Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 16:11
If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true [riches]?
11. the true riches ] Literally, “ that which is true,” i.e. real and not evanescent. Earthly riches are neither true, nor ours.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Who will commit … – If you are not faithful in the small matters pertaining to this world, if you do not use aright your property and influence, you cannot expect that God will commit to you the true riches of his grace. Men who are dishonest and worldly, and who do not employ the deceitful mammon as they ought, cannot expect to grow in grace. God does not confer grace upon them, and their being unfaithful in earthly matters is evidence that they would be also in much greater affairs, and would likewise misimprove the true riches.
True riches – The graces of the gospel; the influences of the Spirit; eternal life, or religion. The riches of this world are false, deceitful, not to be trusted Luk 16:9; the treasures of heaven are true, faithful, never-failing, Mat 6:19-20.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
This verse now opposeth the unrighteous mammon to the true riches, which would strongly incline one to think, that by the mammon of unrighteousness, before mentioned, our Saviour meant only false and deceitful riches. By the true riches I cannot think is meant the gospel, which indeed is said to be committed to trust of the ministers, but not of all Christians. I had rather interpret it of special, effectual grace, which is of all other the true riches: and so it teacheth us this great truth, That God is justified in the denial of his special grace to those who do not make a due use of his common gifts and grace; and indeed here will lie mens damnation, because they do not make a just use of that common grace which they have, and might make a better use of it than they do. If they would be faithful in that, God would not deny them the true riches.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11, 12. unrighteous mammonTothe whole of this He applies the disparaging term “what isleast,” in contrast with “the true riches.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
If therefore ye have not been faithful,…. This is the application of the above proverbial expressions, and seems to be directed to the disciples of Christ, though not without a view to the covetous Scribes and Pharisees, who were in hearing of it, and were disturbed at it, Lu 16:14 and the meaning is, that whereas some of them might have been unfaithful, and have acted the unjust part of gathering of riches, as Matthew, and other publicans, that were now become the followers of Christ; if therefore they should be unfaithful
in the unrighteous mammon; in the disposing of it to improper uses, which was either unrighteously gotten, and therefore called, as it sometimes was, , “mammon of ungodliness”, or “ungodly mammon” x; or, which was fallacious, deceitful, vain, and transitory:
who will commit to your trust the true riches; or mammon? that is, how should you expect to be intrusted with the riches of grace, as the blessings and promises of the covenant of grace, the graces of the Spirit of God, which truly enrich persons, and are solid and durable? or the riches of glory, the better and more enduring substance in heaven, signified by a kingdom, and an inheritance that fadeth not away? so the Jews call the good things of another world, and say y, that
“all the good things of this world are not , “true good things”, in comparison of the good things of the world to come.”
And they use the same distinction with respect to “mammon”, as here:
“the holy, blessed God, they say z, gives him,
, “mammon of truth”, or true mammon; and he makes it , “false”, or deceitful:”
or rather the rich treasure of the Gospel is meant, called a treasure in earthen vessels, and the unsearchable riches of Christ; and is comparable to, and of more worth than gold, silver, and precious stones. And so the Syriac version renders it, “who will trust you with the truth?” with the truth of the Gospel.
x Targum in Hab. ii. 9. y Tzeror Hammor, fol. 23. 2. z Shemot Rabba, sect. 31. fol. 134. 4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Faithful in the unrighteous mammon ( ). In the use of what is considered “unrighteous” as it so often is. Condition of the first class, “if ye did not prove to be” ( ). Failure here forfeits confidence in “the true riches” ( ). There is no sadder story than to see a preacher go down by the wrong use of money, caught in this snare of the devil.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Faithful. Fidelity is, therefore, possible toward the unrighteous mammon.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon,” (ei oun en to adiko mamona pistoi ouk egenesthe) “If therefore you all are or have not been trustworthy in the management of the unrighteous things of mammon,” (of the world order), as good stewards, as Jewish people; and they had not, Mar 7:5-9. They had stolen tithes, offered polluted bread-and crippled animals in sacrifice, disregarding God’s law, Mal 1:6-8; Mal 1:13-14; Mal 3:7-10.
