Luke 18 9

Luke 18:9 kjv

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Luke 18:9 nkjv

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Luke 18:9 niv

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:

Luke 18:9 esv

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:

Luke 18:9 nlt

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:

Luke 18 verses

Luke 18 9 Meaning

Luke 18:9 introduces one of Jesus' most significant parables, directly preceding the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. This verse specifies the particular audience Jesus intended to address: those who possessed a strong, unwavering confidence in their own moral uprightness before God and, as a consequence, looked down upon others with disdain. It sets the stage for a critical teaching on true righteousness, humility, and the nature of God's grace versus human pride and self-exaltation.

Luke 18 9 Context

Luke 18:9 is crucial as it acts as Jesus' preface to the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18:10-14). Jesus explicitly states the intended recipients of this teaching, preventing misinterpretation by placing the parable's moral unequivocally at its forefront. This specific introduction emphasizes the danger of self-righteousness.

Within the broader Gospel of Luke, this verse fits a pattern of Jesus challenging the established religious norms and elite of his time. Luke consistently highlights themes of God's concern for the marginalized (the poor, women, Samaritans, tax collectors, sinners) and Jesus' critiques of the proud, the wealthy, and the self-justifying religious leaders (scribes, Pharisees). Chapters like Luke 15 (parables of the lost) and Luke 16 (Rich Man and Lazarus) also underscore the inversion of human values by divine standards. The immediate context of Luke 18 itself begins with two parables on prayer (the Persistent Widow, the Friend at Midnight), implying a connection between genuine prayer, humility, and the rejection of self-righteousness. Historically and culturally, self-righteousness was a prevalent spiritual illness, particularly among some Pharisees and religious leaders who meticulously adhered to the Mosaic Law and oral traditions, often believing this meticulousness earned them superior standing with God and gave them license to look down on "sinners" or "people of the land" (am ha'aretz) who did not follow the same strict codes. This verse directly confronts that societal and religious attitude.

Luke 18 9 Word analysis

• He also told: (Εἶπεν δὲ καὶ, Eipen de kai) - The inclusion of "also" (καὶ, kai) links this teaching with previous discourses, particularly the preceding parables on prayer (Lk 18:1-8). It suggests that self-righteousness is an obstacle to true prayer and true faith, as addressed in the previous section.
• this parable: (παραβολήν, parabolēn) - A "parable" is a narrative drawn from everyday life or nature, designed to illustrate a spiritual or moral lesson. It served as a powerful teaching method for Jesus, making complex truths accessible while sometimes concealing them from those not seeking spiritual understanding.
• to some: (πρός τινας, pros tinas) - Signifies a targeted audience, not merely a general statement. This particular group was identifiable by their spiritual disposition and likely their behavior towards others. This direct address shows Jesus' specificity in challenging entrenched attitudes.
• who trusted: (τοὺς πεποιθότας, tous pepoithotas) - From the Greek verb peitho, meaning "to persuade," or in the perfect tense (as here), "to have confidence," "to be assured," "to trust." The participle indicates an ongoing state. It implies a deep-seated conviction or reliance. The chosen verb highlights that this trust was a fundamental part of their spiritual identity.
• in themselves: (ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτοῖς, eph' heautois) - The reflexive pronoun "themselves" (ἑαυτοῖς, heautois) is critical. It defines the object of their trust – their own performance, piety, and perceived righteousness – rather than in God or His mercy. This self-reliance is the very antithesis of biblical faith which trusts solely in God.
• that they were righteous: (ὅτι εἰσὶν δίκαιοι, hoti eisin dikaioi) - Dikaioi means "just," "righteous," "innocent." This phrase reveals their self-assessment. Their righteousness was not God-imparted but self-perceived and self-achieved. This self-perception, tragically, blinds them to their need for divine grace.
• and treated others with contempt: (καὶ ἐξουθενοῦντας τοὺς λοιπούς, kai exouthenountas tous loipous) - Exoutheneo means "to count as nothing," "to despise," "to treat with contempt or scorn." Tous loipous means "the rest," or "the others." This reveals the social manifestation of their self-righteousness. Their internal pride did not remain private but spilled over into their interactions, leading them to look down upon everyone who did not meet their self-imposed standards of piety. This judgmental attitude is a clear indicator of spiritual pride, antithetical to Christ's teachings.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous": This phrase perfectly encapsulates the internal spiritual state that Jesus sought to expose. It identifies the root of the problem: a misguided trust placed in human achievement and perceived merit, leading to a self-delusion about one's standing before God. This false righteousness is built on human effort and comparison rather than God's standard or grace.
• "and treated others with contempt": This reveals the external consequence and outward expression of the internal self-trust. When individuals believe themselves righteous, they inevitably compare themselves to others, often deeming others inferior, impure, or spiritually unworthy. This contempt (derived from exoutheneo, to make light of, to treat as worthless) is the fruit of spiritual pride and directly opposes the biblical call to love and humility.

Luke 18 9 Bonus section

This verse carries a profound polemic against the legalistic and works-based righteousness prevalent in some sectors of Second Temple Judaism, particularly as exemplified by some Pharisees. It is not an indictment of all Pharisees, but of a particular mindset within the broader religious community. The core challenge is the false righteousness that is measured horizontally (against other people) rather than vertically (against God's perfect standard and in light of His grace). Such horizontal righteousness invariably leads to contempt because there will always be someone deemed "less righteous."

The concept of "treating others with contempt" (ἐξουθενοῦντας τοὺς λοιπούς) reflects a deeper spiritual issue where individuals elevate themselves to the position of judge. This contradicts the divine prerogative of judgment (Jas 4:12) and highlights a failure to love one's neighbor. Jesus consistently opposed such exclusionary attitudes, championing an inclusive message of repentance and grace. This verse sets the stage for demonstrating that true righteousness before God is about brokenness and reliance on His mercy, not about self-assurance and disdain for the "unrighteous."

Luke 18 9 Commentary

Luke 18:9 is a profoundly insightful preamble to the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, providing an x-ray view into the spiritual malady of self-righteousness. Jesus, as a master teacher, clearly labels the group this parable targets: those who were supremely confident in their own spiritual standing and who, as a result, harbored disdain for others. This confidence was not born of genuine humility and God's grace, but of self-exaltation based on their own deeds or perceived moral superiority.

The heart of the issue here is "trusting in themselves." Biblical faith inherently trusts in God; but this group placed their trust in their own piety, rule-following, and good works. Their righteousness was a self-generated, self-validated one, which led to a spiritual blindness concerning their true spiritual poverty. The immediate outcome of this self-exaltation was the exoutheneo – the act of belittling and despising "the rest," meaning anyone who didn't fit their narrow definition of religious propriety. This reveals the corrosive nature of pride: it not only distorts one's relationship with God but also perverts relationships with others, fostering elitism and judgment rather than love and compassion. Jesus' teaching here, exemplified in the following parable, champions radical humility and reliance on God's mercy as the only true path to divine favor and righteousness, a path open even to the despised sinner, but often inaccessible to the proudly "righteous."