Luke 11:44

Luke 11:44 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
• New International Version (NIV)“Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”

Context of Luke 11:44

42“But woe (judgment is coming) to you Pharisees, because you [self-righteously] tithe mint and rue and every [little] garden herb [tending to all the minutiae], and yet disregard and neglect justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done, without neglecting the others. 43Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the best seats in the synagogues and to be respectfully greeted in the market places. Woe to you! For you are like graves which are unmarked, and people walk over them without being aware of it [and are ceremonially unclean].” 45One of the lawyers [an expert in the Mosaic Law] answered Him, “Teacher, by saying this, You insult us too!” 46But He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well, because you weigh men down with burdens [man-made rules, unreasonable requirements] which are hard to bear, and you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers [to lighten the load].

Luke 11:44 word by word

Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐστὲ ὡς τὰ μνημεῖα τὰ ἄδηλα, καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ περιπατοῦντες ἐπάνω οὐκ οἴδασιν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Woeοὐαίouai · woe!G3759
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• scribesγραμματεύςgrammateus · scribeG1122
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• PhariseesΦαρισαῖοςPharisaios · PhariseeG5330
• hypocritesὑποκριτήςhupokritēs · hypocriteG5273
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• ye areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• gravesμνημεῖονmnēmeion · graveG3419
• which appear notἄδηλοςadēlos · unclearG82
• the menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• that walkπεριπατέωperipateō · to walkG4043
• overἐπάνωepanō · aboveG1883
• areεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• notοὐou · noG3756

Cross-references for Luke 11:44

• Numbers 19:16Also, anyone in the open field who touches one who has been killed with a sword or who has died [of natural causes], or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days.
• Psalms 5:9For there is nothing trustworthy or reliable or truthful in what they say; Their heart is destruction [just a treacherous chasm, a yawning gulf of lies]. Their throat is an open grave; They [glibly] flatter with their [silken] tongue.
• Hosea 9:8Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a [true] prophet [to warn the nation]; But the snare of a bird catcher was laid in all his paths. And there is only deep hostility in the house of his God (the land of Israel).
• Matthew 23:27“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.
• Acts 23:3Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you actually sit to judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law order me to be struck?”

Commentaries on Luke 11:44

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 44Ye are as graves which appear not - In Matthew 23:27, our Lord tells them that they exactly resembled white-washed tombs: they had no fairness but on the outside: (see the note there) but here he says they are like hidden tombs, graves which were not distinguished by any outward decorations, and were not elevated above the ground, so that those who walked over them did not consider what corruption was within; so they, under the veil of hypocrisy, covered…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 37-54Verses 37-54 We should all look to our hearts, that they may be cleansed and new-created; and while we attend to the great things of the law and of the gospel, we must not neglect the smallest matter God has appointed. When any wait to catch something out of our mouths, that they may insnare us, O Lord, give us thy prudence and thy patience, and disappoint their evil purposes. Furnish us with such meekness and patience that we may glory in reproaches, for…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 44unmarked graves: Touching a grave or a dead body made a Jew ceremonially unclean. Jesus accused the religious leaders of being a defiling influence rather than a purifying one. This was a strongly offensive accusation (11:45).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4444. appear not, &c.--As one might unconsciously walk over a grave concealed from view, and thus contract ceremonial defilement, so the plausible exterior of the Pharisees kept people from perceiving the pollution they contracted from coming in contact with such corrupt characters. (See Psa 5:9; Ro 3:13; a different illustration from Mt 23:27).Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 11:44

• Hypocrisy
• Jesus, the Christ
• Pharisees
• Reproof
• Satire
• Self-Righteousness
• Teachers

In the dictionaries

• Allow
• Clean
• Hinder
• Judgment
• Manner
• Purification
• Ravening
• Seek
• Sign
• Teach

Commentaries on Luke 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings