16:10 “The one who is faithful in a very little 5 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 6 in handling worldly wealth, 7 who will entrust you with the true riches? 8 16:12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy 9 with someone else’s property, 10 who will give you your own 11 ?
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the reports the man received about his manager.
2 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the manager) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 sn Although phrased as a question, the charges were believed by the owner, as his dismissal of the manager implies.
4 tn Or “stewardship”; the Greek word οἰκονομία (oikonomia) is cognate with the noun for the manager (οἰκονόμος, oikonomo").
5 sn The point of the statement faithful in a very little is that character is shown in how little things are treated.
6 tn Or “faithful.”
7 tn Grk “the unrighteous mammon.” See the note on the phrase “worldly wealth” in v. 9.
8 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.
9 tn Or “faithful.”
10 tn Grk “have not been faithful with what is another’s.”
11 tn Grk “what is your own.”