Luke 11:43
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Woe to you Pharisees! You love the chief seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
uppermost seats--(See on Luk 14:7-11). greetings--(See on Mat 23:7-10).
Open source ↗In this chapter, I. Christ teaches his disciples to pray, and quickens and encourages them to be frequent, instant, and importunate in prayer (Luk 11:1-13). II. He fully answers the blasphemous imputation of the Pharisees, who charged him with casting out devils by virtue of a compact and confederacy with Beelzebub, the prince of the devils, and shows the absurdity and wickedness of it (Luk 11:14-26). III. He shows the honour of obedient disciples to be greater than that of his own mother (Luk 11:27, Luk 11:28). IV. He upbraids the men of that generation for their infidelity and obstinacy, notwithstanding all the means of conviction offered to them (Luk 11:29-36). V. He severely reproves the Pharisees and consciences of those that submitted to them, and their hating and persecuting those that witnessed against their wickedness (v. 37-54).
Open source ↗11:43 The elders of the synagogues had special seats of honor. • The respectful greetings were honorable ways of addressing social and religious superiors (like addressing a judge as “your honor”).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
“Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.
I have written to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.