Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 16:4
I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
4. I am. resolved what to do ] The original graphically represents the sudden flash of discovery ‘I have it! I know now what to do.’
into their houses ] Literally, “ into their own houses” I will confer on them such a boon that they will not leave me houseless. This eating the bread of dependence, which was all the steward hoped to gain after his life of dishonesty, was after all a miserable prospect, Sir 29:22-28 . If different parts of the parable shadow forth different truths, we may notice that the steward has not enriched himself; what he has had he has spent. So at death, when we have to render the account of our stewardship to God, we cannot take with us one grain of earthly riches.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I am resolved – He thought of his condition. He looked at the plans which occurred to him. He had been dishonest, and knew that he must lose his place. It would have been better to have considered before this, and resolved on a proper course of life, and to be faithful to his trust; and his perplexity here teaches us that dishonesty will sooner or later lead us into difficulty, and that the path of honesty is not only the right path, but is the path that is filled with most comfort and peace.
When I am put out … – When I lose my place, and have no home and means of support.
They may receive me … – Those who are now under me, and whom I am resolved now to favor. He had been dishonest to his master, and, having commenced a course of dishonesty, he did not shrink from pursuing it. Having injured his master, and being now detected, he was willing still farther to injure him, to take revenge on him for removing him from his place, and to secure his own interest still at his expense. He was resolved to lay these persons under such obligations, and to show them so much kindness, that they could not well refuse to return the kindness to him and give him a support. We may learn here,
- That one sin leads on to another, and that one act of dishonesty will be followed by many more, if there is opportunity.
- Men who commit one sin cannot get along consistently without committing many more. One lie will demand many more to make it appear like the truth, and one act of cheating will demand many more to avoid detection. The beginning of sin is like the letting out of waters, and no man knows, if he indulges in one sin, where it will end.
- Sinners are selfish. They care more about themselves than they do either about God or truth. If they seek salvation, it is only for selfish ends, and because they desire a comfortable abode in the future world rather than because they have any regard to God or his cause.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. They may receive me] That is, the debtors and tenants, who paid their debts and rents, not in money, but in kind; such as wheat, oil, and other produce of their lands.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
4. may receive me, &c.Observehis one objectwhen cast out of one home to secure another.This is the key to the parable, on which there have been manydiffering views.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I am resolved what to do,…. Or “I know what to do”; I have a scheme in my head, and I am determined to execute it, which will provide for me, and secure me a maintenance:
that when I am put out of the stewardship; drove from Jerusalem, and from the temple and the synagogues:
they may receive me into their houses; either Jews or Gentiles, after their dispersion.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I am resolved (). Second aorist active indicative of . A difficult tense to reproduce in English. I knew, I know, I have known, all miss it a bit. It is a burst of daylight to the puzzled, darkened man: I’ve got it, I see into it now, a sudden solution.
What to do ( ). Either deliberative first aorist active subjunctive or deliberative future active indicative.
When I am put out ( ). First aorist passive subjunctive of , (, ), old verb, to transpose, transfer, remove. He is expecting to be put out.
They may receive me (). First aorist middle subjunctive of , common verb. Subjunctive with final particle . He wishes to put the debtors under obligation to himself.
Debtors ( ). A late word. In the N.T. only here and Lu 7:41 from , loan, and , debtor. It is probable that he dealt with “each one” separately.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
They may receive. The debtors of his master (ver. 5).
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) I am resolved what to do,” (egnon ti poieso) I know what I may do,” I have a good idea what I may do. An ideal plan has just come to me, dawned on me, like a flash of light.
2) “That when I am put out of the stewardship,” (hina hotan metastatho ek tes oikonomias) “in order that when I am removed (released or fired) from the stewardship or house-governing job,” that now is and has been my livelihood.
