Jesus continues the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector praying.
Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Luke 18:14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I say to you this one here came down into that house of his having been set right compared to that one there because every one lifting up himself will be lowered. This one, however, lowering himself will be raised up.
The Jesus that his listeners heard sound much more "folksy" than the Jesus we get in translation. The people in the first sentence is 'this one here" and "that one there" not "the one" and "the other."
The word translated as "justified" gives the sense that they have been vindicated before God. The NIV even adds the words "before God" to make this clearer, but that is not exactly what the Greek verb means. It means to "set right," "deemed right," "tested," and "proven." In the form it is here, the sense is "having been deemed right." So, the tax collector saying he errs was proven right because he spoke the truth compared to the other man who thought he was better than others.
The Greek words translated "exhalt" and "abased/humbled" can have the sense, but their primarily meanings are "to life up" and to "lower down." Theses translations better fit Jesus's everyday way of speaking and are more easily acted out.
The most accurate way of describing me is making mistakes.
λέγω ὑμῖν, κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ παρ᾽ ἐκεῖνον
I say to you came down this one here having been set right into that house of his compared to that one there
ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, ὁ δὲ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται.
because every one lifting up himself will be lowered. This one, however, lowering himself will be raised up.
I tell you, this(CW) man(IW) went down to his (MW) house justified rather(IW) than(CW) the(IW) other(WW): for every one that(IW) exalteth(WF) himself shall be abased; and(IW) he(CW) that(IW) humbleth(WF) himself shall be exalted.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "this" works better in this situation as "here."
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "man" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "house" is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "rather " doesn't exist in the source.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "than."
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "the" doesn't exist in the source.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "other" should be something more like "that one there."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The "that" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "exhalting."
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "and" should be something more like "but."
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "he."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The "that" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "humbling."
“I tell you that(IW) (CW) man(IW) than(CW) the(IW) other(WW): went(CW) (MW) (MW) home(CW) (MW) justified [before God(IP)]. For all [those who(IP)] exalt(WF) themselves(WN) will be humbled, and(IW) those(WN) who(IW) humble themselves(WN) will be exalted.”
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "that" doesn't exist in the source.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "this" works better in this situation as "here."
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "man" doesn't exist in the source.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "rather " doesn't exist in the source.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "than."
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "the" doesn't exist in the source.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "other" should be something more like "that one there."
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "went."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "to" after "went" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "home" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "home."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "of his" after "home" is not shown in the English translation.
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The "before God" doesn't exist in the source.
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The those who" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "exhalting."
- WN --Wrong Number- The word "themselves " is translated as plural but the Greek word is singular.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "and" should be something more like "but."
- WN --Wrong Number- The word "themselves " is translated as plural but the Greek word is singular.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "humbling."
- WN --Wrong Number- The word "themselves " is translated as plural but the Greek word is singular.
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.
tell -- The word translated as "Tell" is the most common word that means "to say," "to tell," and "to speak," but when used with an objective noun or pronoun, the sense is "say of" or "speak of." It also has many ancillary meanings such as "to count" ("to number" or like we might say, "to recount" a story) or "to choose for yourself."
you, -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc.
this -- (CW) The "this" is a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer, "here," or "there." It often follows the noun to further identify it as the one "here" or there." When preceded by a definite article that also functions as a "this," this word more clearly means "here."
man -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
went -- The verb translated as "went down" means "to go down," but the root word means "to step" or "to walk" so, with the prefix, the sense is "steps down," which I find more poetic. When speaking of the sky, we say in English that things "come down" not "go down." The "down" is from the prefix of the verb that means "down."
down - This completes the meaning of the verb. It is from the prefix.
to -- The word translated as "to" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in" (a position), "as much as (of measure or limit)," "in regards to" a subject, "up to" limits in measures, "until" in reference to time, "within" a time limit, and "for" a purpose or object. Used with the Greek "from" it means "from...to."
his -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word correctly translated as third-person "his/him" in English. The word appears after the noun so the sense is "of his." - In its adverbial form, this means "just here" or "exactly there."
