Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 18:11
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are,] extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
11. stood and prayed thus with himself ] Standing was the ordinary Jewish attitude of prayer (1Ki 8:22; Mar 11:25), but the word statheis (which is not used of the Tax-gatherer) seems to imply that he stood by himself to avoid the contaminating contact of the ‘people of the earth,’ and posed himself in a conspicuous attitude (Mat 6:5), as well as ‘prayed with himself’ as the words are perhaps rightly rendered. He was “a separatist in spirit as in name,” Trench. (Pharisee from Pharash ‘to separate.’)
God, I thank thee ] Rather, O God. His prayer is no prayer at all; not even a thanksgiving, only a boast. See the strong denunciation of such insolent self-sufficiency in Rev 3:17-18.
as other men ] Rather, as the rest of mankind.
extortioners, unjust, adulterers ] Could he, in any real sense, have made out even this claim to be free from glaring crimes? His class at any rate are charged by Christ with being “full of extortion” (Mat 23:25); and they were unjust, seeing that they ‘omitted judgment’ (Mat 23:23). They are not indeed charged by Jesus with adultery either in the metaphorical or literal sense, but they are spoken of as being prominent members of an adulterous generation, and on several occasions our Lord sternly rebuked their shameful laxity in the matter of divorce (Mat 19:3-9). And not only does Josephus charge them with this crime also, but their Talmud, with perfect self-complacency, shews how the flagrant immorality of even their most eminent Rabbis found a way to shelter itself, with barefaced and cynical casuistry, under legal forms. See Joh 8:1-11, and Lightfoot, Hor. Hebr. ad loc.; Life of Christ, 11. 152. It appears from the tract Sotah in the Mishnah, that the ordeal of the ‘water of jealousy’ had been abolished by Jochanan Ben Zakkai, the greatest Rabbi of this age, because the crime had grown so common.
or even as this publican ] He thus makes the Publican a foil to his own virtues. “This,” says St Augustine, “is no longer to exult, but to insult.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Stood and prayed thus with himself – Some have proposed to render this, stood by himself and prayed. In this way it would be characteristic of the sect of the Pharisees, who dreaded the contact of others as polluting, and who were disposed to say to all, Stand by yourselves. The Syraic so renders it, but it is doubtful whether the Greek will allow this construction. If not, it means, he said over to himself what he had done, and what was the ground on which he expected the favour of God.
God, I thank thee – There was still in the prayer of the Pharisee an appearance of real religion. He did not profess to claim that he had made himself better than others. He was willing to acknowledge that God had done it for him, and that he had a right to his gratitude for it. Hypocrites are often the most orthodox in opinion of any class of people. They know the truth, and admit it. They use it frequently in their prayers and conversation. They will even persecute those who happen to differ from them in opinion, and who may be really wrong. We are not to judge of the piety of people by the fact that they admit the truth, or even that they use it often in their prayers. It is, however, not wrong to thank God that he has kept us from the gross sins which other people commit; but it should not be done in an ostentatious manner, nor should it be done forgetting still that we are great sinners and need pardon. These were the faults of the Pharisees.
Extortioners – Rapacious; avaricious; who take away the goods of others by force and violence. It means, also, those who take advantage of the necessities of others, the poor and the oppressed, and extort their property.
Unjust – They who are not fair and honest in their dealings; who get the property of others by fraud. They are distinguished from extortioners because they who are unjust may have the appearance of honesty; in the other case there is not.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. Stood and prayed thus with himself] Or, stood by himself and prayed, as some would translate the words. He probably supposed it disgraceful to appear to have any connection with this penitent publican: therefore his conduct seemed to say, “Stand by thyself; I am more holy than thou.” He seems not only to have stood by himself, but also to have prayed by himself; neither associating in person nor in petitions with his poor guilty neighbour.
God, I thank thee, c.] In Mt 5:20, our Lord says, Unless your righteousness abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of God: see the note there. Now, the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees is described here by a Pharisee himself. We find it was twofold:
1. It consisted in doing no harm to others.
2. In attending all the ordinances of God, then established in the Jewish economy and in these things they were not like other men, the bulk of the inhabitants of the land paying little or no attention to them.
That the Pharisees were in their origin a pure and holy people can admit of little doubt; but that they had awfully degenerated before our Lord’s time is sufficiently evident. They had lost the spirit of their institution, and retained nothing else than its external regulations. See Clarke on Mt 16:1.
1. This Pharisee did no harm to others – I am not rapacious, nor unjust, nor an adulterer. I seize no man’s property through false pretences. I take the advantage of no man’s ignorance in buying or selling. I avoid every species of uncleanness. In a word, I do to others as I wish them to do to me. How many of those called Christians are not half as good as this Pharisee! And, yet, he was far from the kingdom of God.
