16:10 “The one who is faithful in a very little 2 is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 16:11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy 3 in handling worldly wealth, 4 who will entrust you with the true riches? 5 16:12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy 6 with someone else’s property, 7 who will give you your own 8 ?
1 tn Grk “His master said to him.”
2 sn The point of the statement faithful in a very little is that character is shown in how little things are treated.
3 tn Or “faithful.”
4 tn Grk “the unrighteous mammon.” See the note on the phrase “worldly wealth” in v. 9.
5 sn Entrust you with the true riches is a reference to future service for God. The idea is like 1 Cor 9:11, except there the imagery is reversed.
6 tn Or “faithful.”
7 tn Grk “have not been faithful with what is another’s.”
8 tn Grk “what is your own.”
9 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the nobleman of v. 12, now a king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 tn See Luke 16:10.
11 sn The faithful slave received expanded responsibility (authority over ten cities) as a result of his faithfulness; this in turn is an exhortation to faithfulness for the reader.