Luke 18:9-14 · Bible study
Luke 18:9-14 Commentary: Humble Prayer and Justification
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine Jesus’ parable contrasting self-righteousness with humble repentance.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Self-trust and contempt for others disqualify a person from justification; humble repentance opens the door to God’s mercy.
- Key words: πεποιθότας (pepoithotas, “having trusted” in self); ἐξουθενοῦντας (exouthenountas, “despising”); ἱλάσθητι (hilasthēti, “be propitiated”); δεδικαιωμένος (dedikaiōmenos, “justified”).
- Main debate: Whether the Pharisee’s prayer was unacceptable because of his attitude (pride) or also because his theology of works-righteousness was flawed.
- Theological theme: Justification by grace through faith apart from works of the law (cf. Romans 3:28).
- Best use: Preaching on prayer, humility, and the doctrine of justification; small-group study of contrasts between self-reliance and grace.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
9To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:
10“Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
12I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’
13But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’
14I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
9He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others:
10“Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.
11The Pharisee stood and prayed by himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men: extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’
13But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
KJV King James Version 1769
9And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13And 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.
14I 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
9And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought:
10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get.
13But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner.
14I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
9And he spake also unto certain who have been trusting in themselves that they were righteous, and have been despising the rest, this simile:
10`Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer;
11the Pharisee having stood by himself, thus prayed: God, I thank Thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer;
12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all things--as many as I possess.
13`And the tax-gatherer, having stood afar off, would not even the eyes lift up to the heaven, but was smiting on his breast, saying, God be propitious to me--the sinner!
14I say to you, this one went down declared righteous, to his house, rather than that one: for every one who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
9And he spoke also to some, who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and made nothing of all the rest [of men], this parable:
10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer.
11The Pharisee, standing, prayed thus to himself: God, I thank thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer.
12I fast twice in the week, I tithe everything I gain.
13And the tax-gatherer, standing afar off, would not lift up even his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, OGod, have compassion on me, the sinner.
14I say unto you, This [man] went down to his house justified rather than that [other]. For every one who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
9And to some who trusted in themselves as just and despised others, he spoke also this parable:
10Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee and the other a publican.
11The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican.
12I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all that I possess.
13And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
14I say to you, this man went down into his house justified rather than the other: because every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 18:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this parable exposes two opposing approaches to God. The Pharisee trusts in his own righteousness, the perfect participle πεποιθότας (pepoithotas, “having trusted”) in verse 9 indicates a settled, ongoing self-reliance (Vincent). His prayer uses the imperfect προσηύχετο (prosēucheto, “was praying”), suggesting he was speaking to himself rather than to God (Clarke, Gill). By contrast, the tax collector’s plea employs ἱλάσθητι (hilasthēti), an aorist passive imperative of ἱλάσκομαι, a rare word pointing to propitiation (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). He calls himself τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ (“the sinner”), the definite article underscoring his sense of being the chief of sinners (Bengel via Vincent). The verdict in verse 14 uses passive verbs, ταπεινωθήσεται and ὑψωθήσεται, showing that humbling and exalting are God’s actions, not human achievements. Calvin notes that humility consists in “condemning ourselves and thus anticipating the judgment of God.” Wesley observes that the Pharisee “sincerely trusted in himself,” yet was rejected. The shared conclusion: justification comes not from works or self-approval but from humble repentance.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The parable contrasts self-righteousness and humble repentance, and Jesus explicitly states that the tax collector went home justified while the Pharisee did not, because God exalts the humble and humbles the proud.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Self-righteousness and contempt | Both attitudes are condemned by Jesus; they prevent a person from receiving grace. | Some traditions emphasize that the Pharisee’s works were good but his reliance on them was wrong; others see his entire religious framework as fundamentally misdirected. |
| Meaning of ‘justified’ | Justified refers to being declared righteous/accepted before God, not because of one’s own merit. | Protestant traditions see this as a forensic declaration (imputed righteousness); Catholic and Orthodox teaching sees it as both a declaration and an actual making-righteous (infused righteousness). |
| Role of the tax collector’s prayer | His cry ‘be merciful’ expresses humble repentance, which God accepts. | The word ἱλάσκομαι can mean ‘be propitiated’ (pointing to atonement) or more generally ‘be merciful.’ Interpreters differ on how directly the tax collector understands substitutionary sacrifice. |
| The scope of the parable | It illustrates God’s reversal of human values: the humble are exalted, the proud are humbled. | Some readers limit the lesson to prayer attitudes; others see it as a core statement on justification by grace alone. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The setting is the Jerusalem temple, built on Mount Moriah, commonly called “the hill of the house” (Cambridge). Worshippers entered the Court of Women; the Pharisee would have positioned himself as close as possible to the sanctuary, while the tax collector stood at a distance, perhaps in the Court of the Gentiles, conscious of his unworthiness (Barnes). The verb σταθείς (“having stood,” used of the Pharisee) suggests an ostentatious pose; for the tax collector, simply ἑστώς (“standing”) is used (Vincent).
