Luke 16:3

Luke 16:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
• New International Version (NIV)“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg—
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.

Context of Luke 16:3

1Now Yeshua was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a household manager, and this manager was accused of squandering his belongings. 2So he called the manager and said to him, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ “Then the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig; I’m ashamed to beg. 4I know what I’ll do, so that when I’m put out of management others will welcome me into their homes.’ 5So he called in each one of his master’s debtors, and he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

Luke 16:3 word by word

εἶπεν δὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὁ οἰκονόμος· τί ποιήσω, ὅτι ὁ κύριός μου ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ; σκάπτειν οὐκ ἰσχύω, ἐπαιτεῖν αἰσχύνομαι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thenδέde · thenG1161
• the stewardὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the stewardοἰκονόμοςoikonomos · managerG3623
• saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• withinἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• Whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• shall I doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• lordκύριοςkurios · lord: masterG2962
• taketh awayἀφαιρέωaphaireō · to removeG851
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• the stewardshipοἰκονομίαoikonomia · managementG3622
• I cannotἰσχύωischuō · be strongG2480
• ·οὐou · noG3756
• digσκάπτωskaptō · to digG4626
• to begἐπαιτέωepaiteō · to ask/begG1871
• I am ashamedαἰσχύνωaischunomai · be ashamedG153

Cross-references for Luke 16:3

• Luke 18:4“He was unwilling at the time. But afterward he said to himself, ‘Although I don’t fear God or respect people,
• Esther 6:6When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for a man whom the king desires to honor?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor rather than me?”
• Luke 12:17And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do? I don’t have a place to store my harvest!’
• Isaiah 10:3What will you do in the day of visitation, when desolation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?
• Jeremiah 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, the kohanim rule by their own authority, and My people love it this way! But what will you do in the end?”
• Hosea 9:5What will you do for a moed or for the day of Adonai’s feast?
• Acts 9:6But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
• Proverbs 13:4The slacker’s soul craves, yet has nothing, but the diligent soul will be satisfied.
• Proverbs 15:19The way of the slacker is a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.
• Proverbs 18:9One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.
• Proverbs 19:15Laziness brings on deep sleep, and an idle soul will starve.
• Proverbs 21:25A slacker’s craving will kill him, because his hands refuse to work.
• Proverbs 24:30I passed by the field of the slacker, by the vineyard of one lacking judgment.
• Proverbs 26:13A slacker says, “There’s a lion on the road! A lion is in the streets!”
• Proverbs 27:23Know well the condition of your flocks, pay attention to your herds,
• Proverbs 29:21If someone pampers his slave from childhood in the end he will be ungrateful.

Commentaries on Luke 16:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3I cannot dig - He could not submit to become a common day-laborer, which was both a severe and base employment: To beg I am ashamed. And as these were the only honest ways left him to procure a morsel of bread, and he would not submit to either, he found he must continue the system of knavery, in order to provide for his idleness and luxury, or else starve. Wo to the man who gets his bread in this way! The curse of the Lord must be on his head, and on his…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Said within himself - Thought, or considered. My lord - My master, my employer. I cannot dig - This may mean either that his employment had been such that he could not engage in agriculture, not having been acquainted with the business, or that he was “unwilling” to stoop to so low an employment as to work daily for his support. “To dig,” here, is the same as to till the earth, to work at daily labor. To beg - These were the only two ways that presented…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3too ashamed to beg: The Jewish wisdom writer Sirach said, “It is better to die than to beg” (Sirach 40:28). This reflects how many Jews viewed begging.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. cannot dig ... to beg, ashamed--therefore, when dismissed, shall be in utter want.Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 16:3

• Beggars
• Covetousness
• Dishonesty
• Embezzlement
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Malfeasance in Office
• Probation
• Servant
• Steward
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Account
• Beg
• Beside
• Cool
• Deride
• Dig
• Fare
• Put
• Riches
• Torment

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