Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Luke 16:8

ὁ κύριος. The lord is of course only the landlord of the parable. φρονίμως does not mean ‘wisely’ (a word which is used in a higher sense), but prudently. The tricky cleverness, by which the steward had endeavoured at once to escape detection, and to secure friends who would help him in his need, was exactly what an Oriental landlord would admire as clever, even though he saw through it. And the last act of the steward had been so far honest that for the first time he charged to the debtors the correct amount, while he doubtless represented the diminution as due to his kindly influence with his lord. The lesson to us is analogous skill and prudence, but spiritually employed. This is the sole point which the parable is meant to illustrate. The childish criticism of the Emperor Julian that it taught cheating (!) is refuted by the fact that parables are meant to teach lessons of heavenly wisdom by even the ‘imperfections’ of earth. There is then no greater difficulty in the Parable of the Unjust Steward than in that of the Unjust Judge or the Importunate Friend. The fraud of this “steward of injustice” is neither excused nor palliated; the lesson is drawn from his worldly prudence in supplying himself with friends for the day of need, which we are to do by wise and holy use of earthly gifts. This οἰκονόμος τῆς� (see Luke 16:9) was φρόνιμος, but he was not also πιστός, as we are urged to be (Luke 12:42). But faithful stewards may imitate him in the only point here touched upon, namely, the due application of means to ends.

οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου κ.τ.λ. ‘The sons of this age are more prudent than the sons of the light towards’ or ‘as regards (εἰς) their own generation’; i.e. they make better use of their earthly opportunities for their own lifetime than the sons of the light (John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) do for their lifetime; or even than the sons of light do of their heavenly opportunities for eternity. The zeal and alacrity of the “devil’s martyrs” may be imitated even by God’s servants. With υἱοὶ φωτός comp. τέκνα ὑπακοῆς, 1 Peter 1:14, τέκνα κατάρας, 2 Peter 2:14, ὁ υἱὸς τῆς�, 2 Thessalonians 2:3. It is a vivid Hebraism.

ὑπέρ. The word helps out the decaying force of the comparative.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Luke 16:8

Old Testament

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