Luke 18:4
And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Luke 18:4 in other translations
| BSB | For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men, |
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| WEB | He wouldn’t for a while; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, |
| ASV | And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; |
| YLT | and he would not for a time, but after these things he said in himself, Even if God I do not fear, and man do not regard, |
| DARBY | And he would not for a time; but afterwards he said within himself, If even I fear not God and respect not man, |
| BBE | And for a time he would not: but later, he said to himself, Though I have no fear of God or respect for man, |
| Webster | And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; |
What does Luke 18:4 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 18:1-5
Lu 18:1-8. Parable of the Importunate Widow. 1-5. always--Compare Lu 18:7, "night and day." faint--lose heart, or slacken.
Barnes' Notes
Within himself. He thought, or came to a conclusion.
Though I fear not, &c. This contains the reason why he attended to the case at all. It was not from any regard to justice, or to the duties of his office. It was simply to avoid trouble. And yet his conduct in this case might have appeared very upright, and possibly might have been strictly according to law and to justice, How many actions are performed that appear well, when the doers of those actions know that they are mere hypocrisy! and how many actions are performed from the basest and lowest motives of selfishness, that have the appearance of external propriety and even of goodness!
She weary me. The word used here, in the original, is that which was employed to denote the wounds and bruises caused by boxers, who beat each other, and blacken their eyes, and disable them. 1Cor 9:27. Hence it means any vexatious and troublesome importunity that takes the time, and disables from other employment.
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 18:1-8
All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is taught. The widow's earnestness prevailed even with the unjust judge: she might fear lest it should set him more against her; but our earnest prayer is pleasing to our God. Even to the end there will still be ground for the same complaint of weakness of faith.
Luke 18:4 in the original Greek
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Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Luke 18:4
- Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
- Luke 12:17
And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
- Luke 16:3
Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- Luke 18:3
And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
- Luke 18:4
And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
- Luke 18:5
Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
Luke 18:4 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Pero él no quiso por algún tiempo; mas después de esto dijo dentro de sí: Aunque ni temo á Dios, ni tengo respeto á hombre, |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Et il ne le voulut pas pour un temps. Mais après cela, il dit en lui-même: Quoique je ne craigne pas Dieu et que je ne respecte pas les hommes, |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Und eine Zeitlang wollte er nicht; danach aber sprach er bei sich selbst: Wenn ich auch Gott nicht fürchte und vor keinem Menschen mich scheue, |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Et nolebat per multum tempus. Post hæc autem dixit intra se: Etsi Deum non timeo, nec hominem revereor: |