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

7He asked the next man, “How big is your debt to my master?” The man replied, “I have to give him 100 baskets of wheat.” The servant replied, “Here is the paper with your debt written down on it. Take the paper and write 80 baskets.” ’ 8Jesus then said, ‘The servant in the story was not honest. But his master spoke well about what he had done. It would help the servant later in his life. People that do not obey God think carefully. They know how to do well with people who are like themselves. But people who live in God's light often think less carefully. So I tell you this. People may get money in wrong ways. But you should use it to do good to those who need help. Then they will be your friends. You will die, one day. Then those people will be happy to see you in that place where people live for all time. 10If you can trust a person with a very small thing, you can also trust him with bigger things. And if you cannot trust a person with a very small thing, you cannot trust him with big things. 11So if people cannot trust you with money in this world, nobody will trust you with really valuable things.

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 11:41So be ready to give things to poor people. Then you will be really clean, on the inside as well as the outside.
• Luke 14:14Then God will make you happy. Those people cannot pay you for the meal you have given to them. Instead, God will pay you, on the day when he makes good people become alive again.’
• Proverbs 19:17If you are kind to poor people, you are lending money to the Lord. He will pay back the debt to you.
• Ecclesiastes 11:1Freely give your things to other people. If you do that, one day you will receive your things back again.
• Isaiah 58:7Instead, share your food with hungry people. Give a place in your home to poor people who have no home. Give clothes to people who have nothing to wear. If people in your own family need help, do not refuse to help them.
• Daniel 4:27So King Nebuchadnezzar, please do as I suggest. Stop doing bad things. Start to do things that are right. Turn away from your sins. Instead, be kind to poor people. Then, perhaps, you will continue to be comfortable and happy.’
• Matthew 6:19Do not want to have many valuable things here in the world. Insects or water can destroy those kinds of things. Or people may come into your house and they can rob you of those things.
• Matthew 19:21Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be completely good, then you must do this: You must sell everything that you have. Then give the money to poor people. If you do that, you will have many valuable things in heaven. Then come back and be my disciple.’
• Matthew 25:35I was hungry and you gave me some food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me some water to drink. I was visiting your town and you asked me to stay in your home.
• Acts 10:4Cornelius looked at the angel and he was afraid. He asked, ‘Master, why have you come to me?’ The angel answered, ‘God has heard your prayers. He knows about all the money that you give to poor people. This has pleased him. Now God is answering your prayers.
• 2 Corinthians 9:12This good work that you are doing is helping God's people. It is helping to supply what they need. And it is not only doing that. It is also causing many people to thank God very much.
• 1 Timothy 6:17Warn those people who are rich with many things that belong to this world. Tell them not to think that they are more important than other people. They must not think that their money will keep them safe. They could easily lose all of it. Instead, they should trust God. He gives us many things, so that we can enjoy all of them.
• 2 Timothy 1:16But Onesiphorus has stayed to help me. I pray that the Lord will be kind to his family. He often came to help me not to be sad. I am in prison, but he was not ashamed to help me.
• Luke 16:11So if people cannot trust you with money in this world, nobody will trust you with really valuable things.
• Proverbs 23:5Your money can disappear very quickly. It may seem to grow wings and then fly far away like an eagle.
• 1 Timothy 6:9But some people want to have lots of money. This causes them to do wrong things. They cannot get free from their bad ways, like an animal in a trap. They want many things for themselves. Their foolish thoughts hurt them and finally destroy their lives.

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