Luke 16 · Verse 11

Luke 16:11

If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Luke 16:11, King James Version

Luke 16:11 in other translations

BSBSo if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?
WEBIf therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
ASVIf therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
YLTif, then, in the unrighteous mammon ye became not faithful--the true who will entrust to you?
DARBYIf therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who shall entrust to you the true?
BBEIf, then, you have not been true in your use of the wealth of this life, who will give into your care the true wealth?
WebsterIf therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

What does Luke 16:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 16:11-12
11-12. unrighteous mammon--To the whole of this He applies the disparaging term "what is least," in contrast with "the true riches."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 11. Who will commit, &c. If you are not faithful in the small matters pertaining to this world, if you do not use aright your property and influence, you cannot expect that God will commit to you the true riches of his grace. Men who are dishonest and worldly, and who do not employ the deceitful mammon as they ought, cannot expect to grow in grace. God does not confer grace upon them, and their being unfaithful in earthly matters is evidence that they would be also in much greater affairs, and would likewise misimprove the true riches.

True riches. The graces of the gospel; the influences of the Spirit; eternal life, or religion. The riches of this world are false, deceitful, not to be trusted (Lk 16:9); the treasures of heaven are true, faithful, never-failing, Mt 6:19,20.

(4) "mammon" = "riches"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 16:1-12

Whatever we have, the property of it is God's; we have only the use of it, according to the direction of our great Lord, and for his honour. This steward wasted his lord's goods. And we are all liable to the same charge; we have not made due improvement of what God has trusted us with. The steward cannot deny it; he must make up his accounts, and be gone. This may teach us that death will come, and deprive us of the…

Read the full comment on Luke 16:1-12 →

Luke 16:11 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

εἰeiIfG1487
οὖνounthereforeG3767
ἐνeninG1722
τῷtōtheG3588
ἀδίκῳadikōunrighteousG94
μαμωνᾷmamōnawealthG3126
πιστοὶpistoifaithfulG4103
οὐκouknotG3756
ἐγένεσθε,egenestheyou have been,G1096
τὸtotheG3588
ἀληθινὸνalēthinontrue [riches]G228
τίςtiswhoG5101
ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771
πιστεύσει;pisteuseiwill entrust?G4100

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 16:11

  • Luke 12:33

    Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

  • Proverbs 8:18-19

    Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

  • James 2:5

    Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

  • Ephesians 3:8

    Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

  • Luke 18:22

    Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

  • Luke 16:9

    And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

  • Revelation 3:18

    I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
in.
9
true.
12:33; 18:22; Pr 8:18,19; Eph 3:8; Jas 2:5; Re 3:18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 16:10

    He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

  • Luke 16:11

    If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

  • Luke 16:12

    And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?

Read all of Luke 16

Luke 16:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Pues si en las malas riquezas no fuisteis fieles, ¿quién os confiará lo verdadero?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Si donc vous n’avez pas été fidèles dans les richesses injustes, qui vous confiera les vraies?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wenn ihr nun in dem ungerechten Mammon nicht treu gewesen seid, wer wird euch das Wahrhaftige anvertrauen?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si ergo in iniquo mammona fideles non fuistis quod verum est, quis credet vobis?