The Pharisees were known for strict observance of both written and oral law. They fasted regularly on Mondays and Thursdays during the weeks between Passover and Pentecost and again between Tabernacles and Dedication (Cambridge, Lange). The Law required only a single annual fast on the Day of Atonement, so these additional fasts were voluntary and became a source of pride. The Pharisee also boasts of tithing “all that I get”, the verb κτῶμαι means “acquire” (Clarke, Vincent), indicating he tithed even his income, not just produce. This went beyond the biblical requirement of tithing crops and livestock.
Tax collectors (publicans) were despised as collaborators with Rome, often extorting more than required. The Greek word τελώνης carried connotations of greed and dishonesty (Clarke). Calling a tax collector “a sinner” was conventional, but the parable subverts expectations: the religious insider is rejected, the outcast is justified.
The cultural backdrop of self-righteousness and contempt for others is echoed in Isaiah 65:5: “who say, ‘Stay by yourself, don’t come near to me, for I am holier than you.’” Jesus addresses this attitude directly, showing that God’s kingdom reverses human judgments (Luke 18:14).
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Luke 18:9-14. The manuscript tradition is stable, and the wording is not in dispute among the consulted commentaries.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this parable has been a touchstone for teaching on humility and justification. Early church fathers such as Chrysostom and Augustine used it to contrast self-righteousness with penitence. In the medieval period, it was often read during Lent as a model of true confession. The Reformers, especially Luther and Calvin, drew on it heavily to argue that justification is by grace apart from works; Calvin’s commentary emphasizes that the Pharisee’s trust in his own works renders his prayer void. In the Wesleyan tradition, the parable illustrates prevenient grace and the necessity of a humble heart. Eastern Orthodox worship includes the tax collector’s prayer in the Jesus Prayer tradition. It has also inspired hymns such as “The Pharisee and Publican” and remains a staple of sermons on prayer and repentance across denominations.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Self-Righteousness Breeds Contempt. Verse 9 sets the target: people convinced of their own righteousness who despise others. The Pharisee’s “thank you” is a thin veil for a list of sins he has avoided; he prays to himself (Clarke), effectively making God a spectator to his own self-congratulation.
- Humility Opens the Door to Grace. The tax collector’s posture, standing far off, eyes down, beating his breast, is a physical confession of unworthiness. His cry, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” uses the rare word ἱλάσκομαι, a plea for atonement. He owns his sin without excuse.
- Justification Is God’s Act. Verse 14 uses passive verbs: the tax collector “went down to his house justified.” God declares righteous, not the one who lists his merits, but the one who casts himself on mercy.
Five-Point Outline
- Target Audience: Those who trust in self-righteousness (v.9).
- Two Worshippers, Two Prayers: The Pharisee’s prayer of thanks becomes a platform for comparison; the tax collector’s prayer is a raw plea for mercy (vv.10-13).
- The Pharisee’s Inventory: He lists negative virtues (not extortioner, not unjust) and positive works (fasting, tithing), all good things, but they become a boast rather than an offering (v.11-12).
- The Tax Collector’s Confession: He declares himself “the sinner” (definite article in Greek), not comparing himself with others, but acknowledging his condition before God (v.13).
- The Shocking Verdict: The outcast goes home justified; the religious leader remains unjustified. The kingdom is turned upside down (v.14).
Illustration Hooks
- The mirror and the window. A man steps on a scale and instantly judges himself against the next person. But the only proper comparison is to the weight God set, and no one measures up. The Pharisee uses the window to look at others; the tax collector uses the mirror to look at himself.
- The prayer list. In a small group, one member always thanks God for “not being like those who don’t pray as long as I do” or “those who struggle with that sin.” Listeners feel they have to prove their worth. The parable gently exposes that dynamic.