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
house -- The Greek word translated as "house," is any dwelling place but not exclusively a separate house. It means the household or clan that lives in the building as well. The English word "house" captures the idea of a "ruling family" so that works well for this word. The female form of the word has more the feel of "home."
justified - "Justified" is from an uncommon Greek verb that means "to set right," "to claim or hold as a right," and "to do a man justice." However, it also means "to chastise" and "to punish." In the passive form that is used here, it means "to have right done to one."
rather -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
than -- (CW) The Greek preposition translated as "than" has many meanings, many of which depend on the case of its object. This is not the word usually translated as "than."
the -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
other: -- (WW) The word translated as "other" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there." So it means "there," "here," or "then." Used a pronoun, the sense is "that one there" or "this one here." This word doesn't mean "other."
for -- The word translated as "for" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," "seeing that," "that," and "wherefore." Jesus usually uses this word to mean "because" in statements that seem like an answer to a question because of the change of context. It means "because" when answering a "why" question and "that" when explaining a "what" question. Another common word is used for "for."
every one -- The word translated as "everyone" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything." As an adverb, it means "in every way," "on every side," and "altogether."noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."
that -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.
exalteth -- (WF) The word translated as "exhalt" is from a verb that means "to lift high," "to raise up." It is a metaphor for "to elevate" and "to exalt." Christ uses several words to mean "lift" or "raise" up but he uses this one primarily when making a play on words. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "exhalting."
himself -- "Himself" is a special reflexive pronoun that means "himself," "herself," and so on. " When used in the possessive, it has the sense of "his own."
shall -- This helping verb "shall" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
abased; -- "Abased" is a verb that means "to lower," "to reduce," "to lessen," "to disparage," "to minimize," and "to humble." It is in the future tense but passive.
and -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "but" means "but," "yet," "however," and "on the other hand." It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. This word doesn't mean "and."
he -- (CW) The word translated as "he" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. This is not the word usually translated as "he."
that -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.
humbleth -- (WF) "Humbles" is a verb that means "to lower," "to reduce," "to lessen," "to disparage," "to minimize," and "to humble." This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "humbling."
himself -- "Himself" is a special reflexive pronoun that means "himself," "herself," and so on. " When used in the possessive, it has the sense of "his own."
shall -- This helping verb "shall" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
exalted. The word translated as "exhalt" is from a verb that means "to lift high," "to raise up." It is a metaphor for "to elevate" and "to exalt." Christ uses several words to mean "lift" or "raise" up but he uses this one primarily when making a play on words.
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.
tell -- The word translated as "Tell" is the most common word that means "to say," "to tell," and "to speak," but when used with an objective noun or pronoun, the sense is "say of" or "speak of." It also has many ancillary meanings such as "to count" ("to number" or like we might say, "to recount" a story) or "to choose for yourself."
that -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
you, -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc.
this -- (CW) The "this" is a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer, "here," or "there." It often follows the noun to further identify it as the one "here" or there." When preceded by a definite article that also functions as a "this," this word more clearly means "here."
man -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
rather -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
than -- (CW) The Greek preposition translated as "than" has many meanings, many of which depend on the case of its object. This is not the word usually translated as "than."
the -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
other: -- (WW) The word translated as "other" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there." So it means "there," "here," or "then." Used a pronoun, the sense is "that one there" or "this one here." This word doesn't mean "other."
went -- (CW) The verb translated as "went" means "to go down," but the root word means "to step" or "to walk" so, with the prefix, the sense is "steps down," which I find more poetic. When speaking of the sky, we say in English that things "come down" not "go down." The "down" is from the prefix of the verb that means "down." This is not the word usually translated as "went."
missing "to" -- (MW) The untranslated word -- The word translated as "to" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in" (a position), "as much as (of measure or limit)," "in regards to" a subject, "up to" limits in measures, "until" in reference to time, "within" a time limit, and "for" a purpose or object. Used with the Greek "from" it means "from...to."
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
home -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "home," is any dwelling place but not exclusively a separate house. It means the household or clan that lives in the building as well. The English word "house" captures the idea of a "ruling family" so that works well for this word. The female form of the word has more the feel of "home." This is not the word usually translated as "home."
missing "of his" -- (MW) The untranslated word -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word correctly translated as third-person "his/him" in English. The word appears after the noun so the sense is "of his." - In its adverbial form, this means "just here" or "exactly there."
justified - "Justified" is from an uncommon Greek verb that means "to set right," "to claim or hold as a right," and "to do a man justice." However, it also means "to chastise" and "to punish." In the passive form that is used here, it means "to have right done to one."
before God. -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as this phrase in the Greek source.