3) “They may receive me into their houses.”(deksontai me eis tous oikous heauton) “They may take me into their own residences;” and give me shelter, Luk 16:9. The “they” seems to be the debtors to whom he had “loosely”, poorly let out his master’s money or rented his land, without collecting for his master, his employer.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(4) I am resolved what to do.More literally, I know, or even, I knew, as of a man to whom a plan occurs suddenly. The dramatic abruptness of the parable leaves us uncertain who they are that are to receive him. The context that follows immediately supplies the deficiency. What answers to this, in the interpretation, is the moment when a Church or party or an individual teacher, halts between two policiesone that of striving after righteousness, and the other of secular expediencyand makes up its mind to adopt that which promises the most immediate and most profitable results.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Put out of the stewardship The steward here was an overseer to the landlord’s estate, namely, his landed property. He bargained with the tenants and took the rents. About to be expelled by his lord, he means now so to make friends of the tenants, that they will furnish him with house and home.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“I am resolved what to do, so that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.”
And then the brainwave hits him. He feels that he has discovered a way out of his dilemma. We should note that the circumstances are very much against what follows being seen as actually dishonest. Dishonesty would hardly make him a likely contender for a job, however pleased the customers were, it would rather render him liable to prosecution, and it would certainly not earn him commendation from his lord. Nor is there any reason for seeing it in that way, for what he is following is in fact good business practise, even though the circumstances are a little unfortunate. The only dishonesty is in the reasons for the discounts, and, however much suspected, that would be difficult to prove
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Luk 16:4. I am resolved Anciently, stewards, besides taking care of their master’s domestic affairs, gave leases of their lands, and settled the rent which each tenant was to pay; which is not an unusual mode in these days. Accordingly, the steward in the parable made use of this branch of his power to purchase the good-will of his lord’s tenants. Having racked their rents in the leases which he had lately given, he now determined that they should have their possessions on the same terms as formerly. This interpretation of the parable may be gathered, not only from the nature of the thing, but from the proper sense of the words and , the one signifying any kind of debtor, and among the rest a tenant; and the other, any kind of obligatory writing, and among the rest a lease: besides, in this light, the favour which was done to the tenants was substantial, and laid them under lasting obligations: whereas, according to the common interpretation, the steward could not propose to reap so much benefit from any requital which the debtors would make to him for the sums forgiven them, as these sums were worth to himself; and therefore he might rather have exacted them, and put them in his own pocket.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Luk 16:4 . The word , coming in without any connecting particle, depicts in a lively manner what was passing in his mind, and is true to nature. The aorist is used not as being the same as the perfect , although de Wette will have it so, but expresses the moment of occurrence: I have come to the knowledge . Bengel well says: “Subito consilium cepit.”
] when (quando) I shall have been dismissed . He thus expresses himself to indicate the critical point of time, imminent to him by reason of the near experience that he is expecting, after the occurrence of which the . . . is to take place. Comp. Luk 16:9 .
] the debtors of his master, , Euthymius Zigabenus. See Buttmann, Neut. Gr . p. 117 [E. T. 134].
] houses , not families (Schulz), comp. Luk 16:9 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
Ver. 4. They may receive me ] This is that wit he showed for himself, and for the which he is here commended: teaching us by all lawful means (not by any unlawful, as he) to provide for ourselves, and to preserve our reputation.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
4. ] not = , which would be, ‘ I know , as part of my stock of knowledge, I am well aware,’ but implying, I have just arrived at the knowledge, an idea has just struck me I have a plan.
viz. those who are about to be spoken of, the . He has them in his mind.
Observe, the aim of his scheme is that they may receive him into their houses, give him shelter . This is made use of afterwards in the interpretation, for which see on Luk 16:9 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 16:4 . : too weak to dig, too proud to beg, he hits upon a feasible scheme at last: I have it, I know now what to do. is the dramatic or tragic aorist used in classics, chiefly in poetry and in dialogue. It gives greater vividness than the use of the present would. : his plan contemplates as its result reception of the degraded steward into their houses by people not named; probably the very people who accused him. We are not to suppose that permanent residence in other people’s houses is in view. Something better may offer. The scheme provides for the near future, helps to turn the next corner.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
I am resolved, &c.; or, I haveit!
