Luke 16:15

Luke 16:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
• New International Version (NIV)He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Context of Luke 16:15

13No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand devotedly by the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon [that is, your earthly possessions or anything else you trust in and rely on instead of God].” 14Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were sneering and ridiculing Him. So He said to them, “You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts [your thoughts, your desires, your secrets]; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. 16“The Law and the [writings of the] Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God has been and continues to be preached, and everyone tries forcefully to go into it. 17Yet it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a letter of the Law to fail and become void.

Luke 16:15 word by word

καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ δικαιοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὁ δὲ θεὸς γινώσκει τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὅτι τὸ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὑψηλὸν βδέλυγμα ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• he saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Yeσύsu · youG4771
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• justifyδικαιόωdikaioō · to justifyG1344
• yourselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
• menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• butδέde · thenG1161
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• knowethγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• is highly esteemedὑψηλόςhupsēlos · highG5308
• amongἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• abominationβδέλυγμαbdelugma · abominationG946

Cross-references for Luke 16:15

• Luke 10:29But he, wishing to justify and vindicate himself, asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
• Luke 11:39But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and plate [as required by tradition]; but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
• Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood [ostentatiously] and began praying to himself [in a self-righteous way, saying]: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—swindlers, unjust (dishonest), adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
• Luke 20:20So they watched [for a chance to trap] Him. They sent spies who pretended to be upright and sincere, in order that they might catch Him in some statement [that they could distort and use against Him], so that they could turn Him over to the control and authority of [Pilate] the governor.
• Proverbs 20:6Many a man proclaims his own loyalty and goodness, But who can find a faithful and trustworthy man?
• Matthew 6:2“So whenever you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not blow a trumpet before you [to advertise it], as the hypocrites do [like actors acting out a role] in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored and recognized and praised by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full.
• Matthew 23:5They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries (tefillin) wide [to make them more conspicuous] and make their tassels long.
• Romans 3:20For no person will be justified [freed of guilt and declared righteous] in His sight by [trying to do] the works of the Law. For through the Law we become conscious of sin [and the recognition of sin directs us toward repentance, but provides no remedy for sin].
• James 2:21Was our father Abraham not [shown to be] justified by works [of obedience which expressed his faith] when he offered Isaac his son on the altar [as a sacrifice to God]?
• 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
• 1 Chronicles 29:17I know also, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness and integrity. In the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things. So now with joy I have seen Your people who are present here, make their offerings willingly and freely to You.
• 2 Chronicles 6:30then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each in accordance with all his ways, whose heart You know; for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men,
• Psalms 7:9Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous [those in right standing with You]; For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.
• Psalms 139:1O Lord, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me.
• Jeremiah 17:10I, the Lord, search and examine the mind, I test the heart, To give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.
• John 2:25and He did not need anyone to testify concerning man [and human nature], for He Himself knew what was in man [in their hearts—in the very core of their being].

Commentaries on Luke 16:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Ye - justify yourselves - Ye declare yourselves to be just. Ye endeavor to make it appear to men that ye can still feel an insatiable thirst after the present world, and yet secure the blessings of another; that ye can reconcile God and mammon, - and serve two masters with equal zeal and affection; but God knoweth your hearts, - and he knoweth that ye are alive to the world, and dead to God and goodness. Therefore, howsoever ye may be esteemed among men…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-18Verses 13-18 To this parable our Lord added a solemn warning. Ye cannot serve God and the world, so divided are the two interests. When our Lord spoke thus, the covetous Pharisees treated his instructions with contempt. But he warned them, that what they contended for as the law, was a wresting of its meaning: this our Lord showed in a case respecting divorce. There are many covetous sticklers for the forms of godliness, who are the bitterest enemies to…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1814-18. covetous ... derided him--sneered at Him; their master sin being too plainly struck at for them to relish. But it was easier to run down than to refute such teaching.Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 16:15

• God Continued...
• Heart
• Hypocrisy
• Self-Righteousness
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Account
• Beg
• Beside
• Cool
• Deride
• Dig
• Fare
• Put

Commentaries on Luke 16

• 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