Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Luke: Chapter 16]
16:10 {Faithful in a very little} (\pistos en elachist•i\).
Elative superlative. One of the profoundest sayings of Christ. We
see it in business life. The man who can be trusted in a very
small thing will be promoted to large responsibilities. That is
the way men climb to the top. Men who embezzle in large sums
began with small sums. Verses 10-13 here explain the point of
the preceding parables.
16:11 {Faithful in the unrighteous mammon} (\en t•i adik•i
mam•n•i\). In the use of what is considered "unrighteous" as it
so often is. Condition of the first class, "if ye did not prove
to be" (\ei ouk egenesthe\). Failure here forfeits confidence in
"the true riches" (\to al•thinon\). There is no sadder story than
to see a preacher go down by the wrong use of money, caught in
this snare of the devil.
16:12 {That which is your own} (\to h–meteron\). But Westcott and
Hort read \to h•meteron\ (our own) because of B L Origen. The
difference is due to itacism in the pronunciation of \h–-\ and
\h•\ alike (long \i\). But the point in the passage calls for
"yours" as correct. Earthly wealth is ours as a loan, a trust,
withdrawn at any moment. It belongs to another (\en t•i
allotri•i\). If you did not prove faithful in this, who will give
you what is really yours forever? Compare "rich toward God" (Lu
12:21).
16:13 {Servant} (\oiket•s\). Household (\oikos\) servant. This is
the only addition to Mt 6:24 where otherwise the language is
precisely the same, which see. Either Matthew or Luke has put the
\logion\ in the wrong place or Jesus spoke it twice. It suits
perfectly each context. There is no real reason for objecting to
repetition of favourite sayings by Jesus.
16:14 {Who were lovers of money} (\philarguroi huparchontes\).
Literally, being lovers of money. \Philarguroi\ is an old word,
but in the N.T. only here and 2Ti 3:2. It is from \philos\ and
\arguros\. {Heard} (\•kouon\). Imperfect active, were listening
(all the while Jesus was talking to the disciples (verses
1-13). {And they scoffed at him} (\kai exemukt•rizon\).
Imperfect active again of \ekmukt•riz•\. LXX where late writers
use simple verb. In the N.T. only here and Lu 23:35. It means
to turn out or up the nose at one, to sneer, to scoff. The Romans
had a phrase, _naso adunco suspendere_, to hang on the hooked
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