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

13“A servant cannot serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve God and wealth.” 14The Pharisees, who love money, heard all this and were making sarcastic remarks about him. So Jesus said to them, “You try to justify your actions in front of people. But God knows what’s in your hearts. What is important to humans is disgusting to God. 16“Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets were ⌞in force⌟ until the time of John. Since that time, people have been telling the Good News about God’s kingdom, and everyone is trying to force their way into it. 17It is easier for the earth and the heavens to disappear than to drop a comma from the Scriptures.

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 the man wanted to justify his question. So he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
• Luke 11:39The Lord said to him, “You Pharisees clean the outside of cups and dishes. But inside you are full of greed and evil.
• Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood up and prayed, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people! I’m not a robber or a dishonest person. I haven’t committed adultery. I’m not even like this tax collector.
• Luke 20:20So they watched for an opportunity to send out some spies. The spies were to act like sincere religious people. They wanted to catch him saying the wrong thing so that they could hand him over to the governor.
• Proverbs 20:6Many people declare themselves loyal, but who can find someone who is ⌞really⌟ trustworthy?
• Matthew 6:2So when you give to the poor, don’t announce it with trumpet fanfare. This is what hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets in order to be praised by people. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward.
• Matthew 23:5“They do everything to attract people’s attention. They make their headbands large and the tassels on their shawls long.
• Romans 3:20Not one person can have God’s approval by any effort to follow the laws in the Scriptures. These laws show what sin is.
• James 2:21Didn’t our ancestor Abraham receive God’s approval as a result of what he did when he offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the altar?
• 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God does not see as humans see. Humans look at outward appearances, but the Lord looks into the heart.”
• 1 Chronicles 29:17I know, my God, that you examine hearts and delight in honesty. With an honest heart I have willingly offered all these things. I’ve been overjoyed to see your people here offering so willingly to you.
• 2 Chronicles 6:30Hear ⌞them⌟ in heaven, where you live. Forgive ⌞them⌟, and give each person the proper reply. (You know what is in their hearts, because you alone know what is in people’s hearts.)
• Psalms 7:9Let the evil within wicked people come to an end, but make the righteous person secure, O righteous God who examines thoughts and emotions.
• Psalms 139:1O Lord, you have examined me, and you know me.
• Jeremiah 17:10I, the Lord, search minds and test hearts. I will reward each person for what he has done. I will reward him for the results of his actions.
• John 2:25and didn’t need anyone to tell him about human nature. He knew what people were really like.

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
• Account
• Beg
• Beside
• Cool
• Deride
• Dig
• Fare
• Put
• Riches

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