I know, &c. App-132.
to do = I will do.
when I am put out of = when I shall have been removed from.
they: i.e. the debtors.
into. Greek. eis. App-104.
their = their own.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
4.] -not = , which would be, I know, as part of my stock of knowledge, I am well aware,-but implying, I have just arrived at the knowledge,-an idea has just struck me-I have a plan.
-viz. those who are about to be spoken of, the . He has them in his mind.
Observe, the aim of his scheme is that they may receive him into their houses,-give him shelter. This is made use of afterwards in the interpretation, for which see on Luk 16:9.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 16:4. , I know [better the Eng. Vers. I am resolved]) He suddenly formed a plan.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Pro 30:9, Jer 4:22, Jam 3:15
Reciprocal: Luk 16:8 – done
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A GOOD RESOLUTION
I am resolved what to do.
Luk 16:4
The words of the text were put by our Blessed Lord into the lips of a thoroughly worldly man, with whom we come in contact in that well-known parablethe Parable of the Unjust Steward. We want to remember, do we not, that our Lords advice to us is just thisas you mingle with the world, as you come in contact with men who are living for the world, who have as their aim securing all that the world can give, caring little or nothing what may happen so long as they secure that, then He would seem to say to us, Do not judge them, do not say hard things, do not forget that they, too, have been redeemed by the Saviour of the world, but try to learn from them a lesson which will help you in your struggle for your Christian freedom, and remember that if you are as true to your aims as they are to theirs, then you will go amongst your fellow-men as saviours of society.
You and I must give an account of our stewardship; we must give an account of the way in which we have lived our life, and used our time, and our money, and our talents.
I. Get time to think.Anticipate the account which you must give of your stewardship. I do not doubt for one moment that our hearts are stirred by the tender appeal of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; but have you let Him enter the great citadel of your will? Have you, too, said: I am resolved what to do? Have you given up the great gift which God has given to you to Him to keep for you until the day of your account?
II. Begin to act.Watch the man of the world, see his promptness, see his position. He knows that the victories cannot be won by dreaming; he knows that he must act, and act in the living present. Give up this day, this hour, the sin that doth so easily beset you. Begin to do what in your highest moments you have again and again promised God that you would do. Forgive the enemy, and pray for him, and so make him one of your best friends. Give back in full restitution what you owe to others, and then begin like the wise man of the worldset your house in order, and take pains about your religious life. Do you leave your business to chance? Do you leave your appointments and your arrangements to the moment? You settle your plan; you have a method. You know that it would be fatal to leave such things to chance.
III. In the spiritual life there should be method.Have we method in those early morning prayers? In the few minutes before we lie down to take our rest at night is the Word of God given any regular, systematic place in the lives that you and I are living, and do we feed our souls on the Bread of Life, and so get sustenance for this long, weary pilgrimage from the cradle to the Cross?
Then, if so, if that be our method, if we have learned our simple lesson which is being taught us every day of our lives in the world, then one last thought I leave you, and it is given you by the man who means to succeed in this life.
IV. Be consistent, persevere, let nothing turn you from the purpose which lies before you. You will be tempted, as we all are, to make those mean compromises with the world, to leave so many things as open questions until the residue of your religion is practically worth nothing. But to delay is fatal.
Rev. Canon Pollock.
Illustration
A young man who lived what is called a life of pleasure came home to die at his fathers house, ruined in constitution, sad at heart, until he learned once more the message of the pardon which comes to those who fulfil the conditions on which it is given from our Lord Jesus Christ. And yet from time to time a sadness came over that lads face. Why, said his father, are you sad? Surely now you have found the answer to your heart-searching sadness and sorrow. Perfectly, father, he said. But I am sometimes sad when I remember all that God has now to give me, and I must die, and there is no life left in which to offer up my thanksgiving to God, to live my life for the honour and glory of my Saviour.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
4
The pronoun they in the application of the parable, refers to God and Christ as we shall see farther down in the chapter.