LUK 11:37-54

Woes to Pharisees and Experts in the Law

37While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined. [11:38] The Pharisee, seeing this, was astonished that he had not first ritually immersed before the meal. [11:39] The Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but your inside is full of greed and evil. [11:40] Fools! Did not the one who made the outside also make the inside? [11:41] But give the contents as mercy, and look — everything is clean for you. [11:42] But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass over judgment and the love of God. These you should have done without leaving those undone. [11:43] Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the seat of honor in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. [11:44] Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves — people walking over them do not know it." [11:45] One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, in saying these things you insult us too." [11:46] He said, "And woe to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens impossible to carry, and you yourselves do not touch those burdens with one of your fingers. [11:47] Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. [11:48] So you are witnesses and you approve the works of your fathers — for they killed them, and you build their tombs. [11:49] For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,' [11:50] so that the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation — [11:51] from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I say to you, it will be required of this generation. [11:52] Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter, and those who were entering you hindered. [11:53] And when he went out from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him intensely and to question him about many things, [11:54] lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say."

In the world it was spoken into

In 1st-century Jewish society, ritual purity was a central concern, particularly among the Pharisees, who meticulously observed external cleansing practices to maintain holiness. The act of washing hands before meals was not merely hygienic but a symbolic gesture of separation from impurity. The Pharisee’s astonishment at Jesus’ failure to wash reflects the cultural weight of these rituals. Jesus’ critique targets the Pharisees’ preoccupation with external purity while neglecting internal moral integrity. His metaphor of the cup and dish highlights the hypocrisy of prioritizing visible cleanliness over justice and mercy. The Pharisees’ imposition of burdensome legal demands on others, while avoiding them themselves, underscores their misuse of religious authority. This confrontation occurs during , a morning meal, emphasizing the everyday contexts in which these tensions played out. Jesus’ words challenge the Pharisees’ role as interpreters of the Law, exposing their failure to embody its deeper ethical demands.

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How other translations render this

LUK 11:37

KJV: And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
BSB: As Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee invited Him to dine with him; so He went in and reclined at the table.
Koinōnos: While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined.

LUK 11:38

KJV: And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.
BSB: But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.
Koinōnos: The Pharisee, seeing this, was astonished that he had not first ritually immersed before the meal.

LUK 11:39

KJV: And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
BSB: Then the Lord said, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
Koinōnos: The Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but your inside is full of greed and evil.

LUK 11:40

KJV: Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
BSB: You fools! Did not the One who made the outside make the inside as well?
Koinōnos: Fools! Did not the one who made the outside also make the inside?

LUK 11:41

KJV: But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
BSB: But give as alms the things that are within you, and behold, everything will be clean for you.
Koinōnos: But give the contents as mercy, and look — everything is clean for you.

LUK 11:42

KJV: But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
BSB: Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.
Koinōnos: But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass over judgment and the love of God. These you should have done without leaving those undone.

LUK 11:43

KJV: Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
BSB: Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.
Koinōnos: Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the seat of honor in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

LUK 11:44

KJV: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
BSB: Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without even noticing.”
Koinōnos: Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves — people walking over them do not know it.

LUK 11:45

KJV: Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
BSB: One of the experts in the law told Him, “Teacher, when You say these things, You insult us as well.”
Koinōnos: One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, in saying these things you insult us too.

LUK 11:46

KJV: And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
BSB: “Woe to you as well, experts in the law!” He replied. “For you weigh men down with heavy burdens, but you yourselves will not lift a finger to lighten their load.
Koinōnos: He said, "And woe to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens impossible to carry, and you yourselves do not touch those burdens with one of your fingers.

LUK 11:47

KJV: Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
BSB: Woe to you! For you build tombs for the prophets, but it was your fathers who killed them.
Koinōnos: Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

LUK 11:48

KJV: Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
BSB: So you are witnesses consenting to the deeds of your fathers: They killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.
Koinōnos: So you are witnesses and you approve the works of your fathers — for they killed them, and you build their tombs.

LUK 11:49

KJV: Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
BSB: Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and others they will persecute.’
Koinōnos: For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,

LUK 11:50

KJV: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
BSB: As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world,
Koinōnos: so that the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation —

LUK 11:51

KJV: From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
BSB: from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.
Koinōnos: from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I say to you, it will be required of this generation.

LUK 11:52

KJV: Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
BSB: Woe to you experts in the law! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
Koinōnos: Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter, and those who were entering you hindered.

LUK 11:53

KJV: And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
BSB: As Jesus went on from there, the scribes and Pharisees began to oppose Him bitterly and to ply Him with questions about many things,
Koinōnos: And when he went out from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him intensely and to question him about many things,

LUK 11:54

KJV: Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
BSB: waiting to catch Him in something He might say.
Koinōnos: lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

LUK 11:38

He washed:The word translated 'He washed' here refers to a ritual immersion or dipping, not merely a casual washing of hands. It implies a more thorough and symbolic cleansing.
dinner.:The term translated 'dinner' in this context refers to the main meal of the day, typically eaten around midday or early afternoon, rather than an evening meal.

LUK 11:42

justice:The word translated 'justice' also carries the sense of judgment or discerning what is right. It implies a process of evaluation and decision, not just a state of fairness.

LUK 11:46

heavy to bear:The phrase 'heavy to bear' describes something not just burdensome, but also difficult or impossible to carry, implying an oppressive weight or an intolerable burden.