Luke 18:13

King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be 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 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 trespass is grown up unto the heavens.
• Luke 23:48 : 48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
• Acts 2:37 : 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
• Rom 5:8 : 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
• 1 Tim 1:15 : 15 This is a faithful 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 come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
• Luke 23:40-43 : 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou 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 unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus 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 just 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 am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.
• Isa 64:5-6 : 5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved. 6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken 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 bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD 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 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
• Luke 7:6-7 : 6 Then 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 enter under my roof: 7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a 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 before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had 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, and 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, which stood afar off:
• Rom 5:20-21 : 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign thugh righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
• 2 Cor 7:11 : 11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
• Heb 8:12 : 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
• 2 Chr 33:12-13 : 12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.
• 2 Chr 33:19 : 19 His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.
• 2 Chr 33:23 : 23 And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.
• Dan 9:5 : 5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
• Dan 9:7-9 : 7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this y; to the men of Juh, 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 forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; 10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD 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 by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because 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 righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.
• Matt 9:13 : 13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
• 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 mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.
• Ps 25:11 : 11 For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
• Ps 40:12 : 12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
• Ps 41:4 : 4 I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.
• Ps 51:1-3 : 1 To the chief Musician, A alm 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 unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
• Ps 86:15-16 : 15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. 16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.
• Ps 106:6 : 6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
• Ps 119:41 : 41 VAU. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.
• Ps 130:3-4 : 3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
• Ps 130:7 : 7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
• Isa 1:18 : 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: 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, the LORD of hosts.