Luke 16 · Verse 12

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?
Luke 16:12, King James Version

Luke 16:12 in other translations

BSBAnd if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?
WEBIf you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?
ASVAnd if ye have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?
YLTand if in the other's ye became not faithful--your own, who shall give to you?
DARBYand if ye have not been faithful in that which is another's, who shall give to you your own?
BBEAnd if you have not been true in your care of the property of other people, who will give you that which is yours?
WebsterAnd if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who will give you that which is your own?

What does Luke 16:12 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."

Read the full comment on Luke 16:11-12 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 12. Another man's. The word man's is not in the original. It is, "If ye have been unfaithful managers for another." It refers, doubtless, to God. The wealth of the world is his. It is committed to us as his stewards. It is uncertain and deceitful, and at any moment he can take it away from us. It is still his; and if, while intrusted with this, we are unfaithful, we cannot expect that he will confer on us the rewards of heaven.

That which is your own. The riches of heaven, which, if once given to us, may be considered as ours that is, it will be permanent and fixed, and will not be taken away as if at the pleasure of another. We may calculate on it, and look forward with the assurance that it will continue to be ours for ever, and will not be taken away like the riches of this world, as if they were not ours. The meaning of the whole parable is therefore thus expressed: If we do not use the things of this world as we ought--with honesty, truth, wisdom, and integrity, we cannot have evidence of piety, and shall not be received into heaven. If we are true to that which is least, it is an evidence that we are the children of God, and he will commit to our trust that which is of infinite importance, even the eternal riches and glory of heaven.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 That which is another man's - Or rather another's, τῳ αλλοτριω. That is, worldly riches, called another's: 1. Because they belong to God, and he has not designed that they should be any man's portion. 2. Because they are continually changing their possessors, being in the way of commerce, and in providence going from one to another. This property of worldly goods is often referred to by both sacred and profane writers. See a fine passage in Horace, Sat. l. ii. s. 2. v. 129. Nam propriae telluris herum natura neque illum, Nec me, nec quemquam statuit Nature will no perpetual heir assign, Nor make the farm his property, or mine. Francis And the following in one of our own poets: - "Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands." That which is your own? - Grace and glory, which God has particularly designed for you; which are the only proper satisfying portion for the soul, and which no man can enjoy in their plenitude, unless he be faithful to the first small motions and influences of the Divine Spirit.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · 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 16:12 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.

καὶkaiAndG2532
εἰeiifG1487
ἐνeninG1722
τῷtōthat which [is]G3588
ἀλλοτρίῳallotriōof anotherG245
πιστοὶpistoifaithfulG4103
οὐκouknotG3756
ἐγένεσθε,egenestheyou have been,G1096
τὸtothat whichG3588
ὑμέτερονhumeteron[is] yoursG4771
τίςtiswhoG5101
ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771
δώσει;¶dōseiwill giveG1325

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

Cross references for Luke 16:12

  • Luke 19:13-26

    And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. …

  • Job 1:21

    And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

  • Matthew 25:14-29

    For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. …

  • 1 Chronicles 29:14-16

    But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.

  • 1 Peter 1:4-5

    To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

  • Ezekiel 16:16-21

    And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them, And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them. My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord God. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
in.
19:13-26; 1Ch 29:14-16; Job 1:21; Eze 16:16-21; Ho 2:8; Mt 25:14-29
that which is your.
10:42; Col 3:3,4; 1Pe 1:4,5

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

Context

  • 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?

  • Luke 16:13

    No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Read all of Luke 16

Luke 16:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y si en lo ajeno no fuisteis fieles, ¿quién os dará lo que es vuestro?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et si, dans ce qui est à autrui, vous n’avez pas été fidèles, qui vous donnera ce qui est vôtre?
German
Elberfelder 1871		und wenn ihr in dem Fremden nicht treu gewesen seid, wer wird euch das Eurige geben?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et si in alieno fideles non fuistis, quod vestrum est, quis dabit vobis?