Luke 16:8 kjv
And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
Luke 16:8 nkjv
So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
Luke 16:8 niv
"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
Luke 16:8 esv
The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
Luke 16:8 nlt
"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.
Luke 16 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 16:1-7 | Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man who had a manager... his master called him in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you?... make an accounting of your management.” | Parable Context: Preceding verses explaining the manager's situation and his dilemma. |
| Lk 16:9 | 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. | Direct Application: Use worldly wealth to secure eternal friendships and eternal dwelling. |
| Matt 6:19-21 | “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." | Heavenly vs. Earthly Treasure: Emphasizes eternal investment over temporal accumulation. |
| Matt 10:16 | “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” | Prudence & Shrewdness: Command to be wise and strategic while maintaining integrity. |
| Lk 12:42-48 | Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household... for everyone to whom much was given, much will be required... | Stewardship Responsibility: Emphasis on wise management of entrusted resources. |
| 1 Tim 6:17-19 | As for the rich in this present age, charge them... to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves... | Good Works & Generosity: Practical way to "store up treasure in heaven" through wealth. |
| Jas 3:13-18 | Who is wise and understanding among you?... If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition... This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly... | Worldly vs. Heavenly Wisdom: Contrasts two types of wisdom, one for this world, one from God. |
| Col 3:1-2 | If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things on earth. | Heavenly Mindset: Directs focus away from earthly matters to spiritual and eternal ones. |
| Phil 3:19-20 | Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven... | Earthly vs. Heavenly Citizenship: Distinction between those focused on this world and believers. |
| Jn 12:36 | While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light. | Becoming Sons of Light: Those who follow Christ are identified with light. |
| Eph 5:8 | For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light... | Walk as Children of Light: Implies actions and priorities consistent with their new identity. |
| 1 Thess 5:5 | For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. | Children of Light Identity: Defines believers as belonging to light, not darkness. |
| Rom 13:12-14 | The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. | Urgency in Light of Christ's Return: A call to live righteously due to the nearness of God's Kingdom. |
| Prov 6:6-8 | Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her food in summer and gathers her provision in harvest. | Diligence and Foresight: An example from nature of preparing for the future. |
| Prov 21:5 | The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. | Diligence & Planning: Wisdom in strategic preparation for desired outcomes. |
| Prov 22:3 | The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. | Prudence and Danger: Illustrates the practical wisdom of foresight in avoiding harm. |
| Ecc 9:10 | Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. | Urgency of Action: Emphasis on acting diligently with opportunities in the present. |
| Gen 41:33-36 | Pharaoh, therefore, let him select a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt... let them gather all the food of these good years... | Foresight in Action: Joseph's wise plan for storing food during years of abundance. |
| 1 Pet 4:10 | As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace. | Stewardship of Gifts: Applying management principles to spiritual gifts. |
| 2 Cor 4:18 | while we look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. | Eternal Perspective: Undergirds the spiritual principle of focusing on eternal realities. |
| Rom 8:5 | For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. | Mindset Distinction: Aligns with the "sons of this world" (flesh) vs. "sons of light" (Spirit). |
Luke 16 verses
Luke 16 8 Meaning
The master, an earthly employer in the parable, commended his dishonest manager not for his dishonesty, but for his foresight and decisive action in securing his future. Jesus then applies this earthly shrewdness to spiritual matters, highlighting that those focused on the temporary world often act more prudently in their own interests than the "sons of light"—believers—do in securing their eternal spiritual future. It is a call for believers to employ comparable shrewdness and urgency in their spiritual stewardship.
Luke 16 8 Context
Luke chapter 16:8 is part of the parable of the Dishonest Manager (Luke 16:1-8a). This parable is set in a series of teachings by Jesus primarily directed towards His disciples, often in the presence of tax collectors and sinners (Luke 15:1-2), and later in implied dialogue with the Pharisees (Luke 16:14-15). Following the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), which deals with God's welcoming grace for repentant sinners, chapter 16 shifts to principles of stewardship, particularly concerning material wealth and how it should be used with an eternal perspective. The social context of the manager, often acting as a debt collector for a wealthy landowner, provides a backdrop where transactions, debts, and the maneuvering of assets were commonplace. The "master" (Greek: kyrios) in the parable represents an earthly rich man, not God. The manager's shrewd action, while unethical in terms of honest dealing, was a highly practical move within his social world to ensure his future after his impending dismissal. This story can be seen as indirectly critiquing the materialistic focus prevalent among the religious leaders of Jesus' day, such as the Pharisees who "loved money" (Luke 16:14). It challenged the common understanding of "wisdom" and called for a redirection of practical intelligence towards spiritual ends.