For -- The word translated as "for" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," "seeing that," "that," and "wherefore." Jesus usually uses this word to mean "because" in statements that seem like an answer to a question because of the change of context. It means "because" when answering a "why" question and "that" when explaining a "what" question. Another common word is used for "for."
all -- The word translated as "everyone" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything." As an adverb, it means "in every way," "on every side," and "altogether."noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."
those who -- (IP) This word is not in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.
exalt -- (WF) The word translated as "exhalt" is from a verb that means "to lift high," "to raise up." It is a metaphor for "to elevate" and "to exalt." Christ uses several words to mean "lift" or "raise" up but he uses this one primarily when making a play on words. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "exhalting."
themselves -- "(WN) Themselves " is a special reflexive pronoun that means "himself," "herself," and so on. " When used in the possessive, it has the sense of "his own." This word is not plural but singular.
will -- This helping verb "will " indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
humbled; -- "Humbled" is a verb that means "to lower," "to reduce," "to lessen," "to disparage," "to minimize," and "to humble." It is in the future tense but passive.
and -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "but" means "but," "yet," "however," and "on the other hand." It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. This word doesn't mean "and."
those -- (WN) The word translated as "those" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. This is not the word usually translated as "he." This word is not plural but singular.
who -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle. IW - Inserted Word -- The "that" doesn't exist in the source.
humble -- (WF) "Humbles" is a verb that means "to lower," "to reduce," "to lessen," "to disparage," "to minimize," and "to humble." This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "humbling."
themselves -- "(WN) Themselves " is a special reflexive pronoun that means "himself," "herself," and so on. " When used in the possessive, it has the sense of "his own." This word is not plural but singular.
will -- This helping verb "will" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
exalted. The word translated as "exhalt" is from a verb that means "to lift high," "to raise up." It is a metaphor for "to elevate" and "to exalt." Christ uses several words to mean "lift" or "raise" up but he uses this one primarily when making a play on words.
λέγω [264 verses](verb 1st sg act ind) "I tell" is lego, which means "to recount," "to tell over," "to say," "to speak," "to teach," "to mean," "boast of," "tell of," "recite," nominate," and "command." When used with an object is has the sense of "call by name." It has a secondary meaning "pick out," "choose for oneself," "pick up," "gather," "count," and "recount." A less common word that is spelled the same means "to lay," "to lay asleep" and "to lull asleep." This word is more about making a statement than participating in a discussion. Translating is as "stated" might distinguish it better. When two accusative objects are used, the sense is "say of him this," or "call him this." The form Jesus uses to describe his own speaking can be either indicative, "I say/tell" or subjunctive, "I should/could say/tell."
ὑμῖν [289 verses](pron 2nd pl dat) "To you" is humin the plural form of the pronoun of the second person in the indirect object form, "to you." As the object of a preposition, this form implies no movement, but in a fixed position or events occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed. With the "to be," it acts as a possessive, "yours."
κατέβη [26 verses] ( verb 3rd sg aor ind act ) "Went down" is katabaino, which means "go down," "come down from," and "dismount from." Metaphorically, it means "attain," "conform to," "condescend," "fall in value," and "arrive at the end [of a speech]."
οὗτος [83 verses](adj sg masc nom) "This" is houtos, which as an adjective means "this," "that," "the nearer." When οὗτος and ἐκεῖνος refer to two things ἐκεῖνος, which normally means "the nearer" as well belongs to the more remote, "the latter" in time, place, or thought, οὗτος to "the nearer"
δεδικαιωμένος [4 verses]( part sg perf mp masc nom ) "Justified is from dikaioo, which means to "set right," "hold or deem right," "proved," "tested," "claim or demand as a right," "that which is ordained," "pronounce judgment," "chastise," "punish," and, in the passive, "have right done one."
εἰς [325 verses](prep) "To" is eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)," "until (of time)," "in" (a position), "as much as (of measure or limit)," "as far as (of measure or limit)," "towards (to express relation)," "in regard to (to express relation)," "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."With verbs of speaking, it is the person spoken "to." With time, a limit "until," or a duration "for," "throughout," or a date, "on," "at." Used with ek, it means "from...to."
τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." --
οἶκον [29 verses](noun sg masc acc) "House" is oikos, which means "house," "dwelling place," "room," "home," "meeting hall," "household goods," "substance," and "ruling family." It is any dwelling place but not exclusively a separate house.
αὐτοῦ [142 verses](adv/adj sg masc gen) "His/" is autou, which means is the singular adjective used as the genitive pronoun, which is used as a possessive form or the object of prepositions and sometimes verbs as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In its adverbial form, this means "just here" or "exactly there." This form is often used as the object of a preposition, him." This form of an object of a preposition means a movement away from something or a position away from something else. The time sense of a genitive object is that the event occurred within a specified time. Though the form is masculine, it refers to masculine words, not people. The masculine form is used to refer to people in general, not just men.
