Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 16:15
And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
15. Ye are they which justify yourselves before men ] Luk 7:39, Luk 15:29; Mat 23:25, &c.
God knoweth your hearts ] Hence God is called “a heart-knower” in Act 15:8; and “in thy sight shall no man living be justified,” Psa 143:2. There is perhaps a reference to 1Sa 16:7; 1Ch 28:9.
highly esteemed ] Rather, lofty.
abomination ] Their ‘derision’ might terribly rebound on themselves. Psa 2:4.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 15. Ye – justify yourselves] Ye declare yourselves to be just. Ye endeavour to make it appear to men that ye can still feel an insatiable thirst after the present world, and yet secure the blessings of another; that ye can reconcile God and mammon, – and serve two masters with equal zeal and affection; but God knoweth your hearts, – and he knoweth that ye are alive to the world, and dead to God and goodness. Therefore, howsoever ye may be esteemed among men, ye are an abomination before him. See Clarke on Lu 7:29.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
By justifying here is to be understood either an appearing before men as just, and strict observers of the law, or a predicating of themselves as just: You (saith our Saviour) make a fine show, and great brags amongst men; but Gods eye goeth deeper, he knoweth the heart, what pride, and covetousness, and hypocrisy lodge there. Men do not know your hearts, but God knoweth them. All is not gold by Gods touchstone that glitters in mans eyes. Nay, many things which are highly esteemed amongst men, as matters of great devotion and piety and merit, and which they applaud others for, are in the sight of God no better than abominations. This highly obliges all not to make their estimate of things, from the value and estimate which men put upon them; not every thing, but many things which are highly esteemed amongst men are abomination in the sight of God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15. justify yourselvesmake ashow of righteousness.
highly esteemed amongmengenerally carried away by plausible appearances. (See1Sa 16:7; Luk 14:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he said unto them,…. That is, Jesus said unto them, as the Syriac and Persic versions express it: “ye are they which justify yourselves before men”: from the sins of injustice, unfaithfulness, covetousness, and all others; and would be thought, and appear to be righteous; but it is only in the sight of men, who can only see the outside of things, and judge thereby:
but God knoweth your hearts; and what is in them, the deceitfulness, hypocrisy, covetousness, and cruelty of them, which are hid from the eyes of men:
for that which is highly esteemed among men; or what is high in the account and esteem of men, as the outward appearance of these men for morality, religion, and holiness; their zeal for the ceremonies of the law, and the traditions of the elders:
is abomination in the sight of God; who knew full well from what principles, and with what views they acted, to gain popular applause, and amass riches to themselves, without any concern for the glory of God, and the good of men: see Isa 65:5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
That justify yourselves ( ). They were past-masters at that and were doing it now by upturned noses.
An abomination in the sight of God ( ). See on Matt 24:15; Mark 13:14 for this LXX word for a detestable thing as when Antiochus Epiphanes set up an altar to Zeus in place of that to Jehovah. There is withering scorn in the use of this phrase by Jesus to these pious pretenders.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Abomination. See on Mt 24:15.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And he said unto them,” (kai eipen autois) “And he said to them,” to the scoffing Pharisees, as they sneered at Him, turned up their noses, as if He stank, Pro 29:1.
2) “Ye are they which justify yourselves before men;” (humeis este hoi dikaiountes heautous enopion ton anthropon) “You all are the ones continually justifying yourselves before the masses of men,” boasting of your righteousness, Luk 10:29, making yourselves appear to be righteous, perpetrators of deceit, sham hypocrisy, Rom 4:2; Gal 3:11. They “posed” as righteous, “masqueraded” as righteous, Mat 5:20; Rom 10:2-3.
3)“But God knoweth your hearts:” (ho de theos ginoskei tas kardias humon) “Yet God (and I am God) knows your hearts,” everyone of them; as the hearts of snake-hearted hypocrites, Pro 7:9; Jer 7:10. For He knows what is in man; as also set forth 1Sa 16:7; Rev 2:23.
4) “For that which is highly esteemed among men,” (hot! to en anthropois hupselon) “Because the thing lofty among men,” elevated and worldly, popular among men, who “love the things of the world order,” 1Jn 2:15-17. That which carries men away by plausible appearance, 1Sa 16:7; Luk 14:11.
