Luke 18:9–14
The tax collector prays humbly; the Pharisee prays boasting of himself
Study it word by word9And 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.
11The Pharisee, standing, was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men: robbers, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.’
13But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
14I tell you, this man went down to his house declared righteous, rather than that one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
In its context
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?”
…
15And they were bringing to him even the babies, so that he might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them.
16But Jesus called them to himself, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
Its words in the original
- ΕἶπενEipen· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- πεποιθόταςpepoithotas· persuade, trust
To persuade, convince; to trust.
- εἰσὶνeisin· be
Be, exist.
- δίκαιοιdikaioi· righteous, just
Righteous, just: someone who lives by what is right before God.
- ἐξουθενοῦνταςexouthenountas· despise
Despise, treat as nothing, look down on.
- λοιποὺςloipous· the rest, remaining
The rest, the others; as an adverb, "from now on", "finally".
- παραβολὴνparabolēn· parable, comparison
Parable: a comparison, a story from everyday life that teaches a truth about the kingdom.
- ἌνθρωποιAnthrōpoi· human being, man
Human being, person, man (without distinguishing male or female).
- δύοdyo· two
Two.
- ἀνέβησανanebēsan· go up
Go up, come up, ascend.
- ἱερὸνhieron· temple
Temple: the whole sacred precinct in Jerusalem, with its courts and porches.
- προσεύξασθαιproseuxasthai· pray
Pray: speak with God.
- εἷςheis· one
One.
- ΦαρισαῖοςPharisaios· Pharisee
Pharisee: a member of a Jewish group that kept the law of Moses and the traditions of its teachers strictly.
- ἕτεροςheteros· other, another
Other, another, different.
- τελώνηςtelōnēs· tax collector
Tax collector, who collected taxes for Rome; despised by the people.
- σταθεὶςstatheis· stand, set
Stand, stand still, stop; also set, establish.
- θεόςtheos· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- εὐχαριστῶeucharistō· give thanks
Give thanks.
- ὥσπερhōsper· just as
Just as, in the same way as.
- ἅρπαγεςharpages· swindler, greedy
Greedy, grasping; swindler, robber.
- ἄδικοιadikoi· unjust, unrighteous
Unjust, unrighteous, wicked.
- μοιχοίmoichoi· adulterer
Adulterer.
- νηστεύωnēsteuō· fast
Fast: go without food for a time in order to seek God.
- δὶςdis· twice
Twice.
- σαββάτουsabbatou· Sabbath
Sabbath: the seventh day, a day of rest set apart for God; also the week.
- ἀποδεκατῶapodekatō· tithe
Give a tenth, pay tithes; also collect the tenth.
- κτῶμαιktōmai· acquire, get
Acquire, get, obtain for oneself.
- μακρόθενmakrothen· from afar
From a distance, far off.
- ἤθελενēthelen· want, wish
Want, wish, be willing.
- ὀφθαλμοὺςophthalmous· eye
Eye.
- ἐπᾶραιeparai· lift up
Lift up, raise.
- οὐρανόνouranon· heaven, sky
Heaven: the sky and, above all, the place of God. "The heavens" is sometimes a respectful way of saying "God".
- ἔτυπτεetypte· strike
Strike, beat.
- στῆθοςstēthos· chest
Chest, breast.
- ἱλάσθητίhilasthēti· be merciful, make expiation
Be merciful, show favor; make expiation for sins.
- ἁμαρτωλῷhamartōlōi· sinner
Sinner; in the Pharisees' mouth, someone who did not keep the law.
- κατέβηkatebē· go down, come down
Go down, come down, descend.
- δεδικαιωμένοςdedikaiōmenos· declare righteous
Declare righteous: pronounce someone right before God, acquit; also show to be right. In the passive, "be declared righteous", "be acquitted".
- οἶκονoikon· house
House; also household, family.
- ὑψῶνhypsōn· lift up
Lift up, raise high; exalt.
- ταπεινωθήσεταιtapeinōthēsetai· humble, bring low
Humble, bring low, abase; humble oneself, make oneself small.