2. He observed the ordinances of religion – I fast twice in the week. The Jewish days of fasting, in each week, were the second and fifth; what we call Monday and Thursday. These were instituted in remembrance of Moses’ going up to the mount to give the law, which they suppose to have been on the fifth day; and of his descent, after he had received the two tables, which they suppose was on the second day of the week.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
From hence we may observe that thanksgiving is a part of prayer. It is said he prayed, yet we read not of any one petition he put up. His standing while he prayed is not to be found fault with, (that was a usual posture used by persons praying), unless the Pharisee made choice of it for ostentation, that he might be the better taken notice of; which was too much their fault, Mat 6:5. Whether the term , with himself, in this place, signifieth that he only prayed in his heart, or with a voice that could not be heard, or only that he prayed by himself, I doubt; for though our Saviour, who knew mens thoughts, could easily repeat his prayer, supposing it only mental, or at least with a voice not audible, yet this seemeth not to suit the humour of a Pharisee, whose whole design was to be taken notice of, seen, and heard by others. He saith,
God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men, extortioners, adulterers, &c. But was this blameworthy? May we not bless God for his restraining grace, not suffering us to run into, the same excesses of riot with other men? Doubtless it is both lawful, and our duty, provided:
1. That we speak truth when we say it.
2. That we do not come to plead this as our righteousness before God.
But this Pharisee:
1. Speaks this in the pride of his heart, in the justification of himself.
2. In the scorn and contempt of his neighbour.
3. Though he were guilty of as great sins as these, though of another kind.
In the mean time we observe, that he did not attribute this negative goodness, of which he had boasted, or that positive goodness, which he will tell us of by and by, to the power of his own will. He gives thanks to God for them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11, 12. stoodas the Jews inprayer (Mr 11:25).
God, c.To have beenkept from gross iniquities was undoubtedly a just cause ofthankfulness to God but instead of the devoutly humble, admiringframe which this should inspire, the Pharisee arrogantly severshimself from the rest of mankind, as quite above them, and, with acontemptuous look at the poor publican, thanks God that he has not tostand afar off like him, to hang down his head like a bulrush andbeat his breast like him. But these are only his moralexcellencies. His religious merits complete his grounds forcongratulation. Not confining himself to the one divinely prescribedannual fast (Le 16:29), he wasnot behind the most rigid, who fasted on the second and fifth days ofevery week [LIGHTFOOT],and gave the tenth not only of what the law laid under tithing, butof “all his gains.” Thus, besides doing all his duty,he did works of supererogation; while sins to confess andspiritual wants to be supplied he seems to have felt none. What apicture of the Pharisaic character and religion!
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The Pharisee stood,…. Standing was a praying posture;
[See comments on Mt 6:5] nor is this observed, as if it was something amiss: but the sense is, either that he stood in some place of eminence, that he might be seen of others; or he stood in a set, fixed posture, in a very grave and solemn manner, showing great devotion and seriousness; or he stood with great boldness and confidence:
and prayed thus with himself; the phrase, “with himself”, may be read either with the word “stood”, as it is in the Syriac version; and then the sense is that he stood alone, apart from the publican, at a distance from him, as despising him; and lest he should be polluted by him; see Isa 65:4 or with the word “prayed”, and does not design internal prayer, which was what the Pharisees did not use; for all they did was to be seen, and heard of men: but the meaning is, that he prayed only with respect to himself; he was wholly intent upon himself; his own self, and the commendation of himself, were the subject of his prayer: his whole dependence in it was on himself; and he was only seeking by it his own glory: he had no regard to the people of God, to aid the saints, nor did he put up one petition for them; nor had he any respect to Christ, the mediator, through whom access is had to God, and acceptance with him; nor to the Holy Spirit for his assistance; and though he addressed himself to God, yet in praise of himself, saying,
God I thank thee: there is no petition in this prayer of his for pardoning grace and mercy; nor larger measures of grace; nor for strength to perform duties, and to hold on to the end; nor for any favour whatever; nor is there any confession of sin in it. So that it scarce deserves the name of a prayer, for in it is only a thanksgiving: indeed, thanksgiving in prayer is right; and had he been a man that had received the grace of God, it would have been right in him to have given thanks to God for it, by which he was made to differ from others: nor would he have been blameworthy, had he thanked God for the good things which he had received from him, or which by his assistance he had done; but nothing of this kind is said by him: he thanks God, in order to exalt himself, and places his righteousness in his own works, and treats all other men in a censorious and disdainful manner; thanking God, or rather blessing himself, saying,
that I am not as other men are; and yet he was as other men, and no better: he was a sinner in Adam, as other men; and a sinner by nature, as others are; and had the same iniquities and corruptions in his heart, as others; and had no more goodness in him than other men, and as far from true real righteousness. Perhaps he means the Gentiles, whom the Jews looked upon as sinners, and the worst of men; and yet they were in no wise better than the Gentiles, as to their state and condition by nature: it was usual to call the Gentiles
, “other men”; which phrase is sometimes explained by “the nations of the world” a; and sometimes by the “Cuthites”, or “Samaritans” b; [See comments on Lu 5:29]. —He goes on,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers; and yet all these characters belonged to the men of sect: the Pharisees were oppressors of the poor, devoured widows’ houses, and extorted money from them, under a pretence of long prayers: they are aptly represented by the unjust steward, in Lu 16:1 and they were au unclean, unchaste, and an adulterous generation of men, Mt 12:39
or even as this publican; pointing to him at some distance, with great scorn and disdain. This was his prayer, or thanksgiving. It may gratify the curiosity of some to have some other prayers of the Pharisees; and it may be worth while to compare them with this, between which there will appear a pretty deal of likeness.
