Luke 16:15 · Bible study
Luke 16:15 Commentary: Heart Knowledge and Human Esteem
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus confronts self-justification, declaring that God knows hearts. What humans exalt may be an abomination before Him. A study on true righteousness.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus confronts Pharisees who seek human approval, declaring that God knows hearts and that human exaltation can be divine abomination.
- Key words: justify (δικαιόω, declare righteous), know (γινώσκω, intimate knowledge), hearts (καρδία, seat of will), exalted (ὑψηλός, lofty), abomination (βδέλυγμα, detestable thing, often idolatrous).
- Main debate: Whether the principle that human exaltation is abomination applies universally or only to hypocritical religious show; Barnes and Calvin distinguish genuine virtue from display.
- Theological theme: God’s omniscience exposes the futility of self-justification; only a heart transformed by grace can stand before Him.
- Best use: Sermon or study on hypocrisy, motive-checking, and the difference between human and divine approval.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And he said unto them, Ye are they that justify yourselves in the sight of men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and he said to them, `Ye are those declaring yourselves righteous before men, but God doth know your hearts; because that which among men is high, is abomination before God;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And he said to them, Ye are they who justify themselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what amongst men is highly thought of is an abomination before God.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And he said to them: you are they who justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts. For that which is high to men is an abomination before God.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y díjoles|strong="G2036, G0846": Vosotros sois los que os justificáis á vosotros mismos delante de los hombres; mas Dios conoce vuestros corazones; porque lo que los hombres tienen por sublime, delante de Dios es abominación.
E disse-lhes: Vós sois os que justificais a vós mesmos diante dos seres humanos; mas Deus conhece vossos corações. Porque o que é excelente para os seres humanos é odiável diante de Deus.
Jésus leur dit: Vous, vous cherchez à paraître justes devant les hommes, mais Dieu connaît vos cœurs; car ce qui est élevé parmi les hommes est une abomination devant Dieu.
Und er sprach zu ihnen: Ihr seid' s, die ihr euch selbst rechtfertigt vor den Menschen; aber Gott kennt eure Herzen; denn was hoch ist unter den Menschen, das ist ein Greuel vor Gott.
En Hij zeide tot hen: Gij zijt het, die uzelven rechtvaardigt voor de mensen; maar God kent uw harten; want dat hoog is onder de mensen, is een gruwel voor God.
Ed egli disse loro: Voi siete quelli che vi proclamate giusti dinanzi agli uomini; ma Dio conosce i vostri cuori; poiché quel che è eccelso fra gli uomini, è abominazione dinanzi a Dio.
I rzekł im: Wy jesteście, którzy sami siebie usprawiedliwiacie przed ludźmi, ale Bóg zna serca wasze; bo co jest u ludzi wyniosłego, obrzydliwością jest przed Bogiem.
Он сказал им: вы выказываете себя праведниками пред людьми, но Бог знает сердца ваши, ибо что высоко у людей, то мерзость пред Богом.
