Luke 18:13-14

18:13 The tax collector, however, stood ¹  far off and would not even look up ²  to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful ³  to me, sinner that I am!’ ⁴  18:14 I tell you that this man went down to his home justified ⁵  rather than the Pharisee. ⁶  For everyone who exalts ⁷  himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹ tn Grk “standing”; the Greek participle has been translated as a finite verb.

² tn Grk “even lift up his eyes” (an idiom).

³ tn The prayer is a humble call for forgiveness. The term for mercy (ἱλάσκομαι, Jilaskomai) is associated with the concept of a request for atonement (BDAG 473-74 s.v. 1; Ps 51:1, 3; 25:11; 34:6, 18).

⁴ tn Grk “the sinner.” The tax collector views himself not just as any sinner but as the worst of all sinners. See ExSyn 222-23.

⁵ sn The prayer that was heard and honored was the one given with humility; in a surprising reversal it was the tax collector who went down to his home justified.

⁶ tn Grk “the other”; the referent (the Pharisee, v. 10) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ sn Everyone who exalts himself. See Luke 14:11. Jesus often called for humility and condemned those who sought honor.