“R. Nechunia ben Hakkana used to pray, when he went into the school, and when he came out, a short prayer: they said unto him, what is the goodness (or the excellency) of this prayer? he replied to them, when I go in, I pray, that no offence might come by means of me; and when I go out, “I give thanks” for my portion: when I go in, this is what I say, let it be thy good pleasure before thee, O Lord, my God, the God of my fathers, that I may not be angry with my colleagues, nor my colleagues be angry with me; that I may not pronounce that which is pure defiled, and that which is defiled, pure; that I may not forbid that which is lawful, nor pronounce lawful that which is forbidden; and that I may not be found ashamed in this world, and in the world to come: and when I come out, this is what I say; I confess before thee, (or I thank thee) O Lord God, and the God of my fathers, that thou hast given me my portion among those that sit in the schools, and synagogues, and hast not given me my portion in the theatres and shows: for I labour, and they labour; I watch, and they watch; I labour to inherit paradise, and they labour for the pit of corruption c.”
And these two prayers the Jews were obliged to recite at their going in, and coming out of the synagogue.
“It is a tradition of R. Juda, saying, three things a man ought to say every day; blessed be thou, , “that thou hast not made me a Gentile”; blessed art thou, that thou hast not made me an unlearned man (or one that is vain and foolish, uncivil and uncultivated); blessed art thou, that hast not made me a woman d.”
In their prayer books e, these thanksgivings stand thus:
“blessed art thou, O Lord our God, the King of the world, that thou hast made me an Israelite; (in some books it is, as before, that thou hast not made me a Gentile;) blessed art thou, O Lord our God, the King of the world, that thou hast not made me a servant; blessed art thou, O Lord our God, the King of the world, that thou hast not made me a woman:”
when the women, instead of this last, say:
“blessed art thou, O Lord our God, the King of the world, who has made me as he pleases.”
And very agreeable to one of these benedictions does the Ethiopic version render the prayer of the Pharisee here; “I thank thee, O Lord that thou hast not made me as other men”.
a Gloss. in T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 111. 2. b Gloss. in T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 52. 2. c T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 7. 4. Vid. Misna Beracot, c. 4. sect. 2. & Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. d T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 13. 2. e Seder Tephillot, ed. Basil. fol. 2. 2. ed. Amst. fol. 4. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Stood [] . Lit., having been placed. Took his stand. It implies taking up his position ostentatiously; striking an attitude. But no necessarily in a bad sense. See on ch. Luk 19:8; and compare Act 5:20. Standing was the ordinary posture of the Jews in prayer. Compare Mt 6:5; Mr 11:25.
Prayed [] . Imperfect : began to pray, or proceeded to pray. Other men [ ] . Lit., the rest of men. See on ver.
Luk 18:9A Jewish saying is quoted that a true Rabbin ought to thank God every day of his life; 1, that he was not created a Gentile; 2, that he was not a plebeian; 3, that he was not born a woman.
Extortioners. As the publicans.
This publican. Lit., this (one), the publican. This publican here. “He lets us see, even in the general enumeration, that he is thinking of the publican, so, afterward, he does not omit directly to mention him” (Goebel).
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,” (ho Pharisaios statheis tauta pros heauton proseucheto) “The Pharisee standing (erect and with arrogant pride) prayed these things directly to (commend) himself,” apparently forward, in a prominent, visible, conspicuous place in the temple, apart from others. As the Jews stood to pray, Mar 11:25.
2) “God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are,” (ho theos eucharisto soi hot! ouk eime hosper hoi loipoi ton anthropon) “I thank you God that I am not (do not exist) as the rest of men,” all except himself.
3) “Extortioners, unjust, adulterers,” (arpager adikoi moichoi) “Rapacious (extortioners) unjust, adulterers,” Extortioners are those who by force or injury or threat secure what they want from others. Unjust refers to acts of farce or fraud, of which he claims innocence. And adultery, which he denied, means marital Infidelity in sexual relations with another party.