耶穌對他們 說：「你們 是 在人 面前 自 稱為義的，你們的 心， 神 卻 知道；因為 人 所尊貴的，是 神 看為 可憎惡的。
And he said, You take care to seem right in the eyes of men, but God sees your hearts: and those things which are important in the opinion of men, are evil in the eyes of God.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 16:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Jesus addresses Pharisees who mask covetousness with a show of piety. Clarke says they “declare themselves to be just” yet are “alive to the world and dead to God.” Barnes calls their justification an “attempt to appear just,” a hollow performance. Calvin sharpens the point: they reckon it enough if they appear good before men, but God, who knows hearts, sees the hidden vices. The second half of the verse delivers the theological sting: what is highly esteemed among men, Barnes specifies “mere external works” done for show, is an abomination (βδέλυγμα, bdelugma, an Old Testament term for idols) before God. The consensus is twofold: self-justification is futile because God sees the heart, and the human assessment of worth is often the inverse of God’s.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God knows human hearts, and actions done to earn human approval can be abhorrent to Him, even when they look virtuous on the outside.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Self-justification | Christians agree that Jesus condemns the Pharisees' attempt to appear righteous through outward observances while their hearts are far from God. | Traditions differ on whether self-justification refers primarily to a works-righteousness system (Reformed view) or to a broader hypocrisy that can affect believers as well (Wesleyan view). |
| God's knowledge of the heart | All affirm that God knows human hearts thoroughly and judges the inner person, not just external actions. | Some traditions emphasize this as a warning to the unconverted (Calvin, Gill), while others highlight it as a source of comfort for those who sincerely seek God despite outward failure (Wesley). |
| What is 'exalted among men' vs. 'abomination before God' | Christians agree that the verse teaches a reversal of human and divine values, especially regarding actions done for show. | The debate concerns the scope: does this apply to all things that culture values (wealth, status), or only to those that are pursued with a wrong motive? Barnes argues the latter; Gill applies it broadly to the Pharisees' religious show. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Luke 16:15 is Jesus’ direct response to the Pharisees, who “scoffed at him” (v. 14) after he taught that serving God and Mammon is impossible. The Greek verb for “derided” (ἐξεμυκτήριζον, exemuktērizon) literally means “to turn up the nose”, a gesture of contempt. The Pharisees were considered the pious guardians of the law, yet Jesus had just exposed their love of money. In first-century Judaism, wealth was often seen as a sign of divine favor; the Pharisees’ piety and prosperity intertwined. They justified themselves through meticulous tithing and public observance, persuading others, and themselves, that they were righteous. But Jesus pierces the facade. His language echoes 1 Samuel 16:7, where God tells Samuel he looks at the heart, not outward appearance. The word “abomination” (βδέλυγμα) was used in the Greek Old Testament for forbidden idols and practices; by applying it to what the Pharisees prize, Jesus places their self-righteous system in the same category as idolatry. The immediate context flows into verses 16, 18, where Jesus affirms the enduring authority of the Law and the prophets, even as the kingdom presses in. The rich man and Lazarus (vv. 19, 31) then illustrate the reversal Jesus announces: the one who lives for earthly honor ends in torment, while the poor beggar is comforted. This verse thus functions as the hinge: human exaltation and divine judgment are not aligned.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Luke 16:15. The Greek text is stable across major manuscript traditions.
Reception History
From the early church onward, this verse has been a key text for exposing hypocrisy and calling for interior conversion. Augustine used it to distinguish between genuine righteousness and the love of praise. During the Reformation, Calvin and other Reformers cited it to critique reliance on external works and monastic vows, applying the word “abomination” to human traditions that overshadow Scripture. In Protestant moral teaching, it has served as a mirror for self-examination: do we seek God’s approval or human applause? The verse also appears in Catholic moral theology in discussions of purity of intention. Across traditions, it remains a sharp challenge to any piety that values reputation over relationship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Danger of Self-Justification. The Pharisees “justify yourselves before men”, a present participle (δικαιοῦντες) describing ongoing, habitual behavior. They measured their lives by public opinion. But Jesus identifies the root: a heart that craves approval more than God.
- God’s Unerring Knowledge of the Heart. “God knows your hearts” (γινώσκει, present active indicative, continuous, intimate knowledge). No performance can hide from Him. This is both a warning and an invitation to live transparently before the One who sees all.
- The Great Reversal of Values. “That which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” What human systems applaud, wealth, status, pious show, can be detestable to God. The call is to seek God’s approval, not human praise.
Five-point outline
- The Occasion: Pharisees, lovers of money, mock Jesus’ teaching on singleness of devotion.
- The Charge: You justify yourselves before people but not before God.
- The Witness: God knows your hearts, affirming Psalm 139:1 and 1 Samuel 16:7.
- The Shock: What is highly esteemed by human culture is an abomination to God.
- The Call: Renounce performance-based righteousness; trust in God’s verdict.
Illustration hooks
- Social media personas. We curate our lives to appear successful, happy, and spiritual, while God sees the anxiety, envy, and emptiness we hide.