5) “is abomination in the sight of God.” (bdelugma enopion tou theous) “Is (exists as) an abomination before (in the presence of) God,” who loathes sham or hypocrisy. Such is obnoxious or very offensive to God, Psa 10:3; Pro 16:5; Mal 3:15; Tit 1:16.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
15. It is you that justify yourselves before men. We see that Christ does not give way to their disdainful conduct, but constantly maintains the authority of his doctrine in opposition to their mockery; and it is the duty of all the ministers of the Gospel to pursue the same course, by meeting ungodly despisers with the dreadful judgment of God. He declares that the hypocrisy, with which they deceive the eyes of men, will be of no avail to them at the judgment-seat of God. They were unwilling to have it thought that their mockery was intended as a defense of their covetousness. But Christ affirms that this venom breaks out from a concealed ulcer; just as if one were to tell the mitred prelates of our own day, that their hostility to the Gospel arises from the severity with which it attacks their hidden vices.
But God knoweth your hearts. He says that they reckon it enough if they appear to be good in the eyes of men, and if they can boast of a pretended sanctity; but that God, who knoweth the hearts, is well acquainted with the vices which they conceal from the view of the world. And here we must attend to the distinction between the judgments of God and the judgments of men; for men bestow approbation on outward appearances, but at the judgment-seat of God nothing is approved but an upright heart. There is added a striking observation:
What is highly esteemed by men is abomination in the sight of God. Not that God rejects those virtues, the approbation of which He hath engraved on the hearts of men; but that God detests whatever men are disposed, of their own accord, to applaud. Hence it is evident in what light we ought to view all pretended acts of worship which the world contrives according to its own fancy. How much soever they may please their inventors, Christ pronounces that they are not only vain and worthless, but are even detestable.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(15) Ye are they which justify yourselves before men.The character described is portrayed afterwards more fully in the parable of Luk. 18:9-14. The word there used, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, is obviously a reference to what is reported here. They forgot, in their self-righteousness and self-vindication, that they stood before God as the Searcher of all hearts.
That which is highly esteemed among men . . .Literally, that which is high, or lifted up, among men. The word is at once wider and more vivid than the English.
Abomination . . .The word is the same as in the abomination of desolation (Mat. 24:15), that which causes physically nausea and loathing. The word seems chosen as the expression of a divine scorn and indignation, which answered, in part, to their derision, and was its natural result. (Comp. the bold language of Psa. 2:4, Pro. 1:26, Rev. 3:16.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Replies of Jesus to the sneers of the Pharisees, Luk 16:15-31.
Jesus first shows these haughty deriders how abominable was their own position as the supporters of adultery, 15-18. He then illustrates the fate of the , or silver-lovers, by the instance of the rich man and Lazarus. The passage 15-18 is somewhat obscure, but the key of it is perhaps to be found in Luk 16:18. Herod Antipas had been guilty of adultery by his most notorious marriage with Herodias, and the Pharisees had left it to John the Baptist to rebuke him.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
15. Ye The countenancers of royal adultery.
Justify yourselves before men Make an imposing display of maintaining your own purity and righteousness before the government and nation.
Your hearts God knows that you are unrighteous from your covetousness for wealth and power.
Highly esteemed In the original lofty or very high. Alluding to the lofty haughtiness of these sneering favourers of royal vice.
Abomination God Whose law you are surrendering to your own self-interest.
In the three following verses our Lord shows that the law continued until the coming of John; and the Gospel still maintains the law, and both condemn adultery.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he said to them, “You are they who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts, for that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Jesus recognises that their derision goes to the very heart of what is wrong with them. They have built up a theology to which they can point to demonstrate the ‘rightness’ of their behaviour, much of which is actually an abomination to God, for it makes idols of their ‘laws’ which in fact themselves fail to make them righteous. He wants them to recognise that God does not smile on their posturing, it makes Him sick. All their emphases are in the wrong place.
It is true they can thus justify themselves in men’s eyes. Indeed men, who have similar wrong ideas, actually admire them for it. They parade their asceticism (Mat 6:16), they parade their phylacteries (Mat 23:5), they parade their almsgiving (Mat 6:2), they parade their praying (Mat 6:5), they parade their excessive ‘cleanness’ (Mat 23:25; Mar 7:3-5), they tithe more than is necessary so as to make a good impression (Mat 23:23-24), they make a great fuss about the Sabbath (while at the same time providing ways of avoiding the strictness that they profess), and it makes them proud, and arrogant. And people think they are wonderful and exalt them (compare Luk 14:11; Rom 11:20; Rom 12:16) because it is far more than they do themselves, and accords with man’s false view of God as someone to be manipulated by such methods.