4) “Or even as this publican.” (e kai hos houtos ho telones) “Or even as this tax-collector,” I am not a disreputable, dishonest, money-grabbing fellow, like he is, is the pious claim of the Pharisee, despising him, Luk 18:9. To have been kept from God, or as a basis for an entrance into heaven, Tit 3:5; Eph 2:8-10; Rom 11:6.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
11. God, I thank thee. And yet he is not blamed for boasting of the strength of his free-will, but for trusting that God was reconciled to him by the merits of his works. For this thanksgiving, which is presented exclusively in his own name, does not at all imply that he boasted of his own virtue, as if he had obtained righteousness from himself, or merited any thing by his own industry. On the contrary, he ascribes it to the grace of God that he is righteous. Now though his thanksgiving to God implies an acknowledgment, that all the good works which he possessed were purely the gift of God, yet as he places reliance on works, and prefers himself to others, himself and his prayer are alike rejected. Hence we infer that men are not truly and properly humbled, though they are convinced that they can do nothing, unless they likewise distrust the merits of works, and learn to place their salvation in the undeserved goodness of God, so as to rest upon it all their confidence.
This is a remarkable passage; for some think it enough if they take from man the glory of good works, so far as they are the gifts of the Holy Spirit; and accordingly they admit that we are justified freely, because God finds in us no righteousness but what he bestowed. But Christ goes farther, not only ascribing to the grace of the Spirit the power of acting aright, but stripping us of all confidence in works; for the Pharisee is not blamed on the ground of claiming for himself what belongs to God, but because he trusts to his works, that God will be reconciled to him, because he deserves it. Let us therefore know that, though a man may ascribe to God the praise of works, yet if he imagines the righteousness of those works to be the cause of his salvation, or rests upon it, he is condemned for wicked arrogance. And observe, that he is not charged with the vainglorious ambition of those who indulge in boasting before men, while they are inwardly conscious of their own wickedness, but is charged with concealed hypocrisy; for he is not said to have been the herald of his own praises, but to have prayed silently within himself. Though he did not proclaim aloud the honor of his own righteousness, his internal pride was abominable in the sight of God. His boasting consists of two parts: first, he acquits himself of that guilt in which all men are involved; and, secondly, he brings forward his virtues. He asserts that he is not as other men, because he is not chargeable with crimes which everywhere prevail in the world.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(11) The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself.A false stress has often been laid on the Pharisees attitude, as though his standing erect was in itself an indication of his self-righteous pride. But the publican also stood, and although another tense of the same verb is used, it is an over-subtle refinement to see this difference between the two forms. Standing was, indeed, with the Jews, the customary attitude of prayer. The self-same participle is used here of the Pharisee, and in Luk. 19:8 of Zacchus. The order of the words in the Greek is standing by (or, with) himself, prayed thus (or, as follows); and it is a question of punctuation whether the words point to the Pharisees standing by himself, shrinking from contact with others, and so making himself the observed of all observers, or, as in the Authorised version, that he prayed with himself. The general use of the preposition is all but decisive in favour of the latter view. It does not follow, however, as has been somewhat hastily assumed, that the prayer was a silent one, that even he would not have dared to utter aloud such a boast as that which follows. There was nothing in the character of the typical Pharisee to lead him to any such sense of shame; and silent prayer, never customary among the Jews at any time, would have been at variance with every tradition of the Pharisees. (Comp. Notes on Mat. 6:5; Mat. 6:7). So far as the phrase has any special point, it indicates that he was not praying to God at all; he was practically praying to himself, congratulating himself, half-consciously, that he had no need to pray, in the sense of asking for pardon, or peace, or righteousness, though it might be right, by way of example, to perform his acts of devotion and to thank God for what he had received. The words remind us(1) of the title which Marcus Aurelius gave to his Stoic MeditationsThoughts (or better, perhaps, communings) with himselfin which he, too, begins with thanksgiving and self-gratulations on the progress he had made in virtue from his youth onward (Meditt. i. 1); (2) of the more modern theory which recognises the value of prayer as raising the thoughts of man to a higher level, by a kind of self-mesmerising action, but excludes from it altogether the confession of sin, or the supplication for pardon, or the making our wants known unto God (Php. 4:6). The verb for prayed is in the tense which implies continuance. He was making a long address, of which this was a sample (Luk. 20:47).
God, I thank thee . . .We cannot say that the formula, as a formula, was wrong. We are bound to thank God that we have been kept from sins. But all devout minds, and all rightly-constructed liturgies, have recognised the truth that confession must come first, and that without it thanksgiving is merely the utterance of a serene self-satisfaction in outward comforts, or, as here, of spiritual pride.
