Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and 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.
- BSB Woe to you Pharisees! You love the chief seats in the synagogues and the 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, who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts;
- Mark 12:38–39In his teaching he said to them, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,
- Matt 23:6–7and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
- Luke 14:7–11He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them,
- Jas 2:2–4For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in;
- Prov 16:18Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
- Phil 2:3doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
- 3 Jn 1:9I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say.
- Rom 12:10In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor preferring one another;
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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.
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Original language
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