- The checkout line. Two people stand in line: one lists aloud all the coupons and rewards she has, expecting better service; the other says only “I have nothing left to pay.” The contrast captures the Pharisee’s presentation of merits versus the tax collector’s plea for charity.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- How can I tell the difference between healthy gratitude for God’s work in my life and pharisaical pride?
- Does this parable mean my good deeds and disciplines don’t matter? What role do they play?
- What does real humility look like in daily prayer? Is it always about feeling bad about myself?
Leading a Discussion
This parable cuts through our habit of measuring spiritual worth by comparing ourselves to others. The Pharisee and the tax collector both go to the same temple at the same hour, but they pray from vastly different postures. As you discuss, pay attention not just to what each man says, but to where he places his trust.
Discussion Questions
- Read Luke 18:9 slowly. What does it mean to “trust in yourself that you are righteous”? How does this differ from being righteous by faith?
- Compare the posture and location of each man (vv.10-13). The Pharisee “stood by himself” or “with himself”; the tax collector stood “far off.” What do these physical details reveal about their inner attitudes?
- The Pharisee thanks God for what he is not and for what he does. In what ways might our own prayers sound more like a self-reward than an appeal to grace?
- The tax collector uses the definite article in Greek: “the sinner.” Why does that matter? How might owning our sin more precisely change the way we pray?
- Jesus says the tax collector went down “justified” (v.14). Based on the rest of Scripture, what does it mean to be justified? How does this parable illustrate that truth?
- How does the closing axiom, exalting oneself leads to humiliation, humbling oneself leads to exaltation, challenge the values of our culture and even of the church?
- What one step can you take this week to make your prayer life more like the tax collector’s and less like the Pharisee’s?
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)
| Proverbs 30:12 | There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness. |
| Isaiah 65:5 | who say, ‘Stay by yourself, don’t come near to me, for I am holier than you.’ These are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day. |
| Isaiah 66:5 | Hear Yahweh’s word, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for my name’s sake, have said, ‘Let Yahweh be glorified, that we may see your joy;’ but it is those who shall be disappointed. |
| Luke 7:39 | Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.” |
| Luke 10:29 | But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” |
| Luke 15:2 | The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.” |
| Luke 15:29 | But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. |
| Luke 15:30 | But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ |
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
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the Pharisee's righteousness rested entirely on avoiding harm to others and faithfully observing religious duties like fasting and tithing. Yet he used these mercies from God to boast and claim God's favor, missing
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that the Pharisee’s fatal error was trusting in his own external righteousness rather than confessing his sin, while the publican’s humble plea for mercy reveals the only prayer God accepts. Outward morality and orthodox belief are worthless without genuine humility before God.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists that even a prayer thanking God for grace can be damnable if it breeds self-confidence and contempt for others. The Pharisee's fatal error was not claiming his own virtue but trusting his works to secure God's favor. True humility means abandoning all reliance on good deeds and pleading only for undeserved mercy.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools notes that the Pharisee's prayer is no prayer at all — only a boast born from trusting in his own ceremonial scrupulosity. In contrast, the tax-gatherer uses the Greek word meaning "be propitiated" and calls himself "the sinner," the chief of sinners, showing the humility that alone receives mercy.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the Pharisee's arrogance in treating his moral and religious achievements as grounds for self-congratulation, even thanking God in a way that separates him from others. By contrast, the publican's stance—standing far off, not lifting his eyes, smiting his breast, and calling himself "the sinner"—shows the self-emptying humility that alone receives justification.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that Jesus aimed this parable not at Pharisees but at followers who trusted in their own righteousness, a danger for all people. He notes the Pharisee's prayer becomes a boast that makes God his debtor, while the publican's cry for mercy contains the whole gospel in a single word: grace.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that the self-righteous not only think highly of their own goodness but actually treat God as their debtor, believing their piety gives them a claim on his favor. By trusting in the merit of their righteousness, they shut themselves out from acceptance with God.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws attention to the Greek phrasing: the Pharisee lumps all others into one dismissive class as "the rest," and his stance implies an ostentatious posture. For the publican, the definite article in "the sinner" shows he thinks of no one else but himself. This lexical precision exposes the Pharisee's self-righteousness and the publican's genuine humility.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley insists the Pharisee was not a hypocrite but genuinely trusted in his own righteousness, listing real religious duties before God. The publican, by contrast, stood far off in shame and would not lift his eyes. He went home justified, not the Pharisee.