Bible Strands

Luke 18:4

For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The unjust judge speaks to himself after a widow repeatedly appeals for justice against her adversary. He acknowledges his initial refusal before deciding to act.

The words — οὐκ (ouk) = not [G3756]; ἤθελεν (ēthelen) = he was desiring [to do] [G2309]. These terms frame his internal calculation as a reluctant shift from refusal to action.

The thread — Self-directed reasoning appears in Luke 12:17 and Luke 16:3, where figures weigh their options. The penetrating nature of divine speech is noted in Hebrews 4:12.

Why it lands — The text records a corrupt official yielding only to persistent pressure, not moral conviction. It asks the reader to examine whether their own appeals rely on divine character rather than human reluctance.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

καὶkaiAndοὐκouknotἤθελενēthelenhe was desiring [to do]ἐπὶepiforχρόνον.chronona time.μετὰmetaafterwardδὲdehoweverταῦταtautaheεἶπενeipensaidἐνenwithinἑαυτῷ·he'autōhimself;εἰeiIfκαὶkaievenτὸνton<the>θεὸνtheonGodοὐounotφοβοῦμαιphoboumaiI fearοὐδὲoudenorἄνθρωπονanthrōponmanἐντρέπομαι,entrepomairespect,

King James Version

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

Cross-references