Yet they are at the same time cold, and heartless, and supercritical and lacking in compassion when dealing with people. They are missing out on ‘the weightier matters of the Law’, justice, faith and mercy (Mat 23:23). Their whole way of life is thus an abomination in the sight of God because of their pride (compare Pro 16:5), their religious posturing (Isa 1:13), and their unjust dealings (Pro 11:1). This is because it all stems from the wrong motives, from the idea of bargaining with God to obtain His favour (if we obey the covenant you will give us eternal life and establish Israel), the desire to be approved of and admired by men, and an over-readiness to criticise anyone who fails to agree with and fit into their ideas. Men may esteem such ideas, but God abhors them. For while the first statement, that a satisfying life comes about through keeping the Law, is, if correctly stated, theoretically in accordance with Scripture (Lev 18:5), none of them can achieve it because they have already sinned, and sin constantly. Thus if it is seen as a bargaining counter they are seeking to achieve the impossible.
But what the Scripture was promising (Lev 18:5) was not some arduous way into Heaven, it was that by living in accordance with His Law they would enjoy a full life in fellowship with God. So God was not there speaking of achieving eternal life through it. That could only be through God’s gift (Rom 6:23). That could only be obtained through God’s mercy alone. Thus in doing what they were doing, they were striving to fulfil a goal that they had laid out for themselves, and were missing what was most important, the fact that the new age with its Good News was here, so that eternal life was being offered through faith in Him. Furthermore they had also by their methods distorted the written and infallible Law of God, which they had transformed into something unrecognisable.
‘That which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.’ We have seen above some of the things that men exalt in, but which God hates, but there are two actually mentioned in the passage. The first is their love of wealth. Most men agree with them and exalt in it, but how much God abominates it comes out in the parable that follows. For it stands between men and true goodness. In the parable Abraham, (surely an authority whom the Pharisees will recognise), is pictured as informing the rich man that ‘remember that you in your lifetime received your good things —but now — you are in anguish’. Here then is a warning of the danger of riches. Those who bask in good things now are in danger for the future unless they ensure that others more needy can bask in the good things too. But the second will be mentioned rather unexpectedly in Luk 16:18, for we must ask why does He in context bring up the question of divorce? We have already seen that the verse parallels Luk 16:14 in the chiasmus, which suggests that it speaks of something else which the Pharisees love. This suggests that while they were too chaste to engage in open adultery or involvement with prostitutes, they did not mind, or object to, indulging in adultery through marriage with divorced persons. (Perhaps some recent case was especially in Jesus’ mind). That too was esteemed among men, but was abomination in the sight of God.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Ver. 15. For that which is highly esteemed, &c. ] A thing that I see in the night may shine, and that shining proceed from nothing but rottenness. There may be malum opus in bona materia, as in Jehu’s zeal. Two things make a good Christian, good actions and good aims. And though a good aim doth not make a bad action good (as in Uzzah), yet a bad aim makes a good action bad (as in Jehu, Hos 1:4 , whose justice was approved, but his policy punished).
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
15. ] See last note, end.
. . ., a contrast to , ch. Luk 15:18 : and . . to . . , ch. Luk 15:10 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 16:15 . . .: cf. the statements in Sermon on Mount (Mat 6 ) and in Mat 23:5 . , etc.: a strong statement, but broadly true; conventional moral judgments are very often the reverse of the real truth: the conventionally high, estimable, really the low; the conventionally base the truly noble.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
unto them. Addressed to the Pharisees. See the Structure “R” and “R”, p. 1479.
justify yourselves. See notes on Luk 15:7, Luk 15:29; and Compare Luk 7:39. Mat 23:25.
among. Greek. en. App-104. abomination. In contrast with their derision.
in the sight of. Same word as “before” in preceding clause.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
15.] See last note, end.
