God’s Word Translation
Luke 11:44
44How horrible it will be for you! You are like unmarked graves. People walk on them without knowing what they are.”
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“How horrible it will be for you Pharisees! You give ⌞God⌟ one-tenth of your mint, spices, and every garden herb. But you have ignored justice and the love of God. You should have done these things without ignoring the others. 43“How horrible it will be for you Pharisees! You love to sit in the front seats in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplaces. How horrible it will be for you! You are like unmarked graves. People walk on them without knowing what they are.” 45One of the experts in Moses’ Teachings said to him, “Teacher, when you talk this way, you insult us too.” 46Jesus said, “How horrible it will be for you experts in Moses’ Teachings! You burden people with loads that are hard to carry. But you won’t lift a finger to carry any of these loads.
Read all of Luke 11Luke 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 19:16“Whoever is outdoors and touches someone who was killed or has died naturally or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave will be unclean for seven days.
- Psalms 5:9Nothing in their mouths is truthful. Destruction comes from their hearts. Their throats are open graves. They flatter with their tongues.
- Hosea 9:8Prophets are God’s watchmen over Ephraim. Yet, traps are set on every prophet’s path, and people are hostile in the temple of their God.
- Matthew 23:27“How horrible it will be for you, experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed graves that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people’s bones and every kind of impurity.
- Acts 23:3Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you hypocrite! You sit there and judge me by Moses’ Teachings and yet you break those teachings by ordering these men to strike me!”
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
In the dictionaries
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
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