Luke 16:1 There was a certain rich man, which had a steward;

KJV: 

Luke 16:1 There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

A man, a someone, was rich. This one had a house manager and this same one was slandered to him as scattering those belongings of his. 

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

One important point here is that is lost in translation is that the verb translated as "was accused" means most likely means "falsely accused".  This idea is lost in all translations.  This helps clarify a very confusing parable which seems to praise a dishonest manager. The man's actions are more understandable if he was falsely accused. 

The verb "there was" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.  When the verb "to be" appears early in the sentence before the subject, the sense is more like "it is" or, in the plural, "there are."  However, that is not the case here. Here it simply connects the subject to one of his characteristics, being wealthy. 

The word translated as "a certain" means primarily means "anything" or "anyone," but can be used to mean someone of note as we would say "a someone"

"Rich " is from an adjective that means "rich," and "opulent." It very much has the sense of ostentatiously rich. It does not appear as an adjective before or after the noun but as a description after the verb, "was rich". 

The Greek word for "man" means "man", "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men", "people", and "peoples". 

The word translated as "which" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun ("the one that), especially a connective pronoun ("the one that") introducing a dependent clause.

The word translated as "had" means to "have", "possess", "bear", "keep close", "have means to do",  "to have due to one", or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as it is in English. 

"A steward" is an uncommon word for Jesus that appears here for the first time. It is a term that means a household manager. 

The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

"The same" is translated from a Greek word that means "this", "that", "the nearer."

"Was accused" is a Greek verb that Jesus only uses here. It means to "throw or carry over or across", "pass over", "cross",  "put through",  "set at variance", "slander", "put off with evasions", "deceive by false accounts", and in the passive,  "to be at variance with",  "to be slandered", etc. It does not mean simply to accuse but specifically to accuse falsely. 

The word translated as "unto him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  The word means "the same" when used as an adjective. It is an indirect object. 

The word translated as "that" has a very broad meaning, translating as "how", "when", "where", "just as", "like," and related words. Here it is used to introduce a verb used as in adjective. "As" works best here. 

The word used for "he had wasted" means "to scatter among", "to disperse among" and "to winnow," which is separating the wheat from the straw.  It is often used as the opposite of "gathered".  It was also translated as "wasted" in Luke 15:13, where it was used as a subtle opposite to "gathered". 

The verb translated as "goods" means, "to take the initiative", "to begin," "to be already in existence," "to belong to," and of persons "to be devoted to". It is in the form of an adjective ("beginning", "existing already", "belonging to") used as a noun, "the things beginning", "the things existing", and "the things belonging to".

The word translated as "his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  The word means "the same" when used as an adjective. In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there." 

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

Ἄνθρωπός (noun sg masc nom) "A man" is anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate. 

τις (pron sg masc nom) "Certain" is tis which can mean "someone", "any one", "everyone", "they [indefinite]", "many a one", "whoever", "anyone", "anything", "some sort", "some sort of", "each", "any", "the individual", "such," and so on. In a question, it can mean "who", "why," or "what." -- The Greek word translated as "some" in the singular means "anyone", "someone," and "anything." In the plural, it means "some", "they," and "those."  

ἦν (verb 3rd sg imperf ind act) "There was" is eimi, which means "to be", "to exist", "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen",  and "is possible." (The future form is esomai. The 3rd person present indicative is "esti.") --

πλούσιος (adj pl masc nom) "Rich" is from plousios, which means "rich," and "opulent." It very much has the sense of ostentatiously rich.

ὃς (pron sg masc nom) "Which" is hos, which means "this", "that", "he", "she", "which", "what", "who", "whosoever", "where", "for which reason," and many similar meanings. 

εἶχεν (verb 3rd sg imperf ind act) "Had" is echo, which means "to have", "to hold", "to possess", "to keep", "to have charge of", "to have due to one", "to maintain", "to hold fast", "to bear", "to carry", "to keep close", "to keep safe," and "to have means to do." 

οἰκονόμον, [uncommon](noun sg masc nom) 'Steward" is oikonomoswhich means "one who manages a household", "manager", "administrator", in feminine, "housewife" or "housekeeper".

καὶ (conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "but." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even", "also," and "just." 

οὗτος (adj sg masc nom) "The same" is houtos, which as an adjective means "this", "that", "the nearer." As an adverb, it means "in this way", "therefore", "so much", "to such an extent," and "that is why."

διεβλήθη [unique](verb 3rd sg aor ind pass) "Was accused" is diaballo,  which means to "throw or carry over or across", "pass over", "cross",  "put through",  "set at variance", "slander", "put off with evasions", "deceive by false accounts", and in the passive,  "to be at variance with",  "to be slandered", etc. 

αὐτῷ (adj sg masc dat) "Unto him" is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself", "yourself", "himself", "herself", "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him", "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there." 

ὡς (adv/conj) "Which" is hos, an adverb which means to "thus", "as", "how", "when", "where", "like", "just as", "so far as", "as much as can be", "that", "in order that", "nearly (with numbers)," and "know that." 

διασκορπίζων (part sg pres act masc nom) "He had wasted" is from diaskorpizo, which means literally, to "scatter among" or "disperse among", and "to scatter abroad". In the passive, it means "to squander", "to confound," and "to winnow." -- The word used for "he had wasted" means "to scatter among", "to disperse among" and "to winnow," which is separating the wheat from the straw.  It is often used as the opposite of "gathered". 

τὰ ὑπάρχοντα (part pl pres act neut dat) "Goods" is from hyparchonta, (huparchô), which means "to take the initiative", "to begin," "to be the beginning," "to be already in existence," "to be laid down," "to be taken for granted," "belong to," "fall to one," "accrue," of persons "to be devoted to", and, as a present participle, "existing circumstances", "present advantages", "possessions", and "resources." 

αὐτοῦ. (adj sg masc gen) "His" is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself", "yourself", "himself", "herself", "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him", "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there." 

Related Verses: 

Front Page Date: 

Aug 6 2018