Luke 18:13

Luke 18:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
• New International Version (NIV)“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

Context of Luke 18:13

11The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 15And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them.

Luke 18:13 word by word

Ὁ δὲ τελώνης μακρόθεν ἑστὼς οὐκ ἤθελεν οὐδὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπᾶραι εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔτυπτεν τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ λέγων· ὁ θεός, ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ.Read the interlinear

• But the taxτελώνηςtelōnēs · tax collectorG5057
• standingἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• someμακρόθενmakrothen · from afarG3113
• was evenοὐδέoude · norG3761
• unwillingοὐou · noG3756
• unwillingθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• to liftἐπαίρωepairō · to lift upG1869
• up his eyesὀφθαλμόςophthalmos · eyeG3788
• to heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• was beatingτύπτωtuptō · to strikeG5180
• his breastστῆθοςstēthos · chestG4738
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• mercifulἱλάσκομαιhilaskomai · to propitiateG2433
• to me, the sinnerἁμαρτωλόςhamartōlos · sinfulG268

Cross-references for Luke 18:13

• Luke 5:8But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
• Luke 7:6Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof;
• Luke 17:12As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him;
• Ezra 9:6and I said, “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens.
• Job 42:6Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.”
• Psalms 40:12For evils beyond number have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head, And my heart has failed me.
• Isaiah 6:5Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
• Ezekiel 16:63so that you may remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your humiliation, when I have forgiven you for all that you have done,” the Lord God declares.
• Daniel 9:7“Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day--to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.
• Acts 2:37Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
• Luke 23:48And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts.
• Jeremiah 31:18I have surely heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained calf; Bring me back that I may be restored, For You are the Lord my God.
• 2 Corinthians 7:11For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
• Psalms 25:7Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.
• Psalms 41:4As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”
• Psalms 51:1Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

Commentaries on Luke 18:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13The publican, standing afar off - Not because he was a heathen, and dared not approach the holy place; (for it is likely he was a Jew); but because he was a true penitent, and felt himself utterly unworthy to appear before God. Would not lift up - his eyes - Holding down the head, with the eyes fixed upon the earth, was, A sign of deep distress. Of a consciousness and confession of guilt. And, It was the very posture that the Jewish rabbins required in…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Standing afar off - Afar off from the “temple.” The place where prayer was offered in the temple was the court of women. The Pharisee advanced to the side of the court nearest to the temple, or near as he could; the publican stood on the other side of the same court if he was a Jew, or in the court of the Gentiles if he was a pagan, as far as possible from the temple, being conscious of his unworthiness to approach the sacred place where God had his holy…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. 13he beat his breast: This action showed deep sorrow and repentance (turning away from sin).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. standing afar off--as unworthy to draw near; but that was the way to get near (Psa 34:18; Is 57:15). would not lift up--blushing and ashamed to do so (Ezr 9:6). smote, &c.--kept smiting; for anguish (Lu 23:48), and self-reproach (Jr 31:19). be merciful--"be propitiated," a very unusual word in such a sense, only once else used in the New Testament, in the sense of "making reconciliation" by sacrifice (He 2:17). There may therefore, be some allusion to…Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 18:13

• Bigotry
• Confidence
• Humility
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Penitent
• Prayer
• Publicans
• Repentance
• Self-Righteousness
• Works

In the dictionaries

• God
• Admiration
• Bear
• Elect
• Prayer
• Breast
• Court of the Sanctuary; Tabernacle; Temple
• Eye
• Grace
• Guilt

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