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“‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels. ’ 8“The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. 10“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?

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 clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.
• Luke 14:14Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”
• Proverbs 19:17If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and he will repay you!
• Ecclesiastes 11:1Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you.
• Isaiah 58:7Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
• Daniel 4:27“‘King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.’
• Matthew 6:19“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.
• Matthew 19:21Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
• Matthew 25:35For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.
• Acts 10:4Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!
• 2 Corinthians 9:12So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.
• 1 Timothy 6:17Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.
• 2 Timothy 1:16May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains.
• Luke 16:11And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?
• Proverbs 23:5In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.
• 1 Timothy 6:9But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

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