16:1 Jesus 9 also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who was informed of accusations 10 that his manager 11 was wasting 12 his assets. 16:2 So 13 he called the manager 14 in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? 15 Turn in the account of your administration, 16 because you can no longer be my manager.’
1 tn Grk “And after.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
2 tn Grk “after not many days.”
3 tn Or “wasted.” This verb is graphic; it means to scatter (L&N 57.151).
4 tn Or “estate” (the same word has been translated “estate” in v. 12).
5 sn Note the younger son is not “my brother” but this son of yours (an expression with a distinctly pejorative nuance).
6 sn This is another graphic description. The younger son’s consumption had been like a glutton. He had both figuratively and literally devoured the assets which were given to him.
7 sn The charge concerning the prostitutes is unproven, but essentially the older brother accuses the father of committing an injustice by rewarding his younger son’s unrighteous behavior.
8 sn See note on the phrase “fattened calf” in v. 23.
9 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 tn These are not formal legal charges, but reports from friends, acquaintances, etc.; Grk “A certain man was rich who had a manager, and this one was reported to him as wasting his property.”
11 sn His manager was the steward in charge of managing the house. He could have been a slave trained for the role.
12 tn Or “squandering.” This verb is graphic; it means to scatter (L&N 57.151).
13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the reports the man received about his manager.
14 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the manager) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15 sn Although phrased as a question, the charges were believed by the owner, as his dismissal of the manager implies.
16 tn Or “stewardship”; the Greek word οἰκονομία (oikonomia) is cognate with the noun for the manager (οἰκονόμος, oikonomo").