Luke 16:13

No servant can serve two masters. 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 both God and money.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus speaks to his disciples immediately after addressing stewardship, while Pharisees who loved money listened and scoffed. This moment follows his teaching on faithfulness with others’ resources in Luke 16:12.

The words — The Greek οὐδεὶς (oudeis) translates literally as “no one,” and δουλεύειν (douleuein) means “to act as a slave.” These terms frame the passage as an absolute statement on exclusive loyalty.

The thread — The same master-servant impossibility appears in Matthew 6:24, and James 4:4 warns that friendship with the world is hostility toward God.

Why it lands — The text declares a practical impossibility of divided allegiance, requiring the reader to choose exclusive devotion to God rather than money.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters: 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 both God and money.
James 4:4 You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
Romans 8:5 Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
Joshua 24:15 But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
Luke 11:23 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
Matthew 4:10 “Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus told him. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”
Luke 16:9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.
Romans 6:16 Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?