Luke 16:9

Luke 16:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
• New International Version (NIV)I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.

Context of Luke 16:9

7Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8And his master commended the unjust manager [not for his misdeeds, but] because he had acted shrewdly [by preparing for his future unemployment]; for the sons of this age [the non-believers] are shrewder in relation to their own kind [that is, to the ways of the secular world] than are the sons of light [the believers]. And I tell you [learn from this], make friends for yourselves [for eternity] by means of the wealth of unrighteousness [that is, use material resources as a way to further the work of God], so that when it runs out, they will welcome you into the eternal dwellings. 10“He who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little thing is also dishonest in much. 11Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of earthly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?

Luke 16:9 word by word

καὶ ἐγὼ ὑμῖν λέγω· ἑαυτοῖς ποιήσατε φίλους ἐκ τοῦ μαμωνᾶ τῆς ἀδικίας, ἵνα ὅταν ἐκλίπῃ δέξωνται ὑμᾶς εἰς τὰς αἰωνίους σκηνάς.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Iκἀγώkagō kamoi kame · and IG2504
• sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• Makeποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• to yourselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• friendsφίλοςphilos · friendly/friendG5384
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the mammonὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the mammonμαμμωνᾶςmammōnas · wealthG3126
• of unrighteousnessἀδικίαadikia · unrighteousnessG93
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• whenὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752
• ye failἐκλείπωekleipō · to failG1587
• they may receiveδέχομαιdechomai · to receiveG1209
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• everlastingαἰώνιοςaiōnios · eternalG166
• habitationsσκηνήskēnē · tentG4633

Cross-references for Luke 16:9

• Luke 11:41But give that which is within as charity [that is, acts of mercy and compassion, not as a public display, but as an expression of your faithfulness to God], and then indeed all things are clean for you.
• Luke 14:14and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (the just, the upright).”
• Proverbs 19:17He who is gracious and lends a hand to the poor lends to the Lord, And the Lord will repay him for his good deed.
• Ecclesiastes 11:1Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, [be diligently active, make thoughtful decisions], for you will find it after many days.
• Isaiah 58:7Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not to hide yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?
• Daniel 4:27Therefore, O king, let my advice to you be [considered and found] acceptable; break away now from your sins and exhibit your repentance by doing what is right, and from your wickedness by showing mercy to the poor, so that [if you repent] there may possibly be a continuance of your prosperity and tranquility and a healing of your error.’
• Matthew 6:19“Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
• Matthew 19:21Jesus answered him, “If you wish to be perfect [that is, have the spiritual maturity that accompanies godly character with no moral or ethical deficiencies], go and sell what you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].”
• Matthew 25:35For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
• Acts 10:4Cornelius was frightened and stared intently at him and said, “What is it, lord (sir)?” And the angel said to him, “Your prayers and gifts of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God [an offering made in remembrance of His past blessings].
• 2 Corinthians 9:12For the ministry of this service (offering) is not only supplying the needs of the saints (God’s people), but is also overflowing through many expressions of thanksgiving to God.
• 1 Timothy 6:17As for the rich in this present world, instruct them not to be conceited and arrogant, nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
• 2 Timothy 1:16The Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and showed me kindness [comforting and reviving me like fresh air] and he was not ashamed of my chains [for Christ’s sake];
• Luke 16:11Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of earthly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?
• Proverbs 23:5When you set your eyes on wealth, it is [suddenly] gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies to the heavens.
• 1 Timothy 6:9But those who [are not financially ethical and] crave to get rich [with a compulsive, greedy longing for wealth] fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction [leading to personal misery].

Commentaries on Luke 16:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9The mammon of unrighteousness - - literally, the mammon, or riches, of injustice. Riches promise Much, and perform Nothing: they excite hope and confidence, and deceive both: in making a man depend on them for happiness, they rob him of the salvation of God and of eternal glory. For these reasons, they are represented as unjust and deceitful. See the note on Matthew 6:24, where this is more particularly explained. It is evident that this must be the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9I say unto you - I, Jesus, say to you, my disciples. Make to yourselves friends - Some have understood the word “friends,” here, as referring to the poor; others, to holy angels; and others, to God. Perhaps, however, the word should not be considered as referring to any particular “persons,” but is used in accordance with the preceding parable; for in the application our Saviour uses the “language” appropriated to the conduct of the steward to express the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Worldly wealth: This is a better translation than the traditional “mammon of unrighteousness” (KJV). Believers are to use their resources wisely for spiritual benefit. they will welcome you into eternal dwellings: This probably refers to the friends gained through faithful use of wealth. Just as the manager’s friends gave him security, the people brought into God’s kingdom will welcome believers into eternal homes.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Make ... friends of--Turn to your advantage; that is, as the steward did, "by showing mercy to the poor" (Da 4:27; compare Lu 12:33; 14:13, 14). mammon of unrighteousness--treacherous, precarious. (See on Mt 6:24). ye fail--in respect of life. they may receive you--not generally, "ye may be received" (as Lu 6:38, "shall men give"), but "those ye have relieved may rise up as witnesses for you" at the great day. Then, like the steward, when turned out of…Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 16:9

• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Liberality
• Mammon
• Probation
• Servant
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Account
• Beg
• Beside
• Cool
• Deride
• Dig
• Eternal life
• Fare
• Mammon
• Put

Commentaries on Luke 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings