humble (verb)

The Greek that is translated as “humbled” in English is rendered in Gumuz as “become small” (source: Loren Bliese), in Uma as “make hearts low” (“proud,” the opposite is translated as proud “make hearts high”) (source: Uma Back Translation), and in Cherokee as “prayerful” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 38).

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Following is a 1973 painting of the JESUS MAFA project, a response to New Testament readings from the Lectionary by a Christian community in Cameroon, Africa. Each of the readings was selected and adapted to dramatic interpretation by the community members. Photographs of their interpretations were made, and these were then transcribed to paintings:

From Art in the Christian Tradition , a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. Image retrieved March 23, 2026. Original source: librairie-emmanuel.fr.

justification, justify

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The Greek that is translated as “justify” in English is translated into Tzotzil in two different ways. One of those is with Lec xij’ilatotic yu’un Dios ta sventa ti ta xc’ot ta o’ntonal ta xch’unel ti Jesucristoe (“we are seen well by God because of our faith in Jesus Christ”) (source: Aeilts, p. 118) and the other is “God sees as righteous” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.).

Other (back-) translations include:

complete verse (Luke 18:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 18:14:

  • Noongar: “‘I tell you,’ Jesus said, ‘when the two men go back home, this tax collector is right in the sight of God and not this Pharisee. All people putting themselves high, they will be put down, and all people putting themselves down, they will be put up.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “From there, Yesus finished his words, he said: ‘Truly I say to you: when they went home, that tax collector was the one who had been made straight in God’s sight, not that Parisi person. Because all who are proud [lit, make their hearts high], the Lord God makes them low/humble. And all who are humble [lit., make their hearts low], the Lord God makes them high.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I tell you,’ said Isa, ‘that this person went home being considered straight/righteous by God but not the Pariseo was the straight one. For whoever makes himself great will be put down, and whoever puts himself down/humbles himself will be made great.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said, ‘True I say to you that as for that tax-collector, when he went home to his house, God no longer thought about his sin because it was already forgiven. However, it was not like that with this boastful Pharisee because the person who thinks that he is very high before God, God will lower him; but the person who knows that he is very much a sinner, God will make him high.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then Jesus concluded by saying, ‘I tell you that the one whom God counted-as righteous when they went-home, it was this person not the Pharisee. Because the one who causes himself to be made high will be brought low just the same, but the one however who lowers himself, he will be made-high.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “What I will say to you really is true, that as for that person, he went home being regarded by God as straight/righteous, for his sins were forgiven. But as for that Pariseo, he didn’t. Because it’s true, whoever is arrogant/self-important with be made low/unimportant, but the humble will be made important/high.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

he who, whoever

The Greek that is typically translated with a generic expressions such as “he who,” “whoever,” or “if anyone” in English is translated with the plural form (“they”) in Daga. “A literal translation of these conveys the idea that one specific unnamed individual is being discussed. Thus, for instance, in John 5:24 ‘he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life’ meant in Daga that there was one fortunate individual to whom it applied.”

See also love your neighbor as yourself.

Translation commentary on Luke 18:14

Exegesis:

legō humin ‘I tell you,’ cf. on 3.8.

katebē houtos … eis ton oikon autou ‘this man went down to his home.’ katebē contrasts with anebēsan in v. 10.

dedikaiōmenos … par’ ekeinon ‘in the right relationship with God, more than the other,’ or, ‘rather than the other,’ i.e. ‘instead of the other,’ preferably the latter# The past participle dedikaiōmenos points to a situation that will last henceforth. The passive appears to imply God as agent.

dikaioō ‘to justify,’ ‘to set right with God.’ For the rest of v. 14 cf. on 14.11.

Translation:

This man … rather than the other, or, “it was he who … and not the other” (An American Translation, and similarly several other versions), ‘this man…, in contrast to the other’ (Nieuwe Vertaling), ‘this man…, but this did not happen to the other one’ (Sranan Tongo).

Went down to his house, or simply, ‘went home,’ ‘went back.’

Went … justified, or, ‘went … (as) a justified man’ (Bahasa Indonesia RC), ‘was a justified man, when he went…’ (cf. Good News Translation). The relation with God is often better made explicit, e.g. “justified in God’s sight” (Phillips) cf. also “approved by God” (The Four Gospels – a New Translation), “in the right with God” (Good News Translation); a rendering that is more directly related to the preceding prayer is, “went … acquitted of his sins” (New English Bible).

For v. 14b see remarks and references on 14.11.

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 18:14

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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