Luke 16:7

Every parable explains the essence of some subject in a concealed and figurative manner, but it is not in all respects similar to the subject for the explanation of which it is employed. Therefore one should not interpret all parts of a parable down to …

He also gives moderately, that is, according to the requirement of the debt; on account of which he adds: Then he said to another: And how much do you owe? Therefore he inquires the measure, so that he may distribute in measured fashion, because Ecclesiasticus …

How hard is it to find one that confidence can be reposed in! Let God be true, but every man a liar. Though this steward is turned out for dealing dishonestly, yet still he does so.

Then said he to another, and how much owest thou?....

Measures of wheat - The measure here mentioned - the “kor,” or homer - contained, according to the tables of Dr. Arbuthnot, about 32 pecks, or 8 bushels; or, according to the marginal note, about 14 bushels and a “pottle.” A “pottle” is 4 pints. The Hebrew “kor,” כר kor, or “homer,” חמר chomer, was equal to 10 baths or 70 gallons, and the actual amount of the measure, according to this, was not far from 8 gallons. Robinson, Lexicon), however, supposes that the bath was 11 12 gallons, and the kor or homer 14 to 45 bushels.

The passage we have now read is a difficult one. There are knots in it which perhaps will never be untied, until the Lord comes again. We might reasonably expect that a book written by inspiration, as the Bible is, would contain things hard to be understood. The fault lies not in the book, but in our own feeble understandings. If we learn nothing else from the passage before us, let us learn humility. Let us beware, in the first place — that we do not draw lessons from these verses which they were never meant to teach.

The passage we have now read is a difficult one. There are knots in it which perhaps will never be untied, until the Lord comes again. We might reasonably expect that a book written by inspiration, as the Bible is, would contain things hard to be understood. The fault lies not in the book, but in our own feeble understandings. If we learn nothing else from the passage before us, let us learn humility. Let us beware, in the first place — that we do not draw lessons from these verses which they were never meant to teach. The steward whom our Lord describes, is not set before us as a pattern of morality. He is distinctly called the "unjust steward." The Lord Jesus never meant to sanction dishonesty, and unfair dealing between man and man. This steward cheated his master, and broke the eighth commandment. His master was struck with his ingenuity and forethought, when he heard of it — and commended him as a shrewd and far-seeing man. But there is no proof that his master was pleased with his conduct. Above all, there is not a word to show that the man was praised by Christ. In short, in his treatment of his master, the steward is a beacon to be avoided — and not a pattern to be followed. The caution, now laid down, is very necessary. Commercial dishonesty is unhappily very common in these latter days. Honest dealing between man and man is increasingly rare. Men do things in the way of business — which will not stand the test of the Bible . In "making haste to be rich," thousands are continually committing actions which are dishonest. (Proverbs 28:20.) Sharpness and smartness, in bargaining, and buying, and selling, and pushing trade — are often covering over dishonest hearts. The generation of "the unjust steward" is still a very large one. Let us not forget this.

A hundred measures of wheat - Ἑκατον κορους, a hundred cors. Κορος, from the Hebrew כר cor, was the largest measure of capacity among the Hebrews, whether for solids or liquids. As the bath was equal to the ephah, so the cor was equal to the homer. It contained about seventy-five gallons and five pints English. For the same reason for which I preserve the names of the ancient coins, I preserve the names of the ancient measures. What idea can a mere English reader have of the word measure in this and the preceding verse, when the original words are not only totally different, but the quantity is as seven to seventy-five? The original terms should be immediately inserted in the text, and the contents inserted in the margin. The present marginal reading is incorrect. I follow Bishop Cumberland’s weights and measures. See on Luk 15:8 (note). In the preceding relation, I have no doubt our Lord alluded to a custom frequent in the Asiatic countries: a custom which still prevails, as the following account, taken from Capt. Hadley’s Hindostan Dialogues, sufficiently proves. A person thus addresses the captain: “Your Sirkar’s deputy, whilst his master was gone to Calcutta, established a court of justice. “Having searched for a good many debtors and their creditors, he learned the accounts of their bonds. “He then made an agreement with them to get the bonds out of the bondsmen’s hands for half the debt, if they would give him one fourth. “Thus, any debtor for a hundred rupees, having given fifty to the creditor, and twenty-five to this knave, got his bond for seventy-five rupees. “Having seized and flogged 125 bondholders, he has in this manner determined their loans, and he has done this business in your name.” Hadley’s Gram. Dialogues, p. 79. 5th edit. 1801.