παρ᾽ [45 verses](prep) "Rather than" is para, has many meanings, which depend on the case of its object and the sense of the verb. With the genitive, the sense is always motion, "from the side of," "from beside," "issuing from", and generally "from." With the dative, the sense is always static, "by the side of," "near," "in the presence of," and "before." With the accusative, its has a number of specialized meanings depending on the character of the verb, with coming/going "near," "beside," with placing "side-by-side," as a metaphor, "like" or "as a parody of, of comparison, "compared with" and many more including "along", "past", "beyond", "parallel (geometry)", "precisely at the moment of (time)," and "throughout (time)." With a possessive form, the sense is motion, "from the side of," "from beside," and generally "from." With an indirect object form, the sense is static, "beside," "by the side of," "near," and "before." With the direct object, its has a number of specialized meanings depending on the character of the verb, with coming/going "near," "beside," with placing "side-by-side," as a metaphor, "like" or "as a parody of, of comparison, "compared with" and many more.
ἐκεῖνον: [107 verses] ( adj sg masc acc ) "The other" is ekeinos, which refers to that which has gone immediately before and means "the person there," "that person," "that thing," and "the nearer." However, when οὗτος and ἐκεῖνος refer to two things ἐκεῖνος, prop. belongs to the more remote, "the latter" in time, place, or thought, οὗτος belongs to the more remote, "the latter" in time, "further" in place, or thought, οὗτος to "the nearer" and "sooner. " With certain preposition, it has a specific meaning:ἐξ ἐκείνου from that time, κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνα in that place, there, μετ᾽ ἐκεῖνα afterwards.
ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "for" is hoti, which introduces a statement of fact "with regard to the fact that," "seeing that," and acts as a causal adverb meaning "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore." This is the same word can be translated as both "because" and "that" in the same verse when answering two different types of questions.
πᾶς [212 verses] (adj sg masc nom) "Every" is pas, which means "all," "the whole," "every," "anyone," "all kinds," and "anything." In the adverbial form, it means "every way," "on every side," "in every way," and "altogether."
ὑψῶν [8 verses]( part sg pres act masc nom ) "Exalteth" is hypsoo, which means "to lift high," "to raise up." It is a metaphor for "to elevate" and "to exalt." -- The word translated as "shall exhalt" is from a verb that means "to lift high," "to raise up." It is a metaphor for "to elevate" and "to exalt." It is in the future tense. Christ uses several words to mean "lift" or "raise" up but he uses this one primarily when making a play on words.
ἑαυτὸν [75 verses]( adj sg masc acc ) "Himself" is heautou, is a reflexive pronoun that means "himself," "herself," "itself" "themselves," and "ourselves." It is not the common pronoun meaning simply "he," "she," "them," etc. In the genitive form, it has the sense of "his own."
ταπεινωθήσεται, [4 verses]( verb 3rd sg fut ind pass ) "Shall be abased" is tapeinoo, which means "to lower," "to reduce," "to lessen," "to disparage," "to minimize," and "to humble."
ὁ ([821 verses](article sg masc nom) "He that" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."
δὲ [446 verses](conj) "But" is de which means "but," "yet," "however," and "on the other hand." It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be an explanation of an indirect cause ("so") and a condition ("if"). In an "if" (εἰ) clause or temporal "when" (ὅταν) clause the sense is "if/when... then." In a series begun by men, it means "on the other hand." In a listing, the sense is "then" or "yet." After an interruption, "so then." It can also be an explanation of cause ("so") and a condition ("if"). In a listing, the sense is "then" or "yet." After an interruption, "so then."
ταπεινῶν [4 verses]( part sg pres act masc nom ) "Humbleth" is tapeinoo, which means "to lower," "to reduce," "to lessen," "to disparage," "to minimize," and "to humble."
ἑαυτὸν [75 verses]( adj sg masc acc ) "Himself" is heautou, is a reflexive pronoun that means "himself," "herself," "itself" "themselves," and "ourselves." It is not the common pronoun meaning simply "he," "she," "them," etc. In the genitive form, it has the sense of "his own." -- "Himself" is a special reflexive pronoun that means "himself," "herself," and so on. " When used in the possessive, it has the sense of "his own."
ὑψωθήσεται [8 verses]. ( verb 3rd sg fut ind pass) "Exalteth" is hypsoo which means "to lift high," "to raise up." It is a metaphor for "to elevate" and "to exalt." -- The word translated as "shall exhalt" is from a verb that means "to lift high," "to raise up." It is a metaphor for "to elevate" and "to exalt." It is in the future tense. Christ uses several words to mean "lift" or "raise" up but he uses this one primarily when making a play on words.
The last part of this verse is very similar to Matthew 23:12 and Luke 14:11, but the Matthew verse is all in the future tense.