English Standard Version
Luke 16:15
15And 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable 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 be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." 14The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 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. 16"The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. 17But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.
Read all of Luke 16Luke 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, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
- Luke 11:39And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
- Luke 18:11The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
- Luke 20:20So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.
- Proverbs 20:6Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?
- Matthew 6:2"Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
- Matthew 23:5They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
- Romans 3:20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
- James 2:21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
- 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
- 1 Chronicles 29:17I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.
- 2 Chronicles 6:30then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind,
- Psalms 7:9Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous— you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God!
- Psalms 139:1O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
- Jeremiah 17:10"I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."
- John 2:25and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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