18:14a

In this verse Jesus concluded his parable and explained its meaning. In some languages it may be helpful to introduce this conclusion with a phrase or clause. For example:

Then Jesus said
-or-
Then Jesus concluded the parable/story, saying

I tell you: Jesus often used the phrase I tell you to begin a statement that he wanted to emphasize. It indicates that the statement was important and that people should listen carefully to it. Here it emphasizes the fact that the tax collector, rather than the Pharisee, was justified by God.

Some other ways to show this emphasis are:

• Use a phrase before Jesus’ statement. For example:

Let me tell you this
-or-
Listen carefully
-or-
I assure you

• Use an emphatic word within Jesus’ statement. For example:

It was certainly this man, rather than the other

Be sure that you emphasize the correct part of the following statement. Jesus was emphasizing which man was justified. He was not emphasizing that the man went to his house. In some languages you may need to change the order of phrases in the statement to indicate this. For example:

“I tell you,” said Jesus, “the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home.” (Good News Translation)

Use a natural way in your language to emphasize this fact.

you: The pronoun you is plural here. It refers to the people who were mentioned in 18:9.

18:14b

this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified: Jesus concluded the parable by indicating which man was justified before God. This is a very important statement. It indicates that God justified the tax collector, but God did not justify the Pharisee. Some ways to translate this are:

God accepted this tax collector as a righteous person, but he did not accept the Pharisee as righteous.
-or-
…he was right with God, but the Pharisee was not. (New Century Version)
-or-
…this tax collector went home with God’s approval, but the Pharisee didn’t. (God’s Word)

this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home: The phrase this man refers to the tax collector. The parallel phrase is literally “the other,” and it refers to the Pharisee. The Berean Standard Bible translates it that way. Jesus implied that both of these men went home when they finished praying. Some ways to translate this are:

When the men went home…
-or-
They ⌊finished praying⌋ and went to their houses.

See the General Comment on 18:14a–b at the end of 18:14d for a suggestion about reordering.

justified: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as justified indicates that God considered (him) righteous. After the tax collector confessed his sin to God, God forgave him and accepted him. The Pharisee did not confess his sin, so God did not consider him righteous. Some other ways to translate this are:

God considered him to be righteous/upright
-or-
declared right/just/pure by God
-or-
with God’s approval (God’s Word)
-or-
acquitted of his sins (Revised English Bible)

In some languages there may be an idiom to express this. For example:

considered straight

See also “just,” sense B2, in Key Biblical Terms.

18:14c–d

These verse parts are the same as 14:11a and 14:11b.

18:14c

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the general principle that Jesus wanted people to understand from the preceding parable. In some languages it may be necessary to clarify this connection. For example:

⌊This parable illustrates⌋ that…
-or-

⌊I told this parable to teach you⌋ that…

In other languages an explicit conjunction may not be necessary. For example:

Everyone who honors himself (God’s Word)

everyone who exalts himself will be humbled: This clause indicates that anyone who honors himself will be shamed. The verb will be humbled is passive. It does not specify who or what will cause a person who exalts himself to be humbled. Other ways to translate the clause are:

• Use a verb that does not need to specify who or what will humble a person who exalts himself. For example:

Everyone who honors himself will receive shame
-or-
Seeking your own honor results in shame/humiliation

• Use an active verb and supply God as the implied subject. For example:

⌊God⌋ will humble everyone who exalts himself

In some languages it may be more natural to reword this clause as an “if” clause followed by a conclusion. For example:

If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. (Contemporary English Version)

exalts himself: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as exalts himself literally means “to raise or lift up oneself.” This is a figurative way to describe someone who tries to gain honor from other people. Some other ways to translate this are:

make themselves great (Good News Translation)
-or-

⌊tries to⌋ make himself look important

18:14d

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces another principle that Jesus illustrated by the parable in 18:10–14. This principle corresponds to the principle in 18:14b. However, the results of a person humbling himself (18:14c) contrast with the results of exalting himself (18:14b). That is the reason why some English versions have but here. For example:

but the person who humbles himself will be honored (God’s Word)

Connect 18:14b and 18:14c in a natural way in your language.

the one who humbles himself will be exalted: This clause indicates that if a person decides to be humble and willingly takes a place of low status, God will honor him. As in the previous clause, in some languages it will be necessary to make the implied subject “God” explicit. For example:

⌊God⌋ will honor the one who humbles himself.

If you used an “if” clause in the previous part of the verse, you will probably need to do the same thing here. For example:

But if you humble yourself, you will be honored. (Contemporary English Version)

In some languages it may be natural to use direct speech here. For example:

God will say this about people who humble themselves: “They are great.”

General Comment on 18:14a–b

In 18:14a–b the Berean Standard Bible has arranged the phrases in a different order from the Greek text. The Greek order is literally, “I say to you, this one went down, having been justified, to his house, rather than that one.” Another way to translate this, following this order, is:

I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. (NET Bible)

Use a natural order in your language.

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