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

7“Then he asked another debtor, ‘How much do you owe?’ “The debtor replied, ‘A thousand bushels of wheat.’ “The manager told him, ‘Take the ledger, and write “eight hundred!” ’ 8“The master praised the dishonest manager for being so clever. Worldly people are more clever than spiritually-minded people when it comes to dealing with others.” ⌞Jesus continued,⌟ “I’m telling you that although wealth is often used in dishonest ways, you should use it to make friends for yourselves. When life is over, you will be welcomed into an eternal home. 10Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with a lot. Whoever is dishonest with very little is dishonest with a lot. 11Therefore, if you can’t be trusted with wealth that is often used dishonestly, who will trust you with wealth that is real?

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 11:41Give what is inside as a gift to the poor, and then everything will be clean for you.
• Luke 14:14Then you will be blessed because they don’t have any way to pay you back. You will be paid back when those who have God’s approval come back to life.”
• Proverbs 19:17Whoever has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his good deed.
• Ecclesiastes 11:1Throw your bread on the surface of the water, because you will find it again after many days.
• Isaiah 58:7Share your food with the hungry, take the poor and homeless into your house, and cover them with clothes when you see ⌞them⌟ naked. Don’t refuse to help your relatives.
• Daniel 4:27“That is why, Your Majesty, my best advice is that you stop sinning, and do what is right. Stop committing the same errors, and have pity on the poor. Maybe you can prolong your prosperity.”
• Matthew 6:19“Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal.
• Matthew 19:21Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, sell what you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”
• Matthew 25:35I 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 took me into your home.
• Acts 10:4He stared at the angel and was terrified. Cornelius asked the angel, “What do you want, sir?” The angel answered him, “God is aware of your prayers and your gifts to the poor, and he has remembered you.
• 2 Corinthians 9:12What you do to serve others not only provides for the needs of God’s people, but also produces more and more prayers of thanksgiving to God.
• 1 Timothy 6:17Tell those who have the riches of this world not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, they should place their confidence in God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
• 2 Timothy 1:16May the Lord be merciful to the family of Onesiphorus. He often took care of my needs and wasn’t ashamed that I was a prisoner.
• Luke 16:11Therefore, if you can’t be trusted with wealth that is often used dishonestly, who will trust you with wealth that is real?
• Proverbs 23:5Will you catch only a fleeting glimpse of wealth before it is gone? It makes wings for itself like an eagle flying into the sky.
• 1 Timothy 6:9But people who want to get rich keep falling into temptation. They are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires which drown them in destruction and ruin.

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