God’s Word Translation
Luke 18:14
14“I can guarantee that this tax collector went home with God’s approval, but the Pharisee didn’t. Everyone who honors himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be honored.”
Luke 18:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
- New International Version (NIV)“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
- New King James Version (NKJV)I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Context of Luke 18:14
12I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my entire income.’ 13“But the tax collector was standing at a distance. He wouldn’t even look up to heaven. Instead, he became very upset, and he said, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ “I can guarantee that this tax collector went home with God’s approval, but the Pharisee didn’t. Everyone who honors himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be honored.” 15Some people brought infants to Jesus to have him hold them. When the disciples saw this, they told the people not to do that. 16But Jesus called the infants to him and said, “Don’t stop the children from coming to me! Children like these are part of God’s kingdom.
Read all of Luke 18Luke 18:14 word by word
λέγω ὑμῖν· κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ παρ᾽ ἐκεῖνον. ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, ὁ δὲ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I tellλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- youσύsu · youG4771
- this manοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- went downκαταβαίνωkatabainō · to come/go downG2597
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- houseὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- houseοἶκοςoikos · house: homeG3624
- justifiedδικαιόωdikaioō · to justifyG1344
- thanἤē · orG2228
- the otherἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
- forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- every oneπᾶςpas · allG3956
- exaltethὑψόωhupsoō · to lift upG5312
- himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- shall be abasedταπεινόωtapeinoō · to humbleG5013
- andδέde · thenG1161
Cross-references for Luke 18:14
- Luke 5:24I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
- Luke 7:47That’s why I’m telling you that her many sins have been forgiven. Her great love proves that. But whoever receives little forgiveness loves very little.”
- 1 Samuel 1:18“May you continue to be kind to me,” she said. Then the woman went her way and ate. She was no longer sad.
- Ecclesiastes 9:7Go, enjoy eating your food, and drink your wine cheerfully, because God has already accepted what you’ve done.
- Luke 10:29But the man wanted to justify his question. So he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
- Luke 16:15So 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.
- Job 9:20If I am righteous, my own mouth would condemn me. It would declare that I am corrupt even if I am a man of integrity.
- Job 25:4How can a person be righteous to God? How can anyone born of a woman be pure?
- Psalms 143:2Do not take me to court for judgment, because there is no one alive who is righteous in your presence.
- Isaiah 45:25All the descendants of Israel will be declared righteous, and they will praise the Lord.
- Isaiah 53:11He will see and be satisfied because of his suffering. My righteous servant will acquit many people because of what he has learned ⌞through suffering⌟. He will carry their sins as a burden.
- 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.
- Romans 4:5However, when people don’t work but believe God, the one who approves ungodly people, their faith is regarded as the basis of God’s approval.
- Romans 5:1Now that we have God’s approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done.
- Romans 8:33Who will accuse those whom God has chosen? God has approved of them.
- Galatians 2:16Yet, we know that people don’t receive God’s approval by any effort to follow the laws in the Scriptures, but only by believing in Jesus Christ. So we also believed in Jesus Christ in order to receive God’s approval by faith in Christ and not by our own efforts. People won’t receive God’s approval by their own efforts.
Commentaries on Luke 18:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Went down to his house justified - His sin blotted out; and himself accepted. Rather than the other - : that is, the other was not accepted, because he exalted himself - he made use of the mercies which he acknowledged he owed to God, to make claims on the Divine approbation, and to monopolize the salvation of the Most High! He was abased, because he vainly trusted that he was righteous, and depended on what he had been enabled to do, and looked not for a…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14I tell you - The Pharisees would have said that the first man here was approved. Jesus assures them that they judged erroneously. God judges of this differently from people. Justified - Accepted or approved of God. The word “justify” means to declare or treat as righteous. In this case it means that in their prayers the one was approved and the other not; the one went down with the favor of God in answer to his petitions, the other not. For every one …Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-14Verses 9-14 This parable was to convince some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and commendable. Miserable is the condition of those who come short of the righteousness of this…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14Jesus concluded that only the tax collector went home justified before God. This would have surprised the people listening to Jesus, who considered Pharisees righteous and tax collectors evil. everyone who exalts himself will be humbled: See 1:52–53; 6:21, 25; 10:15; 14:11; 16:19–31.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. rather than the other--The meaning is, "and not the other"; for the Pharisee was not seeking justification, and felt no need of it. This great law of the Kingdom of God is, in the teaching of Christ, inscribed, as in letters of gold, over its entrance gate. And in how many different forms is it repeated (Psa 138:6; 147:6; Lu 1:53). To be self-emptied, or, "poor in spirit," is the fundamental and indispensable preparation for the reception of the…Read the comment
Topics related to Luke 18:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Luke 18
- 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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