considered as a house builded up: heaven is its roof; the stars its lamps; and the fruits of the earth, the table spread. The owner and builder of this house is the holy blessed God; and man is the steward, into whose hands all the business of the house is committed. If he considers in his heart that the master of the house is always over him, and keeps his eye upon his work; and if, in consequence, he act wisely, he shall find favour in the eyes of the master of the house: but if the master find wickedness in him, he will remove him, wtdqpy m min pakidato, from his STEWARDSHIP. The foolish steward doth not think of this: for as his eyes do not see the master of the house, he saith in his heart, 'I will eat and drink what I find in this house, and will take my pleasure in it; nor shall I be careful whether there be a Lord over this house or not.' When the Lord of the house marks this, he will come and expel him from the house, speedily and with great anger. Therefore it is written, He bringeth the princes to nothing." As is usual, our Lord has greatly improved this parable, and made it in every circumstance more striking and impressive. Both in the Jewish and Christian edition, it has great beauties.
Wasted his goods.] Had been profuse and profligate; and had embezzled his master's substance.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. And he said also to his disciples , etc.] The Syriac version adds, a parable, as the following is; and which is directed to the disciples, as those in the preceding chapter are to the Pharisees; and who also are designed in this; though it is particularly spoken to the disciples, because it might be of some use to them, with respect, to the stewardship they were in. The Persic and Ethiopic versions read, Jesus, or the Lord Jesus said: and which is to be understood, though not expressed; for the parable was delivered by him, and is as follows: there was a certain rich man : by whom God is meant, who is rich in the perfections of his nature, in the works of his hands, in his government, and the administration of it, in providential goodness, and in the large revenues of glory due to him from his creatures; for all temporal riches are from him; and so are all the riches of mercy, grace, and glory: which had a steward ; by whom is designed, not all mankind; for though all men are, in a sense, stewards under God, and are entrusted with the good things of life, the gifts of nature, endowments of mind, health, strength of body, time, etc. yet all cannot be meant, because some are distinguished from this steward, ( Luke 16:5,8) nor are the disciples intended, though the parable is directed to them; and they were stewards of the mysteries and manifold grace of God; and one among them was an unfaithful one, and was turned out of his stewardship; but the character of an unjust man will not suit with them: and besides, this steward was of the children of this world, ( Luke 16:8) but the Pharisees are meant: for these are taken notice of as gravelled at this parable, ( Luke 16:14,15) and to them agrees the character of the men of this world, who were worldly wise men; as also that of a steward; these are the tutors and governors mentioned in ( Galatians 4:2) who had the care of the house of Israel, the family of God, under the legal dispensation; and to whom were committed the oracles of God, the writings of Moses, and the prophets; and whose business it was to open and explain them to the people. And the same was accused unto him, that he had wasted his goods ; put false glosses upon the Scriptures; fed the family with bad and unwholesome food, the traditions of the elders, called the leaven of the Pharisees: made havoc of the souls of men; and made the hearts of the righteous sad: and hardened sinners in their wicked ways: and fed themselves, and not the flock; and plundered persons of their temporal substance; of all which they were accused by Moses, in whom they trusted; by his law which they violated; and by their own consciences, which witnessed against them; and by the cries of those whom they abused, which came into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-12 - Whatever we have, the property of it is God's; we have only the use of it, according to the direction of our great Lord, and for his honour This steward wasted his lord's goods. And we are all liable to the sam charge; we have not made due improvement of what God has trusted u with. The steward cannot deny it; he must make up his accounts, and by gone. This may teach us that death will come, and deprive us of the opportunities we now have. The steward will make friends of his lord' debtors or tenants, by striking off a considerable part of their deb to his lord. The lord referred to in this parable commended not the fraud, but the policy of the steward. In that respect alone is it s noticed. Worldly men, in the choice of their object, are foolish; but in their activity, and perseverance, they are often wiser tha believers. The unjust steward is not set before us as an example i cheating his master, or to justify any dishonesty, but to point out the careful ways of worldly men. It would be well if the children of ligh would learn wisdom from the men of the world, and would as earnestl pursue their better object. The true riches signify spiritual blessings; and if a man spends upon himself, or hoards up what God ha trusted to him, as to outward things, what evidence can he have, tha he is an heir of God through Christ? The riches of this world ar deceitful and uncertain. Let us be convinced that those are truly rich and very rich, who are rich in faith, and rich toward God, rich in Christ, in the promises; let us then lay up our treasure in heaven, an expect our portion from thence.
Greek Textus Receptus
ελεγεν 3004 5707 V-IAI-3S δε 1161 CONJ και 2532 CONJ προς 4314 PREP τους 3588 T-APM μαθητας 3101 N-APM αυτου 846 P-GSM ανθρωπος 444 N-NSM τις 5100 X-NSM ην 2258 5713 V-IXI-3S πλουσιος 4145 A-NSM ος 3739 R-NSM ειχεν 2192 5707 V-IAI-3S οικονομον 3623 N-ASM και 2532 CONJ ουτος 3778 D-NSM διεβληθη 1225 5681 V-API-3S αυτω 846 P-DSM ως 5613 ADV διασκορπιζων 1287 5723 V-PAP-NSM τα 3588 T-APN υπαρχοντα 5224 5723 V-PAP-APN αυτου 846 P-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. A deep violet, with a black or dusky tinge; the color meant by Homer in describing an ocean wave: "As when the great sea grows purple with dumb swell" ("Iliad,: xiv., 16).
Robertson's NT Word Studies
16:1 {Unto the disciples} (kai pros tous maqetas). The three preceding parables in chapter 15 exposed the special faults of the Pharisees, "their hard exclusiveness, self-righteousness, and contempt for others" (Plummer). this parable is given by Luke alone. The kai (also) is not translated in the Revised Version. It seems to mean that at this same time, after speaking to the Pharisees (chapter 15), Jesus proceeds to speak a parable to the disciples (#16:1-13), the parable of the Unjust Steward. It is a hard parable to explain, but Jesus opens the door by the key in verse #9. {Which had a steward} (hos eicen oikonomon). Imperfect active, continued to have. Steward is house-manager or overseer of an estate as already seen in #Lu 12:42. {Was accused} (diebleqe). First aorist indicative passive, of diaballw, an old verb, but here only in the N.T. It means to throw across or back and forth, rocks or words and so to slander by gossip. The word implies malice even if the thing said is true. The word diabolos (slanderer) is this same root and it is used even of women, she-devils (#1Ti 3:11). {That he was wasting} (hws diaskorpizwn). For the verb see on 15:13. The use of hws with the participle is a fine Greek idiom for giving the alleged ground of a charge against one. {His goods} (ta huparconta autou). "His belongings," a Lukan idiom.
