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Luke 18

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The Parable of the Persistent Widow 1–8

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And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint; ​
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saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man: ​
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and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. ​
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And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
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yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest she wear me out by her continual coming.
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And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge saith.
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And shall not God avenge his elect, that cry to him day and night, and yet he is longsuffering over them? ​
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I say unto you, that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? ​

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector 9–14

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And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought: ​
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Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
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The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. ​
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I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get.
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But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner. ​
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I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. ​

Jesus Welcomes the Children 15–17

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And they were bringing unto him also their babes, that he should touch them: but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ​
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But Jesus called them unto him, saying, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God.
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Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein. ​

The Rich Ruler and Eternal Life 18–30

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And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? ​
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And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, even God. ​
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Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and mother.
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And he said, All these things have I observed from my youth up.
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And when Jesus heard it, he said unto him, One thing thou lackest yet: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. ​
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But when he heard these things, he became exceeding sorrowful; for he was very rich.
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And Jesus seeing him said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
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For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. ​
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And they that heard it said, Then who can be saved?
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But he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. ​
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And Peter said, Lo, we have left our own, and followed thee.
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And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or wife, or brethren, or parents, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,
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who shall not receive manifold more in this time, and in the world to come eternal life.

Jesus Predicts His Suffering and Resurrection 31–34

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And he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets shall be accomplished unto the Son of man. ​
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For he shall be delivered up unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spit upon:
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and they shall scourge and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
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And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, and they perceived not the things that were said. ​

Healing the Blind Man near Jericho 35–43

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And it came to pass, as he drew nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: ​
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and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant.
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And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
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And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. ​
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And they that went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
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And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,
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What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
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And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole. ​
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And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Luke 18

Verse 1

men ought always to pray, and not to faint — Ekkakeo, to lose heart or grow weary; Luke has it only here, and Paul uses it in 'let us not be weary in well doing' (Gal 6:9) and 'we faint not' (2 Cor 4:1). The parable states its own purpose in its first line, and 'ought' (dei) makes the praying a necessity.

Verse 2

feared not God, neither regarded man — The judge lacks what Israel's judges were charged with: 'let the fear of the LORD be upon you' (2 Chr 19:7). 'Regarded' is entrepo, to turn toward in respect, the word translated 'reverence' in Matt 21:37, 'They will reverence my son'. The judge repeats the phrase of himself in v.4.

Verse 3

a widow… Avenge me of mine adversary — Ekdikeo is to see justice done, and its noun ekdikesis is used of God in vv.7–8. 'She came' is an imperfect tense, 'kept coming', as 'her continual coming' in v.5 confirms. The Law curses him who 'perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow' (Deut 27:19), and Isaiah's charge is 'plead for the widow' (Isa 1:17).

Verse 7

shall not God avenge his own elect — 'Avenge' translates ekdikesis, 'vindication', with the verb 'make'. 'Elect' is eklektos, chosen; they 'cry day and night', as the psalmist did 'day and night before thee' (Ps 88:1). 'Bear long' is makrothymeo, the verb of 2 Pet 3:9, 'longsuffering to us-ward', and of 1 Cor 13:4, 'Charity suffereth long'.

Verse 8

he will avenge them speedily — 'Speedily' is en tachei, in haste, the phrase rendered 'shortly' in Rom 16:20 and Rev 1:1. The question that closes the verse looks to the day of the Son of man's coming, described earlier as 'the day when the Son of man is revealed' (Luke 17:30).

Verse 9

trusted in themselves that they were righteous — Luke 16:15 names the same habit: 'Ye are they which justify yourselves before men'. 'Despised' is exoutheneo, to treat as nothing, the word for Herod's men who 'set him at nought' (Luke 23:11). The two men of the parable, a Pharisee and a publican, are named in v.10.

Verse 11

God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are — The prayer takes the form of a thanksgiving, and its substance is a list of men he is unlike. 'Extortioners' is harpax, a plunderer, the word of 1 Cor 5:10–11 and 6:10, where extortioners are listed beside thieves and drunkards. The list ends by naming 'this publican'.

