The Meaning of Luke 11:39 Explained

Luke 11:39

KJV: And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

YLT: And the Lord said unto him, 'Now do ye, the Pharisees, the outside of the cup and of the plate make clean, but your inward part is full of rapine and wickedness;

Darby: But the Lord said to him, Now do ye Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but your inward parts are full of plunder and wickedness.

ASV: And the Lord said unto him, Now ye the Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter; but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the Lord  said  unto  him,  Now  do  ye  Pharisees  make clean  the outside  of the cup  and  the platter;  but  your  inward part  is full  of ravening  and  wickedness. 

What does Luke 11:39 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 11:33-44 - Dark And Foul Within
"The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord," Proverbs 20:27. How many unlit candles there are! Will you not ask whether Christ has ever kindled you with His divine light and life? You have the capacity for God, but this is not enough: Christ must give you light, Ephesians 5:14. Seek the clear shining of the inner light, and remember that it will grow clearer and brighter just in proportion as it is obeyed and followed. What a glorious conception this is, that the Lord Jesus shall so fill us with the radiance and warmth of His love that there shall be no part dark!
Our Lord's denunciations of the religious leaders of His time reveal the wrath of infinite truth and purity against all that is inconsistent with either. Because He loved His sheep, the Good Shepherd must warn them against wolves. Notice Luke 11:41, r.v., which means that our faith, love and joy are to be shared with others. Let us be munificent and generous in self-giving. There is no law of the tithe here! Give all! [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 11

1  Jesus teaches us to pray, and that instantly;
11  assuring us that God will give all good things to those who ask him
14  He, casting out a demon, rebukes the blasphemous Pharisees;
27  and shows who are blessed;
29  preaches to the people;
37  and reprimands the outward show of holiness

Greek Commentary for Luke 11:39

The Lord [ο κυριος]
The Lord Jesus plainly and in the narrative portion of Luke. [source]
Now [νυν]
Probably refers to him. You Pharisees do now what was formerly done.The platter (του πινακος — tou pinakos). The dish. Old word, rendered “the charger” in Matthew 14:8. Another word for “platter” (παροπσις — paropsis) in Matthew 23:25 means “side-dish.”But your inward part The part within you (Pharisees). They keep the external regulations, but their hearts are full of plunder See note on Matthew 23:25 for a like indictment of the Pharisees for care for the outside of the cup but neglect of what is on the inside. Both inside and outside should be clean, but the inside first. [source]
The platter [του πινακος]
The dish. Old word, rendered “the charger” in Matthew 14:8. Another word for “platter” (παροπσις — paropsis) in Matthew 23:25 means “side-dish.” [source]
But your inward part [το δε εσωτεν υμων]
The part within you (Pharisees). They keep the external regulations, but their hearts are full of plunder See note on Matthew 23:25 for a like indictment of the Pharisees for care for the outside of the cup but neglect of what is on the inside. Both inside and outside should be clean, but the inside first. [source]
Platter [πίνακος]
The word rendered charger in Matthew 14:8, on which see note. Compare, also, παροψίς , platter, Matthew 23:25. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 11:39

Matthew 23:23 These ye ought [ταυτα εδει]
Jesus does not condemn tithing. What he does condemn is doing it to the neglect of the weightier matters The Pharisees were externalists; cf. Luke 11:39-44. [source]
Matthew 23:23 weightier matters [τα βαρυτερα]
The Pharisees were externalists; cf. Luke 11:39-44. [source]
Hebrews 10:34 Spoiling [ἁρπαγὴν]
Only here Matthew 23:25; Luke 11:39. Allied with ἁρπάζειν tosnatch away. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 11:39 mean?

Said then the Lord to him Now you - Pharisees the outside of the cup and of the dish you cleanse - and the inside of you is full of plundering wickedness
Εἶπεν δὲ Κύριος πρὸς αὐτόν Νῦν ὑμεῖς οἱ Φαρισαῖοι τὸ ἔξωθεν τοῦ ποτηρίου καὶ τοῦ πίνακος καθαρίζετε τὸ δὲ ἔσωθεν ὑμῶν γέμει ἁρπαγῆς πονηρίας

Εἶπεν  Said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
Κύριος  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
Νῦν  Now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: νῦν  
Sense: at this time, the present, now.
οἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Φαρισαῖοι  Pharisees 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: Φαρισαῖος  
Sense: A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile.
ἔξωθεν  outside 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἔξωθεν  
Sense: from without, outward.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ποτηρίου  cup 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: ποτήριον  
Sense: a cup, a drinking vessel.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
πίνακος  dish 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: πίναξ  
Sense: a board, a tablet.
καθαρίζετε  you  cleanse 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: καθαρίζω 
Sense: to make clean, cleanse.
τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἔσωθεν  the  inside 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἔσωθεν  
Sense: from within.
ὑμῶν  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
γέμει  is  full 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γέμω  
Sense: to be full, filled, full.
ἁρπαγῆς  of  plundering 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ἁρπαγή  
Sense: the act of plundering, robbery.
πονηρίας  wickedness 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: πονηρία  
Sense: depravity, iniquity, wickedness.