Luke 18:13

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ ὁ τελώνης, μακρόθεν ἑστὼς, οὐκ ἤθελεν οὐδὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐπᾶραι, ἀλλʼ ἔτυπτεν εἰς τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ, λέγων, Ὁ Θεός ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ.

Transliteration

And the telōnēs, from-afar hestōs, not ēthelen not-even the ophthalmous into the ouranon eparai, but etypen into the stēthos of-him, legōn, The Theos hilasthēti to-me the hamartōlō.

Grammar Details

• *telōnēs*: nominative masculine singular - tax collector
• *hestōs*: perfect active participle, nominative masculine singular - standing
• *ēthelen*: imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular - was willing
• *ophthalmous*: accusative masculine plural - eyes
• *ouranon*: accusative masculine singular - heaven/sky
• *eparai*: aorist active infinitive - to lift up/raise
• *etypen*: imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular - was beating/striking
• *stēthos*: accusative neuter singular - chest/breast
• *legōn*: present active participle, nominative masculine singular - saying
• *Theos*: nominative masculine singular - God
• *hilasthēti*: aorist passive imperative, 2nd person singular - be merciful/propitious
• *hamartōlō*: dative masculine singular - sinner

Word Meanings

• *telōnēs*: tax collector/publican
• *hestōs*: standing/having stood
• *ēthelen*: was willing/wanted/desired
• *eparai*: to lift up/to raise
• *etypen*: was beating/was striking [repeatedly]
• *stēthos*: chest/breast
• *hilasthēti*: be merciful/be propitious/make atonement for
• *hamartōlō*: sinner/sinful person

Referenced Verses

• Ezra 9:6 : 6 and I said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our guiltiness is grown up unto the heavens.
• Luke 23:48 : 48 And all the multitudes that came together to this sight, when they beheld the things that were done, returned smiting their breasts.
• Acts 2:37 : 37 Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?
• Rom 5:8 : 8 But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
• 1 Tim 1:15 : 15 Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:
• Heb 4:16 : 16 Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help [us] in time of need.
• Luke 23:40-43 : 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, Dost thou not even fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said, Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom. 43 And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.
• 1 John 1:8-9 : 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
• Ezek 16:63 : 63 that thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I have forgiven thee all that thou hast done, saith the Lord Jehovah.
• Isa 64:5-6 : 5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned: in them [have we been] of long time; and shall we be saved? 6 For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
• Jer 31:18-19 : 18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself [thus], Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a calf unaccustomed [to the yoke] : turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Jehovah my God. 19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
• Luke 5:8 : 8 But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
• Luke 7:6-7 : 6 And Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself; for I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: 7 wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say the word, and my servant shall be healed.
• Luke 15:18-21 : 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: 19 I am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called thy son .
• Luke 17:12 : 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off:
• Rom 5:20-21 : 20 And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly: 21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
• 2 Cor 7:11 : 11 For behold, this selfsame thing, that ye were made sorry after a godly sort, what earnest care it wrought in you, yea what clearing of yourselves, yea what indignation, yea what fear, yea what longing, yea what zeal, yea what avenging! In everything ye approved yourselves to be pure in the matter.
• Heb 8:12 : 12 For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And their sins will I remember no more.
• 2 Chr 33:12-13 : 12 And when he was in distress, he besought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 And he prayed unto him; and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah he was God.
• 2 Chr 33:19 : 19 His prayer also, and how [God] was entreated of him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up the Asherim and the graven images, before he humbled himself: behold, they are written in the history of Hozai.
• 2 Chr 33:23 : 23 And he humbled not himself before Jehovah, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more.
• Dan 9:5 : 5 we have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from thy precepts and from thine ordinances;
• Dan 9:7-9 : 7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of face, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. 8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness; for we have rebelled against him; 10 neither have we obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even turning aside, that they should not obey thy voice: therefore hath the curse been poured out upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God; for we have sinned against him.
• Dan 9:18-19 : 18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness, but for thy great mercies' sake. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God, because thy city and thy people are called by thy name.
• Matt 9:13 : 13 But go ye and learn what [this] meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
• Job 42:6 : 6 Wherefore I abhor [myself], And repent in dust and ashes.
• Ps 25:7 : 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: According to thy lovingkindness remember thou me, For thy goodness' sake, O Jehovah.
• Ps 25:11 : 11 For thy name's sake, O Jehovah, Pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.
• Ps 40:12 : 12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about; Mine iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; They are more than the hairs of my head; And my heart hath failed me.
• Ps 41:4 : 4 I said, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me: Heal my soul; For I have sinned against thee.
• Ps 51:1-3 : 1 [For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba]. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions; And my sin is ever before me.
• Ps 86:15-16 : 15 But thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth. 16 Oh turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; Give thy strength unto thy servant, And save the son of thy handmaid.
• Ps 106:6 : 6 We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
• Ps 119:41 : 41 VAV. Let thy lovingkindnesses also come unto me, O Jehovah, Even thy salvation, according to thy word.
• Ps 130:3-4 : 3 If thou, Jehovah, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, That thou mayest be feared.
• Ps 130:7 : 7 O Israel, hope in Jehovah; For with Jehovah there is lovingkindness, And with him is plenteous redemption.
• Isa 1:18 : 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
• Isa 6:5 : 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.