That I am not as other men.Here, as before, the rest of mankind. This was the first false step. He did not compare his own imperfections with the infinite perfections of the Eternal, but with the imagined greater imperfections of his fellow-men, and so he stood as one who had gained the shore, and looked with pride, but not with pity, on those who were still struggling in the deep waters.
Extortioners, unjust, adulterers, . . .The first word was aptly chosen, and was obviously suggested by the presence of the other supplicant. Six publicans and half-a-dozen extortioners had become a proverb; and the offensive epithet, if not meant to be heard by the publican, was, at any rate, mentally directed at him. In actual life, as our Lord teaches, there was a far worse, because a more hypocritical, extortion practised generally by the Pharisees themselves (Mat. 23:25; Luk. 11:39). The other words are more generally put, but they were obviously spoken with side glances at this or that bystander. The language of Cromwell in dissolving the Long Parliament, saying to one Thou art an adulterer, and to another Thou art a drunkard and a glutton, to a third and thou an extortioner, offers a curious instance of unconscious parallelism (Humes History of England, chap. 60).
Or even as this publican.This was the climax of all. He saw the man smiting on his breast in anguish, and no touch of pity, no desire to say a word of comfort, rises in his soul. The penitent is only a foil to the lustre of his own virtues, and gives the zest of contrast to his own insatiable vanity. The very pronoun has the ring of scorn in it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Pharisee stood To pray standing was the ancient custom of the Jews in their temple service. Scholars here find a peculiar expressiveness in the Greek verb, which implies that he formally placed himself in a standing position. The publican simply stopped and stood. Prayed That is, he boasted; for in reality he only, with a slight phrase of thanks, told God how good he was. He praised rather than prayed; and praised himself rather than God. In fact, he really omitted to pray at all. As if he had no sin, he asked no forgiveness. As if he had no defect or weakness, he asked no divine aid. As if he had no wants, he asked no favours. His performance is divided into two parts. Under the form of thanks, Hebrews , 1, enumerates the bad things that the rest of men are, but he is not; 2, enumerates the good things he does. And there he closes.
Prayed thus with himself Nobody shares with him the delight of his self-complacent devotion; it was all his own. Perhaps a better construction would render the latter phrase by himself, and refer it to stood. This makes him stand and pray sanctimoniously apart in the true spirit indicated by the term Pharisee, which signifies separatist.
I thank thee His thanksgiving is but a prelude and a pretext for an enumeration of his own virtues. The humblest Christian may think of all there is good in his case in order that he may the more abundantly thank God; this man’s thank God is a mere decent preface to an enumeration of his superiorities.
Other men Literally, the rest of men. He is the exceptional case, the one good; all the rest are mere foils to exalt his excellence. We are not sure but that the characters whom this Pharisee conceives himself to be unlike were all held to be embodied in the publicans; so that his whole prayer thus far is not only a eulogy upon himself, but a satire upon his fellow-worshippers.
Extortioners Extortion was considered a peculiar vice of publicans. (See note on Luk 19:8.)
Unjust Either through violence or fraud.
Adulterers No doubt our Lord here meant to concede to the Pharisees the virtues claimed by this individual. But the phrase which couples publicans and harlots would indicate that he is as truly selecting the vice of which the publicans were held guilty. In commending his own virtues, the Pharisee is confessing his neighbor’s sins.
Or even as this publican In this sharp utterance he detects himself. His prayer is a slant upon that fellow-worshipper whom he should compassionate.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank you, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this public servant.’ ”
‘Stood and prayed thus with himself.’ It was normal to pray standing, thus it would not need to be mentioned. The mention of it is probably therefore in order to bring out his pompous attitude. He wanted to be seen and admired. He would probably pray aloud, which was normal, but he did it quietly (‘with himself’). This too was normal practise. Rabbis who prayed loudly were criticised.
The Pharisee was full of pride at the wonder of his own life and achievements. Surely God must see that he stood out from all others. He had never tried to cheat people out of their possessions, or extort money from them, he had never behaved unjustly towards anyone, he had never committed adultery, and he had certainly not betrayed his people like ‘this public servant’ had. And it was probably all true. But what he did not realise was that the thing that stood out as separating him from the rest of men was above all his arrogant pride. What was not there in his life was any sign of repentance or awareness of need for forgiveness. He was self-satisfied and His heart was hardened against his own sin.
A further glance at his prayer will bring out its main emphasis, ‘Look God — I — I — I — I — I.’ He was like a bullfrog puffing out its chest to attract attention to itself. It was all about himself. He had no wider vision.
