Luke 18:10 kjv
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luke 18:10 nkjv
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Luke 18:10 niv
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Luke 18:10 esv
"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Luke 18:10 nlt
"Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.
Luke 18 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 56:7 | ...my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. | Temple as a place for prayer |
| Ps 5:7 | But as for me, through the abundance of your steadfast love I will enter your house... | Entering God's presence |
| 1 Kgs 8:27-30 | ...hear the prayer that your servant offers toward this place... | Temple as a place for prayer, God hearing |
| Mat 6:5-6 | And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites... But when you pray, go into your private room... | Contrast to public display of prayer |
| Luk 11:1-2 | He was praying in a certain place... when you pray, say: "Father..." | Disciples asking how to pray |
| Luk 18:1 | ...Jesus told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. | Context of persistent prayer |
| Mat 9:10-13 | And as Jesus reclined at table... many tax collectors and sinners came... I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. | Jesus associating with tax collectors/sinners |
| Luk 5:27-32 | After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi... "Those who are well have no need of a physician..." | Calling of Matthew, Jesus with sinners |
| Luk 7:29-30 | When all the people heard this... they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John... | Tax collectors responding to God |
| Luk 15:1-2 | Now all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to hear him... "This man receives sinners..." | Jesus welcoming tax collectors/sinners |
| Luk 19:1-10 | He entered Jericho and was passing through... "Today salvation has come to this house..." | Zacchaeus, another tax collector, justified |
| Mat 23:23-28 | "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe... but neglect the weightier matters..." | Jesus's woes against Pharisees' hypocrisy |
| Luk 16:15 | He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts..." | Self-justification of the Pharisees |
| Prov 16:5 | Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD... | Pride before God |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Danger of pride |
| Jam 4:6 | ...God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. | God's stance on pride vs. humility |
| 1 Pet 5:5 | Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders... God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. | Humility before God |
| Luk 14:11 | For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. | Principle of humility and exaltation |
| Mat 23:12 | Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. | Same principle of humility |
| Phil 4:6 | Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. | General encouragement to pray |
| 1 Jn 5:14 | And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. | God hears prayer |
| Ps 34:18 | The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. | God's proximity to the humble |
Luke 18 verses
Luke 18 10 Meaning
Luke 18:10 introduces a parable by setting the scene: two distinct individuals, a Pharisee and a tax collector, both ascended to the Jerusalem Temple for the purpose of prayer. This verse establishes a stark contrast between an individual widely regarded as righteous and another considered an outcast sinner, immediately raising questions about their approach to God and their respective spiritual states. It prepares the reader for Jesus's teaching on true humility and self-justification before God.
Luke 18 10 Context
Luke 18:10 initiates the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, immediately following two parables about prayer: the Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8), which emphasizes the need for continuous prayer and not giving up, and the parable concerning the coming of the Son of Man (Luke 17:22-37). Luke explicitly states the purpose of this particular parable in Luke 18:9: "He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt." This immediately signals that the parable is a critique of self-righteousness and a commendation of humble dependence on God. The setting in the Temple is highly significant, as it was the spiritual center of Jewish life and the accepted place for direct communion with God. The juxtaposition of a Pharisee, a highly respected religious leader, with a tax collector, a widely reviled social outcast, sets the stage for a dramatic reversal of expected spiritual standing in the eyes of God. Historically, Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to the Law and oral traditions, embodying a deep commitment to piety in the public eye. Tax collectors (telōnēs), however, were scorned for collecting taxes for Rome, often extorting more than due, and were considered collaborators, ritually unclean, and ostracized by their own people. This societal and religious chasm is key to understanding the parable's shocking conclusion.
Luke 18 10 Word analysis
- Two men: (Greek: duo anthrōpoi - δύο ἄνθρωποι). Emphasizes that this is not a generalized statement, but a specific comparison between two distinct individuals representing two different approaches to God.
- went up: (Greek: anabainō - ἀναβαίνω). Literally means "to go up" or "ascend." Jerusalem and the Temple were built on hills, so one would physically ascend to reach them. Metaphorically, it implies an act of seeking or drawing closer to God, a deliberate religious act.
- to the temple: (Greek: eis to hieron - εἰς τὸ ἱερόν). Refers to the entire Temple complex, not just the inner sanctuary. It was the divinely appointed place for prayer, sacrifice, and public worship for Jews, seen as God's dwelling place on earth. The action signifies a standard religious practice.
- to pray: (Greek: proseuxasthai - προσεύξασθαι). The purpose of their visit. This verb denotes the act of earnest communication with God, highlighting that both individuals were engaged in a religiously devout activity. The difference, as the parable unfolds, will be in how they pray.
- one a Pharisee: (Greek: heis Pharisaios - εἷς Φαρισαῖος). The Pharisees were a prominent Jewish religious party, revered for their strict observance of the Torah and oral traditions. They sought to apply God's Law meticulously to every aspect of life. In Jesus's time, they were seen as epitomes of piety. However, Jesus often critiqued their self-righteousness and external performance.
- and the other a tax collector: (Greek: kai ho heteros telōnēs - καὶ ὁ ἕτεros telōnēs). Tax collectors were Jewish people who collected taxes for the Roman occupiers, often demanding more than legally due for personal profit. This made them deeply despised by their own people, regarded as traitors, extortioners, and sinners beyond redemption. Their profession was considered inherently unholy, placing them among the lowest of society. The stark contrast with the Pharisee is deliberate.
Luke 18 10 Bonus section
The parable that follows Luke 18:10 functions as a deliberate polemic against a common perception of righteousness based on works, heritage, or public image. By placing these two contrasting figures at the heart of Jewish worship, Jesus shatters the assumption that a religiously upright person would naturally be more righteous than a notorious sinner. This reflects a recurring theme in Luke's Gospel, where Jesus consistently highlights that the Kingdom of God is accessible to those marginalized by society, while challenging the religious elite (e.g., Jesus dining with sinners, the parable of the lost sheep/coin, the conversion of Zacchaeus). The phrase "went up to the temple to pray" not only describes a physical act but also implies an expectation of divine encounter. The parable's power lies in how Jesus subverts this expectation, showing that sincere humility, not outward piety or self-justification, is what God truly favors and rewards with righteousness. This also underscores Luke's broader emphasis on prayer as a fundamental discipline for believers, though stressing that the heart behind the prayer is paramount.
Luke 18 10 Commentary
Luke 18:10 sets the perfect stage for Jesus's revolutionary teaching on true piety. It introduces two archetypal figures of Jewish society entering the most sacred space for a common religious purpose: prayer. The Pharisee represents the pinnacle of religious observance and social esteem, while the tax collector embodies the depth of social and religious scorn. The choice of these two individuals for a prayer contrast is highly strategic, as it immediately challenges the conventional wisdom of who is "righteous" in God's eyes. This verse prepares the hearer to confront their own assumptions about faith, outward displays of religion, and what genuinely leads to justification before God. It emphasizes that physical proximity to sacred spaces or perceived status among people does not automatically guarantee divine favor; rather, the inner disposition of the heart is what truly matters to the Almighty.