2) “Who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (to alethenon tis humin pisteusei) “Who will entrust you (with) the true riches?” or continue that trust? The idea is that it was a limited conditional trust to which Israel, the unjust steward had been unfaithful in administration, Joh 1:11-12; Joh 5:40; Eph 3:8; Rev 3:18.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(11) If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon.Better, if ye were not, or, became not. Here the true riches stand in contrast with the vain, deceitful, unrighteous mammon, and answer to the true spiritual wealth of peace, pardon, wisdom, or, in St. Pauls language, here again coloured by St. Lukes, the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8). Our Lord teaches His disciples, what human religious teachers have so often forgotten, that honesty, integrity, and, as implied in faithfulness, benevolence, in the use of this worlds goods, be our portion small or great, is an indispensable condition of all spiritual advancement.
The Greek word for true may be noticed as being that which is generally characteristic of St. John. (See Notes on Joh. 1:9; Joh. 4:23.) This is the only instance of its use in the three first Gospels; St. Paul uses it once (1Th. 1:9), and then, after companionship with St. Luke. It is found in three passages of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Heb. 8:2; Heb. 9:14; Heb. 9:24; Heb. 10:22) twenty-three times in the writings of St. John.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. In the unrighteous mammon the true We have here the real definition of the term unrighteous mammon. It is the opposite of the true divine riches; the riches of God’s favour. We may remark that the word riches is here in italics, which intimates that it is supplied by the translators, there being no word for it in the Greek. It is as if our Lord wanted a word which language did not supply. To say in the contrast the unrighteous mammon, and the true mammon) would be to sanctify the word mammon. He gives the word true and leaves us to supply the blank; and so the translators have supplied with the literal word riches.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Luk 16:11. The true riches? The word riches is substituted by our translators, instead of mammon, which was the word that Christ intended, and which, for that reason, should find its place in the translation of this verse. Dr. Heylin renders it, If you have not been faithful in the false mammon, who will trust you with the true? See on Mat 6:24.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches ?
Ver. 11. In the unrighteous mammon ] Or the uncertain, vain, deceitful wealth of this world, which yet most rich men trust in, as if simply the better or safer for their abundance. Hence Drusius derives mammon from amans, which signifieth to trust.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
If. Assuming it as a fact. App-118. not. Greek. ou. App-105.
commit to your trust = entrust to you. App-150. true. App-175.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Luk 16:11. , in the case of) i.e. when so small a matter is at stake.-, the unjust [unrighteous] The unjust mammon is opposed to the true [good]: and by a metonymy of the consequent [unjust] for the antecedent [worthless at least], it is used for that which is least and worthless; inasmuch as by reason of its worthlessness, it is committed and given even to unjust and faithless men; nay, to these especially, because they, with their whole soul and body, seize upon it and devote themselves to it, and esteem it as their one and only good, Luk 16:25. [Abraham says to Dives, Thy good things]. Every great thing has, through mens instrumentality either lately or formerly, contracted some stain of injustice. What an amount of injustice must the transference of ownerships throughout so many ages have been liable to impart to the tenures of property, even though at the present time the possessors may hold their property in all good faith?-, faithful) External goods are given by way of a test to prove them.- , ye have not become [Engl. Ver. not so well, ye have not been]) having laid aside the faithlessness which was in you. This is the signification of the verb [as distinguished from ].- , the true) Jesus speaks according to the heavenly sense [perception of the relative value of things]. The true good is that which is spiritual and eternal. Its preciousness is not equally liable to be exposed to the risk of faithless stewardship (management). No loss is sustained in the case of [this] mammon.-, who) i.e. not I, nor my Father will.-, will commit) in this life, where the danger is of faithlessness.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
in: Luk 16:9
true: Luk 12:33, Luk 18:22, Pro 8:18, Pro 8:19, Eph 3:8, Jam 2:5, Rev 3:18
Reciprocal: Exo 22:10 – General 2Ki 12:15 – for they dealt Mat 6:24 – mammon Luk 12:21 – rich Luk 16:10 – faithful in 2Co 6:10 – and 2Co 8:9 – that ye Col 3:2 – not 1Th 2:4 – to be 2Ti 1:14 – good 2Pe 2:16 – the madness
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1
Unrighteous mammon means the temporal things of this life. If we have misused these things, we will not be regarded as worthy of those in the next life.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
[If ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, etc.] the Vulgar, If ye have not been faithful in the unjust mammon; it is not ill rendered. But can any one be faithful in the unrighteous mammon? As to that, let us judge from the example of Zaccaeus: although he was not faithful in scraping together any thing unjustly, yet was he eminently faithful in so piously distributing it.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Verse 11
In the unrighteous mammon; that is, in the care of money.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the {c} true [riches]?
(c) That is, heavenly and true riches, which are contrary to material wealth which is worldly and quickly departing.