We must not assume that all Pharisees were like this. We may think of Nicodemus in Joh 3:1-8, and of Gamaliel, to name but two. But a good many certainly were, and all too regularly they echoed the popular prayer, ‘I thank you that you have not made me a Gentile — I thank you that you have not made me a woman’. And they not only prayed it, they thought it. Some went even further. One Pharisee once said, ‘If there are only two righteous men in the world, I and my son are those two. If there is only one, I am he.’ The Pharisee praying in the Temple would not have stood a chance against him.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Luk 18:11. The Pharisee stood, and prayed thus The Pharisee, having a very high opinion of his own sanctity, would not mingle with the crowd of worshippers in the temple, lest he should have been defiled by them. See Isa 65:5. But he stood on a place by himself alone; this is plainly expressed in the Greek, which should be rendered, the Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed these things. He spoke them aloud in the hearing of those who were in the temple at their devotions. He shewed his pride and self-conceit by standing as near the sanctuary, the place of the divine habitation, as he could, that the priests might hear him also, and that he might be at as great a distance as possible from the prophane publican, who, he observed, was praying at the same time with himself. This circumstance of his standing near the sanctuary, is not indeed directly mentioned; but it is implied in that which is told of the publican, (Luk 18:13.) namely, that he stood afar off. Here therefore the Pharisee prayed, whose thanksgiving savoured of the rankestpride, being a praising of himself rather than God, and such a praising of himself, as implied the highest contempt of others, and particularly of his fellow-worshipper: for he did not simply thank God that he was possessed of this or that virtue, but truly that he was not like other men, and particularly like the publican, who was then addressing God. Moreover, he took care to do himself all manner of honour, by an exact detail of the sins to which other men, particularly the publicans, were prone, from which, in his own opinion, he was perfectly free; and of the duties, which they neglected, but which he failed not to perform. See the next verse. Or even as this publican, expresses a kind of contemptuous pointing at him as it were with the finger.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Luk 18:11-12 . ] See on Mat 6:5 . He took his stand , a trait of assurance, comp. Luk 19:8 ; Act 2:14 . See, on the other hand, Luk 18:13 : .
] does not belong to , so that it would mean apart (Syr., Beza, Grotius, Paulus, Baumgarten-Crusius, Ewald, and others), which would be (Xen. Anab . v. 10. 11; Act 28:16 ; Jas 2:17 ; Zec 12:12 ), as D actually reads; but to (Luther, Castalio, Bengel, Wetstein, and others, including Olshausen, de Wette, Bleek [226] ): by himself, to himself , apud animum suum, as at 2Ma 11:13 , and frequently in the classical writers: , to speak in thought, and the like. Naturally he would not allow such a prayer to be heard. The publican is otherwise, Luk 18:13 .
. . .] , , Theophylact.
.] comp. Rev 9:20 ; Khner, II. p. 122. [227]
] unjust in the more limited sense.
] contemptuously, this publican here! “who skins and scrapes every one, and clutches wherever he can,” Luther, Predigt .
Luk 18:12 . ] of private fasting , which was observed twice in the week ( ., Mar 16:9 ; 1Co 16:2 ), on Thursday and Monday. See on Mat 6:16 ; Mat 9:14 ; Lightfoot, p. 866.
] not possideo (Vulgate, Castalio, Beza, and others), which would be , but: what I acquire for myself . He gives tithes of everything , what he gains in natural products, everything without exception. The vainglorious has the emphasis; his payment of tithes is beyond what the law required , as at Mat 23:23 . Moreover, comp. Pirke Aboth, ii. 13 : “Quando oras, noli in precibus bona tua enumerare, sed fac preces misericordiarum et pro gratia impetranda coram Deo.”
[226] From this construction it is plain that in B L ** min. Vulg. Copt. Arm. Slav. Or. Bas. Cypr. . stands after .
[227] “Duas classes Pharisaeus facit; in alteram conjicit totum genus humanum, altera, melior, ipse sibi solus esse videtur,” Bengel.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are , extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Ver. 11. God, I thank thee ] Non vulnera, sed munera ostendit, he shows not his want, but his worth, and stands not only upon his comparisons, but upon his disparisons, -I am not as this publican. No, for thou art worse; yea, for this, because thou thinkest thee better. But of Pharisees it might be said, as Arnobius did of the Gentiles, Apud vos optimi censentur, quos comparatio pessimorum sic facit. They are very good that are not very bad. . (Basil.) Velut dignus qui cum Deo colloqueretur. (Erasm.)
