Luke 11 · Verse 46

Luke 11:46

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.
Luke 11:46, King James Version

Luke 11:46 in other translations

BSB“Woe to you as well, experts in the law!” He replied. “You weigh men down with heavy burdens, but you yourselves will not lift a finger to lighten their load.
WEBHe said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won’t even lift one finger to help carry those burdens.
ASVAnd he said, Woe unto you lawyers also! for ye load men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
YLTand he said, ‘And to you, the lawyers, woe! because ye burden men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves with one of your fingers do not touch the burdens.
DARBYAnd he said, To you also woe, doctors of the law, for ye lay upon men burdens heavy to bear, and yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
BBEAnd he said, A curse is on you, teachers of the law! for while other men are crushed under the weight of the rules you make for them, you yourselves do not put so much as one finger to them.
WebsterAnd he said, Woe to you also, ye lawyers, for ye load men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

What does Luke 11:46 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
46. burdens grievous, &c.--referring not so much to the irksomeness of the legal rites (though they were irksome, Ac 15:10), as to the heartless rigor with which they were enforced, and by men of shameless inconsistency.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 46. Mt 23:4.

(e) "touch not the burdens" Is 58:6

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 46 Ye lade men with burdens - By insisting on the observance of the traditions of the elders, to which it appears, by the way, they paid no great attention themselves. See on Mat 23:4 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 11:37-54

We should all look to our hearts, that they may be cleansed and new-created; and while we attend to the great things of the law and of the gospel, we must not neglect the smallest matter God has appointed. When any wait to catch something out of our mouths, that they may insnare us, O Lord, give us thy prudence and thy patience, and disappoint their evil purposes. Furnish us with such meekness and patience that we…

Read the full comment on Luke 11:37-54 →

Luke 11:46 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὉHo<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
εἶπεν·eipenHe said;G2036
καὶkaiAlsoG2532
ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771
τοῖςtois<the>G3588
νομικοῖςnomikoislawyersG3544
οὐαί,ouaiwoe!G3759
ὅτιhotiForG3754
φορτίζετεphortizeteyou burdenG5412
τοὺςtoustheG3588
ἀνθρώπουςanthrōpousmenG444
φορτίαphortia[with] burdensG5413
δυσβάστακταdusbastaktaheavy to bearG1419
καὶkaiandG2532
αὐτοὶautoiyourselvesG846
ἑνὶheniwith oneG1520
τῶνtōnof theG3588
δακτύλωνdaktulōnfingersG1147
ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771
οὐounotG3756
προσψαύετεprospsauetedo touchG4379
τοῖςtoistheG3588
φορτίοις.¶phortioisburdens.G5413

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 11:46

  • Matthew 23:2-4

    Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

  • Isaiah 10:1

    Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;

  • Luke 11:52

    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.

  • Galatians 6:13

    For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

  • Luke 11:45

    Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

  • Isaiah 58:6

    Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Woe.
Isa 10:1; Mt 23:2-4; Ga 6:13
ye yourselves.
Isa 58:6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 11:45

    Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

  • Luke 11:46

    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.

  • Luke 11:47

    Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Read all of Luke 11

Luke 11:46 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y él dijo: ¡Ay de vosotros también, doctores de la ley! que cargáis á los hombres con cargas que no pueden llevar; mas vosotros ni aun con un dedo tocáis las cargas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il dit: À vous aussi, malheur, docteurs de la loi! car vous chargez les hommes de fardeaux difficiles à porter, et vous-mêmes vous ne touchez pas ces fardeaux d’un seul de vos doigts.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Er aber sprach: Auch euch Gesetzgelehrten wehe! denn ihr belastet die Menschen mit schwer zu tragenden Lasten, und selbst rühret ihr die Lasten nicht mit einem eurer Finger an.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		At ille ait: Et vobis legisperitis væ: quia oneratis homines oneribus, quæ portare non possunt, et ipsi uno digito vestro non tangitis sarcinas.