Woe to you Pharisees! You love the chief seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.
Parallel translations
- WEB Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces.
- KJV Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
- NKJV Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
- NASB Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the seat of honor in the synagogues and personal greetings in the marketplaces.
- NLT “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus rebukes the Pharisees' love of honor and public recognition. Pride and the craving for status corrupt true devotion.
Overview
The Pharisees relished prominent seats and respectful greetings. Their religion served self-glory rather than God. Jesus condemns a piety driven by the desire to be honored by people instead of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Luke 20:46“Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.
- Mark 12:38–39In His teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces,
- Matt 23:6–7They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,
- Luke 14:7–11When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, He told them a parable:
- Jas 2:2–4Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.
- Prov 16:18Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
- Phil 2:3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
- 3 Jn 1:9I have written to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction.
- Rom 12:10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 11:43 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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