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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Luke C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24
Luke 18 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41 V43
OET (OET-LV) I_am_saying to_you_all, this one came_down to the house of_him having_been_justified, contrary_to that one.
Because everyone which exalting himself will_be_being_humbled, but the one humbling himself will_be_being_exalted.
OET (OET-RV) I’m telling you all that this man went home after being declared guiltless, not the other one, because all those who praise themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be praised.”
In this section Jesus told a parable about how to pray with an attitude that God will approve. Jesus told this parable especially for people who thought that they were already righteous and better than other people. The parable shows that God wants people to come before him humbly and ask for his forgiveness.
Some examples of headings for this section are:
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (GNT)
Jesus told a story about two men who prayed
This parable is only found in Luke.
I tell you,
I assure you(plur) that
The two men finished praying and left. I tell you(plur),
In this verse Jesus concluded his parable and explained its meaning. In some languages it may be helpful to introduce this conclusion with a phrase or clause. For example:
Then Jesus said
Then Jesus concluded the parable/story, saying
I tell you: Jesus often used the phrase I tell you to begin a statement that he wanted to emphasize. It indicates that the statement was important and that people should listen carefully to it. Here it emphasizes the fact that the tax collector, rather than the Pharisee, was justified by God.
Some other ways to show this emphasis are:
Use a phrase before Jesus’ statement. For example:
Let me tell you this
Listen carefully
I assure you
Use an emphatic word within Jesus’ statement. For example:
It was certainly this man, rather than the other
Be sure that you emphasize the correct part of the following statement. Jesus was emphasizing which man was justified. He was not emphasizing that the man went to his house. In some languages you may need to change the order of phrases in the statement to indicate this. For example:
“I tell you,” said Jesus, “the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home.” (GNT)
Use a natural way in your language to emphasize this fact.
you: The pronoun you is plural here. It refers to the people who were mentioned in 18:9.
this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified.
this tax collector was the one whom God considered righteous as he went home. It was not the Pharisee.
as the two men went home, it was the tax collector whom God had forgiven and approved as righteous, rather than the Pharisee.
this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified: Jesus concluded the parable by indicating which man was justified before God. This is a very important statement. It indicates that God justified the tax collector, but God did not justify the Pharisee. Some ways to translate this are:
God accepted this tax collector as a righteous person, but he did not accept the Pharisee as righteous.
…he was right with God, but the Pharisee was not. (NCV)
…this tax collector went home with God’s approval, but the Pharisee didn’t. (GW)
this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home: The phrase this man refers to the tax collector. The parallel phrase is literally “the other,” and it refers to the Pharisee. The BSB translates it that way. Jesus implied that both of these men went home when they finished praying. Some ways to translate this are:
When the men went home…
They finished praying and went to their houses.
See the General Comment on 18:14a–b at the end of 18:14d for a suggestion about reordering.
justified: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as justified indicates that God considered (him) righteous. After the tax collector confessed his sin to God, God forgave him and accepted him. The Pharisee did not confess his sin, so God did not consider him righteous. Some other ways to translate this are:
God considered him to be righteous/upright
declared right/just/pure by God
with God’s approval (GW)
acquitted of his sins (REB)
In some languages there may be an idiom to express this. For example:
considered straightYakan Back Translation on TW.
See also “just,” sense B2, in KBT.
These verse parts are the same as 14:11a and 14:11b.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
For it is true that everyone who tries to raise/honor himself will be made low/unimportant,
I told you(plur) this parable/example to teach you that God will put in an unimportant position every person who tries to make himself seem important/high.
This example illustrates that when a person raises/honors himself, he will be lowered/humbled,
For: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as For introduces the general principle that Jesus wanted people to understand from the preceding parable. In some languages it may be necessary to clarify this connection. For example:
This parable illustrates that…
I told this parable to teach you that…
In other languages an explicit conjunction may not be necessary. For example:
Everyone who honors himself (GW)
everyone who exalts himself will be humbled: This clause indicates that anyone who honors himself will be shamed. The verb will be humbled is passive. It does not specify who or what will cause a person who exalts himself to be humbled. Other ways to translate the clause are:
Use a verb that does not need to specify who or what will humble a person who exalts himself. For example:
Everyone who honors himself will receive shame
Seeking your own honor results in shame/humiliation
Use an active verb and supply God as the implied subject. For example:
God will humble everyone who exalts himself
In some languages it may be more natural to reword this clause as an “if” clause followed by a conclusion. For example:
If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. (CEV)
exalts himself: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as exalts himself literally means “to raise or lift up oneself.” This is a figurative way to describe someone who tries to gain honor from other people. Some other ways to translate this are:
make themselves great (GNT)
tries to make himself look important
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
but/while the person who has a humble/lowly attitude will be raised/honored.”
