Luke 11 40

Luke 11:40 kjv

Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

Luke 11:40 nkjv

Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

Luke 11:40 niv

You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?

Luke 11:40 esv

You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?

Luke 11:40 nlt

Fools! Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside?

Luke 11 verses

Luke 11 40 Meaning

The verse Luke 11:40 is a pointed rebuke from Jesus to the Pharisee who was critical of His failure to perform the ritual handwashing before eating. Jesus calls him "foolish ones," highlighting a profound spiritual blindness. The rhetorical question, "Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?" emphasizes that God, the Creator, is concerned not only with outward appearances, ritual purity, or physical acts but equally, if not more, with the inner state of a person – their heart, motives, and intentions. It implies that true cleanliness or righteousness must originate from within, as God observes and values the heart above mere external conformity.

Luke 11 40 Context

Luke 11:40 is part of a series of severe condemnations Jesus issues against the Pharisees and lawyers, initiated by an encounter during a dinner. In Luke 11:37-38, a Pharisee invited Jesus to eat, but Jesus did not wash His hands before the meal according to the traditional custom (a purification ritual, not a hygienic one). The Pharisee expressed astonishment at this. In Luke 11:39, Jesus responds directly to this implicit criticism by declaring, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness." Luke 11:40 follows directly, building on this indictment by stating the fundamental spiritual principle that God, who created all things, demands purity and integrity in both external conduct and internal disposition. The overall context of Luke 11:37-54 shows Jesus contrasting genuine righteousness, characterized by inner transformation, love, and justice, with the superficial righteousness of religious leaders who meticulously adhered to external traditions while neglecting the weightier matters of the law. This verse acts as the foundational premise for Jesus' subsequent "woes," all of which point to hypocrisy and misplaced religious priorities.

Luke 11 40 Word analysis

• You foolish ones! (Greek: Ἄφρονες - Aphrones)
  • This is a strong rebuke, translating to "senseless," "unthinking," "lacking spiritual insight," or "without understanding." It denotes a lack of wisdom or comprehension, particularly concerning spiritual truth, rather than intellectual deficiency.
  • It implies that their focus on outward appearance revealed a fundamental spiritual blindness to God's true requirements. It highlights their moral and spiritual shortsightedness in prioritizing human traditions over divine principles.
• Did not He who made (Greek: Ὁ ποιήσας - Ho poiēsas)
  • Refers to God as the Creator, the ultimate author of all existence. This phrase underlines God's sovereignty and His comprehensive understanding of His creation.
  • The rhetorical question implies that the answer is obvious: indeed, God did make both.
• the outside (Greek: τὸ ἔξωθεν - to exōthen)
  • Literally "that which is outside." In this context, it refers to external things: physical actions, observable behaviors, religious rituals, ceremonial purity, and outward appearance.
  • It points to the visible aspects of life that the Pharisees were meticulously focused on maintaining and presenting to others.
• make the inside also? (Greek: τὸ ἔσωθεν - to esōthen with implied epoiēsen - "He also made")
  • Literally "that which is inside." This refers to the inner self: the heart, mind, intentions, motives, thoughts, desires, and spiritual state.
  • It emphasizes that God's creative work and, consequently, His interest and judgment extend beyond the visible to the hidden depths of a person.

• "You foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?"
  • This entire phrase functions as a piercing rhetorical question. Jesus is not asking for information but rather making a declarative statement through a question. It is an indictment of the Pharisees' failure to grasp a fundamental theological truth: God is not only concerned with physical cleanliness or outward ritual but is equally, and more profoundly, concerned with the internal state of a person.
  • It argues from creation to a moral truth: if God designed and created the whole human being, both body and spirit, then He has a holistic concern for both. Therefore, human attempts at piety that address only the external while neglecting the internal are fundamentally flawed and misdirected in God's eyes.

Luke 11 40 Bonus section

This verse subtly draws on the biblical concept of humanity as image-bearers of God, comprising both material and immaterial aspects. If God made the whole person, then neglecting one part (especially the internal, which is the seat of moral agency) is a direct affront to His design and intent. The "inside" is portrayed not merely as a consequence of the "outside," but as the foundational wellspring from which all actions flow. Therefore, for true godliness, the source must be cleansed first. The "outside" reflects the "inside," much like the fruit reveals the nature of the tree (Luke 6:43-45). Jesus here applies a creation mandate to the realm of morality and spiritual truth, reminding the Pharisees (and us) that God's concern for holiness is comprehensive and deeply personal.

Luke 11 40 Commentary

Luke 11:40 serves as the spiritual lynchpin of Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees' hypocrisy. Their astonishment at Jesus' lack of ceremonial handwashing revealed their warped spiritual priorities. Jesus points out their folly, emphasizing that God, the very Creator of "outside" (the physical body, outward rituals, observable conduct) also created "inside" (the human heart, mind, and spirit). Therefore, God demands integrity and purity from both realms. It is illogical to assume that the Creator would care only for the external performance while neglecting the inner motives and conditions which often defile the "outside" through greedy or wicked actions (as stated in verse 39). This verse stresses that true devotion and righteousness originate from a transformed heart, without which external acts become hollow and meaningless. For instance, outward giving to charity (outside) without genuine compassion (inside) falls short in God's sight. Or prayer spoken with perfect words (outside) but an unrepentant spirit (inside) is likewise hollow. This timeless principle calls all believers to introspection, ensuring that our inner state aligns with our outer confession and actions.