Discovery BoxLuke 1:52 
Context1:52 He has brought down the mighty 1 from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; 2
Luke 16:3
Context16:3 Then 3 the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking my position 4 away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig, 5 and I’m too ashamed 6 to beg.
1 tn Or “rulers.”
2 tn Or “those of humble position”
sn The contrast between the mighty and those of lowly position is fundamental for Luke. God cares for those that the powerful ignore (Luke 4:18-19).
3 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events in the parable.
4 tn Grk “the stewardship,” “the management.”
5 tn Here “dig” could refer (1) to excavation (“dig ditches,” L&N 19.55) or (2) to agricultural labor (“work the soil,” L&N 43.3). In either case this was labor performed by the uneducated, so it would be an insult as a job for a manager.
6 tn Grk “I do not have strength to dig; I am ashamed to beg.”
sn To beg would represent a real lowering of status for the manager, because many of those whom he had formerly collected debts from, he would now be forced to beg from.
