Luke 16:13

 Luke 16:13

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

a. NASB 1995: “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [fn]wealth.” [NASB95 New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation; All Rights Reserved]

b. NKJV: “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” [Scripture quotations marked "NKJV" are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]

c. Classic Amplified: No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or [k]anything in which you trust and on which you rely). [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and like the other; or he will honor one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth). [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

e. ESV: No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved."]

f. Unless otherwise stated, all Greek and Hebrew definitions are from Blue Letter Bible

1. No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

a. No [Strong: 3762 oudeís, oo-dice'; from G3761 and G1520; not even one (man, woman or thing), i.e. none, nobody, nothing:—any (man), aught, man, neither any (thing), never (man), no (man), none (+ of these things), not (any, at all, -thing), nought.]

b. servant [Strong: 3610 oikétēs, oy-ket'-ace; from G3611; a fellow resident, i.e. menial domestic:—(household) servant.]

c. can [Strong: 1410 dýnamai, doo'-nam-ahee; of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible:—be able, can (do, + -not), could, may, might, be possible, be of power.]

d. serve [Strong: 1398 douleúō, dool-yoo'-o; from G1401; to be a slave to (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary):—be in bondage, (do) serve(-ice).]

e. two [Strong: 1417 dýo, doo'-o; a primary numeral; "two":—both, twain, two.]

f. masters [Strong: 2962 kýrios, koo'-ree-os; from κῦρος kŷros (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title):—God, Lord, master, Sir.]

g. for [Strong: 1063 gár, gar; a primary particle; properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles):—and, as, because (that), but, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.]

h. either [Strong: 2228 ḗ, ay; a primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than:—and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea.]

i. hate [Strong: 3404 miséō, mis-eh'-o; from a primary μῖσος mîsos (hatred); to detest (especially to persecute); by extension, to love less:—hate(-ful).]

j. the [Strong: 3588. [ton] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ton] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

k. one [Strong: 1520 heîs, hice; a primary numeral; one:—a(-n, -ny, certain), + abundantly, man, one (another), only, other, some.]

l. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. love [Strong: 25 agapáō, ag-ap-ah'-o; perhaps from ἄγαν ágan (much) (or compare H5689); to love (in a social or moral sense):—(be-)love(-ed).]

c. the [Strong: 3588. [ton] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ton] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

d. other [Strong: 2087 héteros, het'-er-os; of uncertain affinity; (an-, the) other or different:—altered, else, next (day), one, (an-)other, some, strange.]

e. [or] else [Strong: 2228 ḗ, ay; a primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than:—and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea.]

f. [he will] hold [Strong: 472 antéchomai, an-tekh'-om-ahee; from G473 and the middle voice of G2192; to hold oneself opposite to, i.e. (by implication) adhere to; by extension to care for:—hold fast, hold to, support.]

g. [to the] one [Strong: 1520 heîs, hice; a primary numeral; one:—a(-n, -ny, certain), + abundantly, man, one (another), only, other, some.]

h. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

i. despise [Strong: 2706 kataphronéō, kat-af-ron-eh'-o; from G2596 and G5426; to think against, i.e. disesteem:—despise.]

j. the [Strong: 3588. [ton] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ton] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

d. other [Strong: 2087 héteros, het'-er-os; of uncertain affinity; (an-, the) other or different:—altered, else, next (day), one, (an-)other, some, strange.]

k.  [Ye] can  [The Greek word for “power ability and might” or “can” is coupled with “an absolute negative” which means “you cannot do”, hence, “Ye cannot”.

[Strong: 1410  dýnamai, doo'-nam-ahee; of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible:—be able, can (do, + -not), could, may, might, be possible, be of power.]

l. not [Strong: 3756 ou, oo; a primary word; the absolute negative (compare G3361) adverb; no or not:—+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]

m. serve [Strong: 1398 douleúō, dool-yoo'-o; from G1401; to be a slave to (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary):—be in bondage, (do) serve(-ice).]

n. God [Strong: 2316 theós, theh'-os; of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:—X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

o. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

p. mammon [Strong: 3126 mammōnâs, mam-mo-nas'; of Chaldee origin (confidence, i.e. wealth, personified); mammonas, i.e. avarice (deified):—mammon.]

1). It is interesting that in two instances when Jesus was speaking of money he referred to it as “unrighteous mammon”

a). Luke 16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

b). Luke 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?