I am not as other men are ] Pride wears a triple crown with this motto, Transcendo, Non obedio, Perturbo. This Pharisee held himself the whole piece, and all others a remnant only, as Basil of Seleucia hath it; he takes his poor counter and sets it down for a thousand pounds; he priceth himself above the market.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Luk 18:11 . , having taken his stand; fidenter loco solito (Bengel); “a sign less of confidence than of self-importance” (J. Weiss in Meyer). Probably both qualities are aimed at. : whether these words should be taken with or with is disputed. If the position of before . in [139] [140] be accepted, there is no room for doubt. Hahn contends that the proper meaning of . is “prayed to himself,” and that there is no instance of the use of . in the sense of “with himself”. Godet takes the phrase as = to himself, and regards the so-called prayer as simply self-congratulation in God’s presence. . .: not necessarily all mankind, rather all the Jewish world outside his coterie = am haarez . , etc. these hard words recall the elder brother’s (Luk 15:30 ). , or even, the publican pointed at as the ne plus ultra of depravity: the best foil to Pharisaic exemplariness.
[139] Codex Vaticanus (sc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.
[140] Codex Regius–eighth century, represents an ancient text, and is often in agreement with and B.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
stood = took his stand, or took up his position (by himself).
and prayed = and began to pray.
thus = these things.
with = to. Greek. pros. App-104.
extortioners. Like this tax-gatherer.
unjust. Like the judge of verses: Luk 18:2-5.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Luk 18:11. , standing[199]) confidently, in his wonted place. This reciprocal form [having taken his stand, having stationed himself] denotes more than the neuter , used of the publican presently after, in Luk 18:13.- ) praying as one dependent on himself (penes se ipsum, at his own disposal), giving ear to himself, as though he could bear no man to be next him. Comp. in Luk 18:9, , who trusted in themselves.-, I give thee thanks) By using this formula the Pharisee seems indeed to praise God [For it is with good reason, and deservedly, that thanks are rendered to GOD for deliverance from natural (temporal) destruction, if indeed that be done with truth and humility.-V. g.], but in reality he congratulates (prides) himself alone on his felicity: it is of himself alone that he speaks.- , the rest of men) The Pharisee divides mankind into two classes: in the one class he groups together the whole human race; the second, that is the better class, he seems to himself alone to constitute.-, rapacious [extortioners]) He takes it as an established certainty, that the first and foremost class of sinners is that one under which he thinks the publican is included; in order that he may stigmatize him both in general with the rest of the class and also individually. The saving of the old poet accords with this: , , all publicans (tax-gatherers) are all extortioners. See Gataker, Misc. posth. c. x.-, this) Such language is indeed the putting forth of the finger [to point at in supercilious contempt and self-righteousness]: Isa 58:9.
[199] Comp. Isa 65:5, Who say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.-E. and T.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
stood: Psa 134:1, Psa 135:2, Mat 6:5, Mar 11:25
God: Isa 1:15, Isa 58:2, Jer 2:28, Jer 2:35, Eze 33:31, Mic 3:11, 1Co 4:7, 1Co 4:8, 1Co 15:9, 1Co 15:10, 1Ti 1:12-16, Rev 3:17
as: Luk 20:47, Isa 65:5, Mat 3:7-10, Mat 19:18-20, Gal 3:10, Phi 3:6, Jam 2:9-12
Reciprocal: 1Sa 15:13 – I have performed 1Sa 15:20 – Yea Psa 51:17 – a broken spirit Psa 123:3 – Have mercy Pro 12:15 – way Pro 13:7 – is that maketh himself rich Pro 20:6 – proclaim Pro 21:2 – right Pro 26:12 – a man Pro 30:12 – that are Eze 16:56 – was not Eze 22:12 – greedily Mat 7:3 – why Mat 9:12 – They that be whole Mat 18:17 – a publican Mat 19:20 – All Mat 20:12 – borne Mar 2:16 – How Mar 10:20 – General Mar 10:31 – General Luk 1:53 – and Luk 5:30 – General Luk 15:29 – Lo Luk 15:30 – this Luk 16:15 – Ye Luk 18:9 – and despised Luk 18:21 – General Joh 4:23 – true Act 10:28 – but Rom 2:23 – that makest Rom 7:14 – but Rom 12:3 – not to 1Co 5:11 – or an extortioner 2Co 10:12 – we dare not Gal 6:3 – if Gal 6:4 – and not
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2. This paragraph contains the prayer of the Pharisee. Even if all of his claims were true, his prayer would have been objectionable because it did not include a single request; only a boastful statement of his deeds.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 18:11. The Pharisee stood. The publican also stood, but the word here used implies that the Pharisee took a position of confidence, a conspicuous one at all events (comp. Mat 6:5).
Prayed thus with himself, i.e., to himself, not orally, since he would hardly venture to speak thus. But the phrase doubtless alludes to the fact that his prayer was not really a communing with God, but a communing with himself.
God, I thank thee. He did not thank God, but boasted. It is possible to thank God for what we do and become more than others (1Co 15:9-10), but such a thanksgiving springs out of the most profound humility.