. . ., a contrast to , ch. Luk 15:18 : and . . to . . , ch. Luk 15:10.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 16:15. -) Ye do some things that are just, and thence ye suppose yourselves to be just, ye feign that ye are so, and are regarded as such. The antithesis is , knoweth.-, hearts) The heart is the seat of justice and of injustice. [This axiom is most powerfully effectual both in convicting the bad and confirming the sincere.-V. g.]- , that which is lofty [highly-esteemed] among men) What seems to men among their fellow-men the very height of justice (righteousness). Comp. ch. Luk 18:14 [ ], every one that exalteth himself. This is the connection of the subsequent words, Justification of ones self before men, and loftiness of heart, nourish covetousness, and deride heavenly simplicity and singleness of heart, Luk 16:15, and despise the Gospel [the Kingdom of God is preached, ], Luk 16:16, and disregard the law, Luk 16:17, a fact (their disregard of the law) which is shown by an instance of the violation of the law most necessary to be spoken to the Pharisees [who were given to adultery], Luk 16:18. The narrative concerning the rich man and Lazarus comprises all these points.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Ye: Luk 10:29, Luk 11:39, Luk 18:11, Luk 18:21, Luk 20:20, Luk 20:47, Pro 20:6, Mat 6:2, Mat 6:5, Mat 6:16, Mat 23:5, Mat 23:25-27, Rom 3:20, Jam 2:21-25
God: 1Sa 16:7, 1Ch 29:17, 2Ch 6:30, Psa 7:9, Psa 139:1, Psa 139:2, Jer 17:10, Joh 2:25, Joh 21:17, Act 1:18, Act 15:8, 1Co 4:5, Rev 2:23
for: Psa 10:3, Psa 49:13, Psa 49:18, Pro 16:5, Isa 1:10-14, Amo 5:21, Amo 5:22, Mal 3:15, 1Pe 3:4, 1Pe 5:5
Reciprocal: Gen 18:21 – I will know Lev 7:18 – an abomination Job 9:20 – justify Job 10:4 – seest thou Psa 32:5 – have Psa 36:2 – For he Psa 119:51 – proud Pro 3:32 – the froward Pro 16:2 – but Pro 21:2 – the Lord Pro 30:12 – that are Isa 5:20 – them Isa 43:26 – declare Hos 12:8 – they Mat 5:20 – exceed Mat 18:35 – from Mat 23:28 – ye also Mar 2:17 – They that are whole Mar 7:21 – out Luk 1:6 – righteous Luk 2:35 – that Luk 6:25 – laugh Luk 15:7 – which Luk 18:9 – which Luk 18:14 – justified Joh 5:42 – I know Joh 12:43 – they Rom 10:3 – to establish 2Co 10:7 – ye look 2Co 10:18 – not Gal 6:12 – as desire Phi 4:8 – think
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
5
To justify means to declare or make it appear that one is just. The Pharisees did this and deceived the public into thinking they were benevolent men by their apparent
deeds of kindness. But these things that men admired (because they did not know the motive back of them), God regarded as abominable, knowing
their hearts.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 16:15. Ye are they that justify yourselves, declare yourselves to be righteous in the sight of men; but God knoweth your hearts. Plainly implying that in His sight they were not justified, accounted as righteous. For that which is lofty among men, i.e., considered so by men.
Is abomination in the sight of God. Because He knows the heart, He judges differently from men, and precisely what men regard most highly He regards least. This general truth applies to the special case of the Pharisees.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Here our Saviour sharply reproves the Pharisees for their horrible pride, their self-justification, and vain affectation of the opinion and esteem of others; as if Christ had said, “You bear up yourselves, and take a pride in this, that men know no ill by you, that no man can say, ‘Black is your eye;’ but God can see that black is your heart. You think that because you glory in your own excellences, God glories in you too; but whoever is highly esteemed by you, is abominated by God.”
Learn, that no man ought to think himself approved of God barely because he is approved by himself; for all who justify themselves upon the goodness of their works are not good.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Verse 15
Is abomination; that is, is often abomination.
Luke 16:16-18. The connection between these remarks and those which precede is not obvious. Matthew records them as having been spoken on different occasions, (Matthew 11:12; Matthew 5:18,19:9.) where their meaning and connection are obvious.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
16:15 {4} And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
(4) Our sins are not hidden to God, although they may be hidden to men, yea although they may be hidden to those who committed them.