Luke 16 8 Word analysis
ul
- The master (ὁ κύριος, ho kyrios): Refers to the earthly lord or owner in the parable. Not God, but a human figure whose decision-making is observed.
- commended (ἐπῄνεσεν, epainesen): Means "to praise" or "to approve." In this context, it signifies an appreciation for the wisdom or foresight shown by the manager, not an endorsement of his dishonest conduct itself. It acknowledges his cleverness in handling the crisis.
- the dishonest manager (τὸν οἰκονόμον τῆς ἀδικίας, ton oikonomon tēs adikias): Lit. "the manager of unrighteousness" or "the unrighteous manager." This clearly marks his character as one defined by injustice, underscoring that his methods were corrupt.
- because he had acted shrewdly (ὅτι φρονίμως ἐποίησεν, hoti phronimōs epoiēsen): This phrase specifies the reason for the master's commendation. Phronimōs means "wisely," "prudently," or "shrewdly" (from phronimos). It describes a practical, worldly intelligence focused on securing one's own well-being, contrasting with sophia (divine wisdom). The manager used his practical cleverness effectively.
- For (ὅτι, hoti): Connects the commendation of the manager to the general principle that follows, explaining why the worldly master would commend such action and why Jesus is drawing a lesson from it.
- the sons of this world (οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, hoi huioi tou aiōnos toutou): Refers to people whose primary focus and motivation are centered on the affairs, values, and concerns of the present age. Their orientation is temporal, not eternal.
- are more shrewd (φρονιμώτεροι, phronimōteroi): The comparative form of phronimos. It indicates that worldly people exhibit a greater degree of practical wisdom or astuteness in their dealings within their sphere.
- in dealing with their own kind (εἰς τὴν γενεὰν τὴν ἑαυτῶν, eis tēn genean tēn heautōn): Lit. "into their own generation." This highlights that their shrewdness is applied effectively within their specific social and economic sphere, among people who share their worldly perspectives and goals.
- than are the sons of light (ὑπὲρ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ φωτός, hyper tous huios tou phōtos): A contrast to the "sons of this world." "Sons of light" refers to those who follow Christ, possessing spiritual truth and an eternal perspective. The implication is that believers, who possess true spiritual light, often fall short in applying comparable practical wisdom to their spiritual responsibilities and eternal destiny.
ul
- "The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly": This pivotal statement highlights that the commendation is for a quality (shrewdness, foresight, decisiveness) separate from the moral rectitude of the act. The manager was facing ruin and took immediate, clever, and unconventional steps to mitigate his loss and secure future provisions, using what he currently had control over. This specific response to a crisis is what is being lauded.
- "For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light": This is Jesus' profound and challenging application. He draws a direct comparison between the secular diligence of worldly people and the often-lacking diligence of believers regarding eternal matters. It's a lament that those who have ultimate truth and eternal perspective (sons of light) sometimes display less practical foresight, urgency, and decisiveness in pursuing their ultimate good than those focused purely on temporal gain (sons of this world). It calls believers to wake up to the critical importance of utilizing earthly opportunities and resources with the same strategic intensity for eternal gains.
Luke 16 8 Bonus section
The master's commendation can be understood as admiring the manager's ingenious problem-solving under pressure. It's akin to appreciating a chess player's cunning move, even if the player is generally disagreeable. The core lesson is a spiritual one, teaching urgency and preparedness in using material things for eternal good, rather than hoarding them. This passage serves as a sharp indictment against spiritual lethargy, highlighting that believers often miss opportunities for eternal investment because they lack the foresight and decisive action seen even in worldly pursuits. The "shrewdness" is not about cunning deception for evil, but practical wisdom and forethought in action, prioritizing and sacrificing for future gain.
Luke 16 8 Commentary
Luke 16:8 marks the critical turning point in the Parable of the Dishonest Manager. The master's commendation serves as Jesus' pivot point, inviting His listeners to look beyond the manager's ethics to discern a deeper principle: the astute foresight and decisive action employed by those who manage earthly resources for their temporary benefit. The commendation is for the manager's effective response to an existential crisis by leveraging his remaining power and resources to secure his future.
Jesus' subsequent comparison is stark: worldly individuals often exhibit greater practical shrewdness in advancing their temporal interests than believers ("sons of light") do in cultivating their eternal ones. This isn't an endorsement of unethical behavior, but an urgent call to discipleship: if worldly people are so proactive and creative in preparing for a fleeting future, how much more diligent, creative, and urgent should "sons of light" be in stewarding their lives, resources, and opportunities for eternal dwelling places (Luke 16:9)? The verse challenges complacency and passivity among believers, urging them to apply spiritual wisdom with worldly strategic vigor, utilizing temporary resources (like money) to cultivate lasting, kingdom-oriented relationships and eternal rewards.