Not as the rest of men. Self-righteousness sets at nought, not others, but the rest of men; as if no one else could be so acceptable to God. The Pharisee then subdivides the rest of men into classes: extortioners, unjust (in the restricted sense of those who act unjustly, illegally), adulterers (to be taken literally), or even as this publican. Even is contemptuous; it does not imply that he considered the publican as less unworthy than the other classes. The thanksgiving was not for freedom from these sins, but for his superiority to sinners; and he introduces the concrete and actual sinner (the publican).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Luk 18:11-12. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself The original clause, , it seems, should rather be rendered, standing by himself prayed these things. Read thus, it is characteristical of the sect, who always affected to dread pollution from the touch of those whom they considered as their inferiors in piety. Thus this Pharisee kept himself at as great a distance as he could from the miserable sinner who had entered the temple with him, as if he feared being defiled by coming near him, or any other person less holy than himself. God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men That is, not as the generality of my countrymen; extortioners, (, rapacious,) unjust, adulterers Such are they, but I thank God I am not like them: or even as this publican A great many good things he here says of himself, which we may suppose to be true. 1st, He was free from gross and scandalous sins. He was not an extortioner, not a usurer, nor an oppressor to his debtors or tenants, but equitable and kind to all dependant upon him: and not rapacious, seizing other mens property under false pretences. He was not unjust in any of his dealings, did no wrong to any man; did not take advantage of any mans ignorance, want of experience, or necessity, in buying or selling. He was not an adulterer, but had possessed his vessel in sanctification and honour. 2d, He attended the ordinances of God, and used all the means of grace, and not only those that were most commonly used, such as reading the word of God and prayer, but even fasting; yea, he fasted twice in the week, and that partly as an act of temperance, and partly as a help to devotion. This the Pharisees and their disciples were wont to do, keeping two private fasts every week, namely, on Mondays and Thursdays, as the primitive Christians did on Wednesdays and Fridays. Thus he glorified God with his body. Yet this was not all, for, 3d, He gave tithes of all that he possessed, according to the law, and so glorified God with his property. Many of the Pharisees were wont to give one full tenth of their income to the house and worship of God, and another tenth in alms to the poor. The sum of this plea is, I do no harm; I use all the means of grace; and I do all the good in my power. This was his righteousness, and of this righteousness, it must be observed, he gives God the glory, at least in appearance, ascribing it not to himself but to God, for he says, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men, &c. And yet this Pharisee, notwithstanding all this, was not in a state of acceptance with God, but in a state of guilt, condemnation, and wrath. And what then will become of many professing Christians, who are so far from going beyond this Pharisee in any of these branches of righteousness, that they fall far short of him in every one of them. But why was not this Pharisee accepted of God? 1st, Because he trusted in this righteousness, (which, after all, was very imperfect,) not being acquainted with himself, nor knowing how far he came short of the glory of God, and how he was involved in sin and guilt. Hence he was not humbled before God, nor brought to experience that true repentance toward him, without which there is no forgiveness. 2d, Because he evidently thought highly of himself; nay, and boasted of his fancied righteousness, dwelling upon it with delight, even in his prayers; as if all his business at the temple had been to tell God Almighty how good he was. He went up to the temple indeed to pray, but, it appears, forgot his errand: for in what he said there is not one word of prayer: he was so full of himself, and his own goodness, that he thought he had need of nothing, no, not of the favour and grace of God. 3d, His giving God thanks for his righteousness, although, if it had been done in a proper spirit, it would have been a good thing, yet in him seems to have been a mere piece of formality, savouring of pride; and being, properly speaking, a praising of himself rather than of God; and such a praising of himself as implied the highest contempt of others, and particularly of his fellow-worshipper, the publican.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Verse 11
The Pharisees were a very proud and self-complacent class of men, who had a high reputation for sanctity. The publicans or tax-gatherers, on the other hand, were despised.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
18:11 {3} The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
(3) Although we confess that whatever we have, we have it from God, yet we are despised by God as proud and arrogant if we put even the least trust in our own works before God.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Standing was a normal posture for prayer among the Jews of Jesus’ day. It did not in itself reflect the Pharisee’s pride (cf. Mat 6:5). Even though the Pharisee addressed God in prayer, Jesus noted that he was really talking to himself and reviewing his own self-righteousness. He told God what a superior person he was, using the behavior of others as his standard. He took pride in his supposed superior status and the works that he did that separated him from others. The most pious Pharisees fasted twice a week (cf. Luk 5:33). [Note: Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, s.v. "nestis," by J. Behm, 4:930.] This Pharisee was also scrupulous about tithing (cf. Luk 11:42).
"Never, perhaps, were words of thanksgiving spoken in less thankfulness than these. For, thankfulness implies the acknowledgment of a gift; hence, a sense of not having had ourselves What we have received; in other words, then, a sense of our personal need, or humility." [Note: Edersheim, 2:289-90.]