1-8. Tue Parasite or tHE Unsusr Srewarp. Peculiar to Luke.
1. Steward (oixovdpuov). From oixos, a house, and vépe, to distribute or dispense. Hence, one who assigns to the members of the household their several duties, and pays to each his wages. The paymaster. Ie kept the household stores under lock and seal, giving out what was required; and for this pur- pose received a signet-ring from his master. Wyce., fermour, or farmer.
Was accused (8e8A7j97). Only here in New Testament. From 8d, over, across, and Badda, to throw. To carry across, and hence to carry reports, etc., from one to another; to carry false reports, and so to calumniate or slander. See on devil, Matt. iv. 1. The word implies malice, but not necessarily falsehood. Compare Latin traducere (trans, over, ducere, to lead), whence traduce.
392 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. XVI.
Had wasted (as dvacxoprifwy). Lit.,as wasting. Rev., was wasting ; not merely a past offence, but something going on at the time of the accusation. See ch. xv. 13.
2. How is it that | hear this (7/ rodro axovw)? Better as Rev., What is this that I hear ?
Give an account (a7dd0s Tov Aédyov). Lit., “give back” (azo). Rev., render. The (rov) account which is due. Aris- tophanes has a striking parallel : “And now give back my signet ; for thou shalt no longer be my steward ” (“ Knights,” 947).
Thou mayest (uvjon). More strictly, as Rev., thow canst.
3. Taketh away. Or ¢s taking away. He was not yet dis- possessed, as is shown by what follows.
I cannot (eve icytdw). See on ch. xiv. 30. “I have not strength.” His luxurious life had unfitted him for hard labor. In Artistophanes (“ Birds,” 1431), a sycophant is asked: “ Tell me, being a young man, do you lodge informations against strangers?” He replies: “Yes; why should I suffer, for I know not how to dig?”
To beg (érasteiv). See on besought, Matt. xv. 23. 4, They may receive. The debtors of his master (ver. 5).
5. He called. Alford and Trench think that the debtors were together; but the words seem to me to indicate that he dealt with them separately. He called to him each one, and said unto the jirst ; after that (émevra) another.
6. Measures (8drous). Lit., baths. The bath was a He- brew measure, but the amount is uncertain, since, according to Edersheim, there were three kinds of measurement in use in Palestine: the original Mosaic, corresponding with the Roman ; that of Jerusalem, which was a fifth larger; and the common
Cu. XVL] LUKE. 393
Galilaean measurement, which was more than a fifth larger than the Jerusalem. Assuming the first standard, the bath would be about fifty-six pints, and the debt, therefore, a large one.
Take thy bill (Se&ac cov ta ypdppata). Lit., take back thy writings. Rev., bond. Wye., obligation; and in ver. 7, letters. The plural is used for a single document. The dz// is the bond which the buyer has given, and which is in the steward’s keep- ing.» He gives it back to the debtor for him to alter the figures.
Sit down quickly. It was a secret transaction, to be hur- ried through.
7. To another (étépm). <A different one with a different debt, and his circumstances demanding a different rate of dis- count.
Measures (xdpous). Cors. A cor was ten baths; the dry and the fluid measures being the same.
8. The lord. Of the steward. Rev., properly, “Ads lord.”
Commended. Admiring his shrewdness, though he him- self was defrauded.
Unjust steward. Lit., steward of injustice. See on forget- Sul hearer, Jas. i. 25; and compare words of grace, Luke iv. 22; unjust judge, Luke xviii. 6; son of his love, Col. i. 18; lust of uncleanness, 2 Pet. ii. 10. The idiom is a Hebrew one. The phrase expresses Jesus’ judgment on what the steward’s master praised.