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Q&A Home > L > Holy Gospel of St. Luke I have a question about King James Bible Version, Luke 16:6-7.
“And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.”
My question is why did he tell him to write fifty measure of oil? Why didn't he tell him to write sixty, seventy or eighty! What does the number represent? Does this number have a historical background? The same question applies regarding why fourscore?
An explanation of this transaction where it seems that the debtor is paying less than what he owes probably stems from ancient customs. Debtors and tenants often paid their debts and rents with other means, such as oil, wheat, or produce from their lands, rather than in money. A hundred measures of wheat was an extremely large amount for the Hebrew people. Most likely, the Lord was referring to a custom in these regions. Thus, having knowledge of their accounts and the amount indebted to their creditors, an agreement was probably often brokered for half the debt, for a nominal fee, such as one fourth, to the broker. Therefore, a debt for one hundred, could be resolved by fifty given to the creditor, and twenty-five to the broker, which was bonded for less than the original amount of the debt.
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