The Meaning of Luke 18:11 Explained

Luke 18:11

KJV: The 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.

YLT: the 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;

Darby: The 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.

ASV: The 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The 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. 

What does Luke 18:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 18:9-17 - Those Whom God Accepts
We are taught here the spirit in which we should pray. Too many pray "with themselves." The only time that we may thank God for not being as others is when we attribute the contrast to His grace, 1 Timothy 1:12-14. Let it never be forgotten that those who will be justified and stand accepted before God are they who are nothing in their own estimate.
To be self-emptied and poor in spirit is the fundamental and indispensable preparation for receiving the grace of God. "Be propitiated to me" (r.v., margin), cried the publican. "There is a propitiation for our sins," is the answer of Hebrews 2:17, r.v. Each penitent counts himself the sinner, 1 Timothy 1:15. Bow yourself at the feet of Christ and He will lift you to His throne.
We think that children must grow up to become like us before they are eligible to the Kingdom. Nay, we must grow down to become like them, in simplicity, in humility and in faith. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 18

1  Of the importunate widow
9  Of the Pharisee and the tax collector
15  Of Children brought to Jesus
18  A ruler would follow Jesus, but is hindered by his riches
28  The reward of those who leave all for his sake
31  He foretells his death;
35  and restores a blind man to sight

Greek Commentary for Luke 18:11

Stood [σταθεὶς]
Lit., having been placed. Took his stand. It implies taking up his position ostentatiously; striking an attitude. But not necessarily in a bad sense. See on Luke 19:8; and compare Acts 5:20. Standing was the ordinary posture of the Jews in prayer. Compare Matthew 6:5; Mark 11:25. [source]
Prayed [προσηύχετο]
Imperfect: began to pray, orproceeded to pray. [source]
Other men [οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων]
Lit., the rest of men. See on Luke 18:9. A Jewish saying is quoted that s true Rabbin ought to thank God every day of his life; 1, that he was not created a Gentile; 2, that he was not a plebeian; 3, that he was not born a woman. [source]
Extortioners []
As the publicans. [source]
This publican []
Lit., this (one), the publican. This publican here. “He lets us see, even in the general enumeration, that he is thinking of the publican, so, afterward, he does not omit directly to mention him” (Goebel). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 18:11

Luke 19:8 Stood [σταθεὶς]
See on Luke 18:11. Describing a formal act, as of one who is about to make a solemn declaration. He was like the Pharisee in attitude, but not in spirit. The more formal word for standing, applied to the Pharisee in the temple, is here used of the publican. [source]
Luke 18:13 Standing [ἑστὼς]
In a timid attitude: merely standing not posturing as the Pharisee. See on Luke 18:11. [source]
Luke 18:13 Standing afar off [μακροτεν εστως]
Second perfect active participle of ιστημι — histēmi intransitive like στατεις — statheis above. But no ostentation as with the Pharisee in Luke 18:11. At a distance from the Pharisee, not from the sanctuary. [source]
Luke 18:14 This man [ουτος]
This despised publican referred to contemptuously in Luke 18:11 as “this” (ουτος — houtos) publican. [source]
Acts 5:20 Stand []
Compare Acts 2:14; and see on Luke 18:11; and Luke 19:8. [source]
Acts 25:18 Stood up [σταθέντες]
See on Luke 18:11; and Luke 19:8. [source]
Acts 2:14 Standing up with the eleven [στατεις συν τοις ενδεκα]
Took his stand with the eleven including Matthias, who also rose up with them, and spoke as their spokesman, a formal and impressive beginning. The Codex Bezae has “ten apostles.” Luke is fond of this pictorial use of στατεις — statheis (first aorist passive participle of ιστημι — histēmi) as seen nowhere else in the N.T. (Luke 18:11, Luke 18:40; Luke 19:8; Acts 5:20; Acts 17:22; Acts 27:21). [source]
1 Corinthians 5:10 The covetous [τοις πλεονεκταις]
Old word for the over-reachers, those avaricious for more and more In N.T. only here, 1 Corinthians 6:10; Ephesians 5:5. It always comes in bad company (the licentious and the idolaters) like the modern gangsters who form a combination of liquor, lewdness, lawlessness for money and power. Extortioners (ειδωλολατραις — harpaxin). An old adjective with only one gender, rapacious (Matthew 7:15; Luke 18:11), and as a substantive robber or extortioner (here and 1 Corinthians 6:10). Bandits, hijackers, grafters they would be called today. Idolaters Late word for hirelings This neat Greek idiom of ωπειλετε — epei with the imperfect indicative (οπειλω — ōpheilete from αν — opheilō to be under obligation) is really the conclusion of a second-class condition with the condition unexpressed (Robertson, Grammar, p. 965). Sometimes αν — an is used also as in Hebrews 10:2, but with verbs of obligation or necessity Αρα — an is usually absent as here (cf. Hebrews 9:20). The unexpressed condition here would be, “if that were true” (including fornicators, the covetous, extortioners, idolaters of the outside world). Ara means in that case. [source]
1 Corinthians 5:10 Extortioners [ειδωλολατραις]
An old adjective with only one gender, rapacious (Matthew 7:15; Luke 18:11), and as a substantive robber or extortioner (here and 1 Corinthians 6:10). Bandits, hijackers, grafters they would be called today. [source]
Ephesians 3:14 I bow my knees [καμπτω τα γονατα μου]
He now prays whether he had at first intended to do so at Ephesians 3:1 or not. Calvin supposes that Paul knelt as he dictated this prayer, but this is not necessary. This was a common attitude in prayer (Luke 22:41; Acts 7:40; Acts 20:36; Acts 21:5), though standing is also frequent (Mark 11:25; Luke 18:11, Luke 18:13). [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 18:11 mean?

The Pharisee having stood thus toward himself was praying - God I thank You that not I am like the rest of the men swindlers unrighteous adulterers or even like this - tax collector
Φαρισαῖος σταθεὶς ταῦτα πρὸς ἑαυτὸν» προσηύχετο Θεός εὐχαριστῶ σοι ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ ὥσπερ οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἅρπαγες ἄδικοι μοιχοί καὶ ὡς οὗτος τελώνης

Φαρισαῖος  Pharisee 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Φαρισαῖος  
Sense: A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile.
σταθεὶς  having  stood 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἵστημι  
Sense: to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set.
ταῦτα  thus 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
πρὸς  toward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: πρός  
Sense: to the advantage of.
ἑαυτὸν»  himself 
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἑαυτοῦ  
Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves.
προσηύχετο  was  praying 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: προσεύχομαι  
Sense: to offer prayers, to pray.
  - 
Parse: Article, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεός  God 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
εὐχαριστῶ  I  thank 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: εὐχαριστέω  
Sense: to be grateful, feel thankful.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
εἰμὶ  I  am 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
ὥσπερ  like 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὥσπερ  
Sense: just as, even as.
λοιποὶ  rest 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λοιπός  
Sense: remaining, the rest.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀνθρώπων  men 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
ἅρπαγες  swindlers 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἅρπαξ  
Sense: rapacious, ravenous.
ἄδικοι  unrighteous 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἄδικος 
Sense: descriptive of one who violates or has violated justice.
μοιχοί  adulterers 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: μοιχός  
Sense: an adulterer.
καὶ  even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ὡς  like 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὡς 
Sense: as, like, even as, etc.
οὗτος  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
τελώνης  tax  collector 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: τελώνης  
Sense: a renter or farmer of taxes.