- “Church face.” The Sunday morning smile that masks a heart full of bitterness or greed. The gap between sung worship and Monday living.
- The office ladder. A promotion earned by stepping on others, praised by colleagues but resented by the one who saw the cost.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I know whether my good deeds are done for God’s approval or human applause?
- Is it wrong to enjoy being praised, or is that just human nature?
- What do I do when I realize my heart is more attached to reputation than to God?
Leading a Discussion
This verse hits at a question most of us avoid: Do we care more about what people think than what God knows? The Pharisees had the outside polished and the inside hollow. Jesus does not let them, or us, off the hook. As you read the passage, let it search your own motives, not just the people you think it describes.
Discussion questions
- Read Luke 16:14, 15. Why do you think the Pharisees reacted with contempt? What nerve did Jesus touch?
- What does it mean to “justify yourselves before men”? Give an example from everyday life.
- How does knowing that “God knows your hearts” change the way you approach prayer, giving, or service?
- The word “abomination” (βδέλυγμα) is used in the Old Testament for idols. Why would Jesus compare the Pharisees’ values to idolatry?
- Barnes notes that not everything esteemed by people is abomination, things like truth and love are good. So what kind of “exalted” things become detestable?
- How can a believer develop a heart that seeks only God’s approval, not human praise? Share a practice or habit that helps.
- If you were to pray honestly about this passage, what would you ask God to change in you?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 16:7 | But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for I don’t see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.” |
| I Chronicles 29:17 | I know also, my God, that you try the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things. Now I have seen with joy your people, who are present here, offer willingly to you. |
| II Chronicles 6:30 | then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive, and give to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know (for you, even you only, know the hearts of the children of men), |
| Psalms 7:9 | Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God. |
| Psalms 10:3 | For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns Yahweh. |
| Psalms 49:13 | This is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings. Selah. |
| Psalms 49:18 | Though while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself— |
| Psalms 139:1 | For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke observes that the Pharisees try to appear righteous before people while secretly loving the world. They attempt to serve both God and money, but God sees their hearts are set on worldly gain. Their human approval means nothing to God; they are detestable in his sight.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes traces the Pharisees' mockery directly to their greed: they scorned Jesus because his teaching exposed their love of money as incompatible with genuine devotion. He then draws a careful distinction: not everything people admire is abhorrent to God, but the outward displays of righteousness that hide a corrupt heart are an abomination.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that hypocrites may fool people with outward shows of holiness, but they cannot fool God, who sees the hidden vices they conceal. He warns that what humans most admire and applaud is often what God finds utterly detestable, especially self-invented worship that pleases its inventors.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge note highlights the sharp contrast between human and divine judgment: people justify themselves before others, but God sees what is truly in the heart. What humans value most may actually be detestable to Him, and their mockery of God’s ways could turn back on them in judgment.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Then he sayde vnto them, Yee are they, which iustifie your selues before men: but God knoweth your heartes: for that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses the gap between human approval and God’s judgment. The Pharisees appear righteous to people who only see the outside, but God sees their corrupt hearts and motives. What people admire most—their show of piety—is actually detestable to God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that "justify yourselves" means putting on a show of righteousness. People are easily deceived by such appearances, but God sees the heart and is not swayed by outward displays.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the statement about every man pressing into the kingdom as a hostile assault by the Pharisees rather than eager enthusiasm. He then interprets the parable as a warning that neglecting to use wealth for benevolent purposes brings eternal calamity, not primarily as a detailed teaching about the afterlife.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the sharp contrast between worldly and spiritual wisdom: the unjust steward shrewdly secured his earthly future, yet believers often fail to show similar foresight for their eternal one. He uses the parable to rebuke the "children of light" for not being as prudent with eternal treasures as the worldly are with temporary wealth.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees self-justification as pride that feeds covetousness, mocks the Gospel, and undermines the law. The Pharisees not only think themselves righteous but persuade others to see them the same way, and this pride sets off a chain of deeper sins.