Luke 11:44

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over [them] are not aware [of them].

Woe {G3759} unto you {G5213}, scribes {G1122} and {G2532} Pharisees {G5330}, hypocrites {G5273}! for {G3754} ye are {G2075} as {G5613} graves {G3419} which {G3588} appear not {G82}, and {G2532} the men {G444} that walk {G4043} over {G1883} them are {G1492} not {G3756} aware {G1492} of them.

“Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”

Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without even noticing.”

Woe unto you! for ye are as the tombs which appear not, and the men that walk over them know it not.

Commentary

In Luke 11:44, Jesus delivers a stinging rebuke to the scribes and Pharisees, exposing their deep-seated hypocrisy. This verse is part of a series of "woes" (condemnations) Jesus pronounces against the religious leaders of His day, found in Luke 11:37-54, highlighting their spiritual blindness and misleading practices.

Context

Jesus had just been invited to dine with a Pharisee, and He seized the opportunity to address the religious leaders' obsession with outward appearance and ritual cleanliness while neglecting true righteousness and justice. This particular woe follows His condemnation of their meticulous tithing of small herbs while "passing over judgment and the love of God" (Luke 11:42) and their desire for prominent seats and public greetings (Luke 11:43).

Key Themes

  • Hypocrisy Unmasked: The central accusation against the scribes and Pharisees is their profound hypocrisy. They presented an image of piety and adherence to God's law, but inwardly they were corrupt and spiritually dead. This theme is consistent with other warnings Jesus gave, such as in Matthew 23:27-28.
  • Hidden Defilement: The powerful metaphor of "graves which appear not" refers to unmarked burial sites. According to Mosaic Law, touching a dead body or a grave, even unknowingly, rendered a person ritually unclean for seven days (Numbers 19:16). Jesus implies that the Pharisees, despite their outward show of piety, were inwardly full of corruption and spiritual death, contaminating those who came into contact with them without realizing it.
  • Spiritual Danger: Their influence was dangerous precisely because their corruption was not evident to the common people. They led others astray not by overtly evil acts, but by a deceptive veneer of righteousness that concealed inner spiritual decay.

Linguistic Insights

  • The word "Woe" (Greek: ouai) is not merely an expression of sorrow but a pronouncement of judgment, a severe condemnation with a warning of impending doom.
  • The term "hypocrites" (Greek: hypokritēs) literally means "an actor" or "one who wears a mask." This perfectly describes the Pharisees' deceptive outward appearance that concealed their true, corrupt character.

Practical Application

This verse serves as a powerful warning against religious superficiality and emphasizes the critical importance of inner purity over outward show. For believers today, it calls for genuine faith and integrity, reminding us that God looks at the heart, not just external actions (1 Samuel 16:7). We are challenged to examine our own lives for any hidden areas of sin or hypocrisy that might unknowingly defile ourselves or others. True spiritual leadership and influence must stem from a clean heart, not just adherence to rules or outward displays of piety.

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Cross-References

  • Matthew 23:27 (5 votes)

    Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead [men's] bones, and of all uncleanness.

  • Matthew 23:28 (5 votes)

    Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

  • Psalms 5:9 (4 votes)

    For [there is] no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part [is] very wickedness; their throat [is] an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

  • Acts 23:3 (3 votes)

    Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, [thou] whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

  • Numbers 19:16 (2 votes)

    And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

  • Hosea 9:8 (2 votes)

    The watchman of Ephraim [was] with my God: [but] the prophet [is] a snare of a fowler in all his ways, [and] hatred in the house of his God.