Verse 13

God be merciful to me a sinner — Hilaskomai, to be propitiated, found elsewhere only in Heb 2:17, 'to make reconciliation for the sins of the people'. 'Would not lift up' and 'smote' are imperfect tenses, an action kept up, and the people at the cross also 'smote their breasts' (Luke 23:48). Ezra 9:6 speaks of being ashamed 'to lift up my face'.

Verse 14

justified rather than the other — Dikaioo, here a perfect passive participle: he went down to his house already declared righteous. Paul uses the verb of 'him that justifieth the ungodly' (Rom 4:5). He 'went down' as the two had 'went up into the temple' (v.10). The closing saying is the one in Luke 14:11.

Verse 15

infants, that he would touch them — Brephos, a babe, the word for the infants of Luke 1:41 and 2:12. The parallels say 'little children' and 'young children' (Matt 19:13; Mark 10:13). 'Rebuked' is epitimao, the verb used in v.39 of the crowd that rebuked the blind man.

Verse 17

as a little child — The saying is at Mark 10:15 almost word for word, and Matt 18:3 has 'Except ye be converted, and become as little children'. 'Receive' is dechomai, to take in or welcome, and Luke 12:32 says what is being received: 'it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom'. 'In no wise' is the strong negative ou me.

Verse 18

what shall I do to inherit eternal life? — The lawyer asked in the same words in Luke 10:25. 'Ruler' is archon, a man of rank, and Luke says no more of his office. 'Good Master' (didaskale agathe) gives Jesus the word agathos, which he takes up in v.19.

Verse 19

none is good, save one, that is, God — Jesus takes the word agathos from the ruler's greeting and says that goodness belongs fully to God alone. The Psalms say it of the LORD, 'O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good' (Ps 136:1). Mark 10:18 gives the same words, and Matt 19:17 has 'there is none good but one, that is, God'.

Verse 22

Yet lackest thou one thing — Leipo, to be short of. The command has three parts: sell, distribute to the poor, and 'come, follow me', with the promise of 'treasure in heaven' as in Luke 12:33, 'Sell that ye have, and give alms'. 'Follow me' is the call given to Levi in Luke 5:27.

Verse 25

a camel to go through a needle's eye — The saying stands in nearly the same words in Matt 19:24 and Mark 10:25, and it follows the ruler's departure, 'very sorrowful: for he was very rich' (v.23). 'Easier' is eukopoteros, a lighter task. The camel appears again in Matt 23:24, 'swallow a camel'.

Verse 27

impossible with men are possible with God — Adynatos and dynatos, without power and having power. The question just asked was 'Who then can be saved?' (v.26). The answer rests on what God can do: 'Is any thing too hard for the LORD?' (Gen 18:14); 'nothing too hard for thee' (Jer 32:17).

Verse 31

all things that are written by the prophets — After the announcements of Luke 9:22 and 9:44, this is the first that says the Son of man's suffering is written in the prophets. 'Accomplished' is teleo, the verb of 'till it be accomplished' (Luke 12:50) and of Luke 22:37, where Jesus quotes Isa 53:12, 'reckoned among the transgressors'.

Verse 34

this saying was hid from them — The words repeat Luke 9:45, 'they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them'. 'Hid' is krypto, used in Luke only here and at 19:42, 'now they are hid from thine eyes'. The opening of their understanding is told in Luke 24:45: 'Then opened he their understanding'.

Verse 35

a certain blind man sat by the way side begging — Mark 10:46 names him, 'blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus'. The healing is among the works Jesus named to John's messengers: 'the blind see' (Luke 7:22). Luke 19:1, 'Jesus entered and passed through Jericho', follows directly.

Verse 38

thou Son of David — Told that 'Jesus of Nazareth passeth by' (v.37), he answers with the royal title of Gabriel's announcement, 'the throne of his father David' (Luke 1:32). 'Have mercy' is eleeo, the cry of the ten lepers in Luke 17:13. The crowd 'rebuked him' (v.39), and he 'cried so much the more'.

Verse 42

thy faith hath saved thee — Sozo, in the perfect tense. Jesus says the same words to the woman in Luke 7:50, and the verb is rendered 'made thee whole' in Luke 8:48 and 17:19. 'Receive thy sight' is anablepo, to look up or see again, the verb of 'the blind receive their sight' (Matt 11:5).