John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 7. Then said he to another, and how much owest thou ? etc.] To my Lord, as before: and he said, an hundred measures of wheat , or cors of wheat; the same with homers, ( Ezekiel 45:14) the same quantity as in ( Ezra 7:22) where, as here, they are called an hundred measures of wheat; and were, as Jarchi on the place observes, twjnml , for the meal, or flour offerings: according to the above writer f469 , this measure held five bushels, and five gallons; so that the whole was five hundred, sixty bushels, and a half: some make the measure to hold eight bushels and a half; and others, fourteen bushels and a pottle, which greatly increases the quantity. And he said unto him, take thy bill and write fourscore . The Persic version reads seventy. Inasmuch now as oil and wheat were things expended in the observance of the ceremonial law, and these men's debts lay in them, it may have regard to the deficiency of the Jews in those things: wherefore by the bill may be meant the law; and which is sometimes called by the same name as here, gramma , the writing, or letter, ( 2 Corinthians 3:6 Romans 2:29 7:6) and is so called, not merely because it was written in letters; but because it is a mere letter, showing only what is to be done and avoided, without giving strength to perform, or pointing where it is to be had; and it is so, as obeyed by an unregenerate man; and as abstracted from the spirituality of it; and as weak, and without efficacy, to quicken, justify, or sanctify: and whereas the steward, the Scribes and Pharisees, ordered the debtors to write a lesser sum; this may regard the lessening, and even laying aside of many things in the law, after the destruction of the temple; as particularly the daily sacrifice, and other things; (see Dan 9:27 Hosea 3:4) and the doctrine of the Pharisees was always a curtailing of the law, and making less of it than it was; as appears from the glosses they put upon it, refuted by our Lord in ( Matthew 5:1-48). They compounded the matter with the people, as some men do now, and taught them, that an imperfect righteousness would do in the room of a perfect one: a doctrine very pleasing to men, and which never fails of gaining an access into the hearts and houses of carnal men; though very injurious to God, and to his divine perfections, particularly his justice and holiness; as the methods this steward took were unjust to his Lord, though very agreeable to his debtors, and were well calculated to answer the end he proposed, an after provision for himself. I am much indebted to a learned writer f470 , whose name is in the margin, for several thoughts and hints in the explanation of this parable; and also of that of the rich man and Lazarus, in the latter part of this chapter.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 sam charge; we have not made due improvement of what God has trusted u with. The steward cannot deny it; he must make up his accounts, and by gone. This may teach us that death will come, and deprive us of the opportunities we now have. The steward will make friends of his lord' debtors or tenants, by striking off a considerable part of their deb to his lord. The lord referred to in this parable commended not the fraud, but the policy of the steward. In that respect alone is it s noticed. Worldly men, in the choice of their object, are foolish; but in their activity, and perseverance, they are often wiser tha believers. The unjust steward is not set before us as an example i cheating his master, or to justify any dishonesty, but to point out the careful ways of worldly men. It would be well if the children of ligh would learn wisdom from the men of the world, and would as earnestl pursue their better object. The true riches signify spiritual blessings; and if a man spends upon himself, or hoards up what God ha trusted to him, as to outward things, what evidence can he have, tha he is an heir of God through Christ? The riches of this world ar deceitful and uncertain. Let us be convinced that those are truly rich and very rich, who are rich in faith, and rich toward God, rich in Christ, in the promises; let us then lay up our treasure in heaven, an expect our portion from thence.
Greek Textus Receptus
επειτα 1899 ADV ετερω 2087 A-DSM ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S συ 4771 P-2NS δε 1161 CONJ ποσον 4214 Q-ASN οφειλεις 3784 5719 V-PAI-2S ο 3588 T-NSM δε 1161 CONJ ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S εκατον 1540 A-NUI κορους 2884 N-APM σιτου 4621 N-GSM και 2532 CONJ λεγει 3004 5719 V-PAI-3S αυτω 846 P-DSM δεξαι 1209 5663 V-ADM-2S σου 4675 P-2GS το 3588 T-ASN γραμμα 1121 N-ASN και 2532 CONJ γραψον 1125 5657 V-AAM-2S ογδοηκοντα 3589 A-NUI
Robertson's NT Word Studies
16:7 {Measures} (korous). Another Hebrew word for dry measure. The Hebrew _cor_ was about ten bushels. Data are not clear about the Hebrew measures whether liquid ({bath}) or dry ({cor}).