And God will also make important every person who makes himself unimportant/humble/low.”
but when a person lowers/humbles himself, he will be raised/honored.”
but: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as but introduces another principle that Jesus illustrated by the parable in 18:10–14. This principle corresponds to the principle in 18:14b. However, the results of a person humbling himself (18:14c) contrast with the results of exalting himself (18:14b). That is the reason why some English versions have but here. For example:
but the person who humbles himself will be honored (GW)
Connect 18:14b and 18:14c in a natural way in your language.
the one who humbles himself will be exalted: This clause indicates that if a person decides to be humble and willingly takes a place of low status, God will honor him. As in the previous clause, in some languages it will be necessary to make the implied subject “God” explicit. For example:
God will honor the one who humbles himself.
If you used an “if” clause in the previous part of the verse, you will probably need to do the same thing here. For example:
But if you humble yourself, you will be honored. (CEV)
In some languages it may be natural to use direct speech here. For example:
God will say this about people who humble themselves: “They are great.”
In 18:14a–b the BSB has arranged the phrases in a different order from the Greek text. The Greek order is literally, “I say to you, this one went down, having been justified, to his house, rather than that one.” Another way to translate this, following this order, is:
I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. (NET)
Use a natural order in your language.
λέγω ὑμῖν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Λέγω ὑμῖν κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τόν οἶκον αὐτοῦ πάρʼ ἐκεῖνον Ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτόν ταπεινωθήσεται ὁ δέ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτόν ὑψωθήσεται)
Jesus says this to emphasize what he is about to tell his disciples. Alternate translation: [I can assure you]
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, παρ’ ἐκεῖνον
came_down this_‹one› ˓having_been˒_justified to (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Λέγω ὑμῖν κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τόν οἶκον αὐτοῦ πάρʼ ἐκεῖνον Ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτόν ταπεινωθήσεται ὁ δέ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτόν ὑψωθήσεται)
The implication is that the tax collector was right with God because God forgave his sin when he prayed humbly and repentantly. Alternate translation: [the tax collector was right with God when he went home, rather than the Pharisee, because God forgave his sin]
οὗτος & παρ’ ἐκεῖνον
this_‹one› & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Λέγω ὑμῖν κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τόν οἶκον αὐτοῦ πάρʼ ἐκεῖνον Ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτόν ταπεινωθήσεται ὁ δέ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτόν ὑψωθήσεται)
Alternate translation: [the latter … rather than the former] or [the tax collector … rather than the Pharisee]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
δεδικαιωμένος
˓having_been˒_justified
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning of the passive verbal form justified with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: [right with God]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
κατέβη & εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ
came_down & to (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Λέγω ὑμῖν κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τόν οἶκον αὐτοῦ πάρʼ ἐκεῖνον Ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτόν ταπεινωθήσεται ὁ δέ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτόν ὑψωθήσεται)
When Jesus says that this man went down to his house, he likely means that he returned home from Jerusalem, since the city was up on a mountain. Alternate translation: [returned to his home]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
παρ’ ἐκεῖνον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Λέγω ὑμῖν κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τόν οἶκον αὐτοῦ πάρʼ ἐκεῖνον Ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτόν ταπεινωθήσεται ὁ δέ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτόν ὑψωθήσεται)
The implication is that the Pharisee was not right with God. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [but the Pharisee was not right with God]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
ταπεινωθήσεται
˓will_be_being˒_humbled
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this with an active form, and you could state who will do the action. Alternate translation: [God will humble]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
ὑψωθήσεται
˓will_be_being˒_exalted
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this with an active form, and you could state who will do the action. Alternate translation: [God will honor]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ὑψωθήσεται
˓will_be_being˒_exalted
Jesus is using a spatial metaphor to describe someone who is honored as if he were high up. Alternate translation: [God will honor]
18:14 Jesus’ conclusion that only the tax collector went home justified before God would have shocked Jesus’ audience, who regarded Pharisees as righteous and tax collectors as wicked.
• those who exalt themselves will be humbled: See 1:52-53; 6:21, 25; 10:15; 14:11; 16:19-31.
OET (OET-LV) I_am_saying to_you_all, this one came_down to the house of_him having_been_justified, contrary_to that one.
Because everyone which exalting himself will_be_being_humbled, but the one humbling himself will_be_being_exalted.
OET (OET-RV) I’m telling you all that this man went home after being declared guiltless, not the other one, because all those who praise themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be praised.”
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.