Luke 18:1–8
Jesus tells the parable of the widow to show we should always pray and not lose heart
Study it word by word1And he was telling them a parable about the need for them to pray always and not lose heart,
2saying, “There was a certain judge in a certain city who did not fear God and did not respect man.
3And there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4And for a while he was not willing; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,
5yet because this widow causes me trouble, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me out by coming continually.’”
6And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says.
7And will God not surely bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay long over them?
8I tell you that he will bring about justice for them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth?”
In its context
…
9And he told this parable also to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised the rest:
10“Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Its words in the original
- ἜλεγενElegen· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- παραβολὴνparabolēn· parable, comparison
Parable: a comparison, a story from everyday life that teaches a truth about the kingdom.
- δεῖνdein· bind, tie
Bind, tie.
- πάντοτεpantote· always
Always.
- προσεύχεσθαιproseuchesthai· pray
Pray: speak with God.
- ἐγκακεῖνenkakein· lose heart
Lose heart, grow weary, give up.
- ΚριτήςKritēs· judge
Judge: one who decides a case; also one who rules.
- ἦνēn· be
Be, exist.
- πόλειpolei· city, town
City, town.
- θεὸνtheon· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- φοβούμενοςphoboumenos· fear, be afraid
Fear, be afraid; also show reverent respect.
- ἄνθρωπονanthrōpon· human being, man
Human being, person, man (without distinguishing male or female).
- ἐντρεπόμενοςentrepomenos· respect, shame
Respect; also put to shame.
- χήραchēra· widow
Widow.
- ἤρχετοērcheto· come, go
Come, arrive; go.
- ἘκδίκησόνEkdikēson· avenge, vindicate
Give justice to someone, vindicate; also avenge, punish.
- ἀντιδίκουantidikou· opponent, adversary
Opponent, adversary, especially the accuser in a lawsuit.
- ἤθελενēthelen· want, wish
Want, wish, be willing.
- χρόνονchronon· time
Time; a span of time.
- παρέχεινparechein· cause, give
Give, provide; cause trouble.
- κόπονkopon· labor, toil
Hard work, labor; also trouble.
- τέλοςtelos· end
End, completion; "to the end", fully. Also tax.
- ὑπωπιάζῃhypōpiazēi· wear out
Wear out; literally, strike under the eye; hence treat roughly, keep under control.
- κύριοςkyrios· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- ἈκούσατεAkousate· hear, listen
Hear, listen; also heed.
- ἀδικίαςadikias· unrighteousness
Injustice, unrighteousness.
- ποιήσῃpoiēsēi· do, make
Do, make, produce.
- ἐκδίκησινekdikēsin· vengeance, justice
Justice done for someone; also vengeance, punishment.
- ἐκλεκτῶνeklektōn· chosen
Chosen, elect.
- βοώντωνboōntōn· cry out
Cry out, shout loudly.
- ἡμέραςhēmeras· day
Day. "In the days of" someone: in their time.
- νυκτόςnyktos· night
Night. "By night".
- μακροθυμεῖmakrothymei· be patient
Be patient, put up with something without getting angry, wait patiently.
- τάχειtachei· speed
Speed, quickness; "in speed", quickly, soon.
- υἱὸςhuios· son, Son
Son. Also descendant: "son of David" means one of King David's family, and is a title of the promised Messiah.
- ἆραara· question particle
Particle introducing a question: "then?", "can it be?".
- εὑρήσειheurēsei· find
Find; in the passive, turn out to be, be found to be so.
- πίστινpistin· faith
Faith: firm trust in God; also faithfulness.
- γῆςgēs· earth, land
Earth: the ground, a country, or the whole world.