Luke 11:46
New International Version
Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

New Living Translation
“Yes,” said Jesus, “what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden.

English Standard Version
And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

Berean Standard Bible
“Woe to you as well, experts in the law!” He replied. “For you weigh men down with heavy burdens, but you yourselves will not lift a finger to lighten their load.

Berean Literal Bible
And He said, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you burden men with burdens heavy to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

New American Standard Bible
But He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well! For you load people with burdens that are hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

NASB 1995
But He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

NASB 1977
But He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

Legacy Standard Bible
But He said, “Woe to you scholars of the Law as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

Amplified Bible
But He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well, because you weigh men down with burdens [man-made rules, unreasonable requirements] which are hard to bear, and you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers [to lighten the load].

Christian Standard Bible
Then he said, “Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, and yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then He said: “Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers.

American Standard Version
And 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.

Contemporary English Version
Jesus replied: You teachers are also in for trouble! You load people down with heavy burdens, but you won't lift a finger to help them carry the loads.

English Revised Version
And he said, Woe unto you lawyers also! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus said, "How horrible it will be for you experts in Moses' Teachings! You burden people with loads that are hard to carry. But you won't lift a finger to carry any of these loads.

Good News Translation
Jesus answered, "How terrible also for you teachers of the Law! You put onto people's backs loads which are hard to carry, but you yourselves will not stretch out a finger to help them carry those loads.

International Standard Version
Jesus said, "How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law, too! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, yet you don't even lift a finger to ease those burdens.

Majority Standard Bible
?Woe to you as well, experts in the law!? He replied. ?For you weigh men down with heavy burdens, but you yourselves will not lift a finger to lighten their load.

NET Bible
But Jesus replied, "Woe to you experts in religious law as well! You load people down with burdens difficult to bear, yet you yourselves refuse to touch the burdens with even one of your fingers!

New Heart English Bible
He said, "Woe to you Law scholars also. For you load people with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won't even lift one finger to help carry those burdens.

Webster's Bible Translation
And 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.

Weymouth New Testament
"Alas too for you expounders of the Law!" replied Jesus, "for you load men with cumbrous burdens which you yourselves will not touch with one of your fingers.

World English Bible
He 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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and He said, “And to you, the lawyers, woe! Because you burden men with burdens [too] grievous to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

Berean Literal Bible
And He said, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you burden men with burdens heavy to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

Young's Literal Translation
and 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.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he said, And woe to you, skilled in the law! for ye load men with loads difficult to carry, and ye yourselves touch not one of the fingers to the load.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But he said: Woe to you lawyers also, because you load men with burdens which they cannot bear, and you yourselves touch not the packs with one of your fingers.

Catholic Public Domain Version
So he said: “And woe to you experts in the law! For you weigh men down with burdens which they are not able to bear, but you yourselves do not touch the weight with even one of your fingers.

New American Bible
And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.

New Revised Standard Version
And he said, “Woe also to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But he said, Woe also to you, scribes! for you lay heavy burdens on men, and you yourselves do not touch these burdens even with one of your fingers.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But he said, “Woe to you also, you Scribes, for you load the children of men with heavy burdens and you will not touch those burdens with one of your fingers.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
He replied: Alas for you, lawyers, also! for you bind upon men burdens hard to be borne, and you yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers,

Godbey New Testament
And He said, Woe unto you, theologians! because you lay burdens on the people difficult to be borne, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

Haweis New Testament
And he said, Wo also to you, teachers of the law! for ye load men with burdens hardly bearable, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

Mace New Testament
but Jesus said, wo unto you likewise, doctors of the law; for you load men with insupportable burthens, the least part of which you will not yourselves bear:

Weymouth New Testament
"Alas too for you expounders of the Law!" replied Jesus, "for you load men with cumbrous burdens which you yourselves will not touch with one of your fingers.

Worrell New Testament
And He said, "Woe to you lawyers, also! because ye burden men with burdens hard to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers!

Worsley New Testament
And He said, Wo unto you also, ye interpreters of the law, for ye load men with insupportable burthens, and ye yourselves touch not the burthens with one of your fingers.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woes to Religious Leaders
45One of the experts in the law told Him, “Teacher, when You say these things, You insult us as well.” 46“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. 47Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets, but it was your fathers who killed them.…

Cross References
Matthew 23:4
They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

Acts 15:10
Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?

Isaiah 10:1-2
Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, / to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.

Matthew 23:13
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

Matthew 23:23-24
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. / You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Matthew 23:29-32
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. / And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ / So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. ...

Jeremiah 23:2
Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who tend My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your deeds, declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 34:2-4
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who only feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed their flock? / You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened sheep, but you do not feed the flock. / You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or searched for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty.

Micah 3:1-3
Then I said: “Hear now, O leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice? / You hate good and love evil. You tear the skin from my people and strip the flesh from their bones. / You eat the flesh of my people after stripping off their skin and breaking their bones. You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a cauldron.”

Zechariah 11:16
For behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will neither care for the lost, nor seek the young, nor heal the broken, nor sustain the healthy, but he will devour the flesh of the choice sheep and tear off their hooves.

Romans 2:17-24
Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; / if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; / if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those in darkness, ...

Galatians 6:13
For the circumcised do not even keep the law themselves, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

1 Timothy 1:7
They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or that which they so confidently assert.

James 3:1
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

1 Peter 5:3
not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.


Treasury of Scripture

And he said, Woe to you also, you lawyers! for you lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and you yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

Woe.

Isaiah 10:1
Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;

Matthew 23:2-4
Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: …

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.

ye yourselves.

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?

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Alas Bear Borne Burdens Carry Crushed Curse Difficult Doctors Experts Expounders Finger Fingers Grievous Hard Hardly Help Lade Lawyers Rules Teachers Touch Weigh Weight Woe Won't Yourselves
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Luke 11
1. Jesus teaches us to pray, and that instantly;
11. assuring us that God will give all good things to those who ask him.
14. He, casting out a demon, rebukes the blasphemous Pharisees;
27. and shows who are blessed;
29. preaches to the people;
37. and reprimands the outward show of holiness.














Woe to you
The term "woe" is a strong expression of lament or denunciation. In the Greek, "ouai" is used, which conveys a deep sense of grief or impending judgment. This word is often used by Jesus to express sorrow over the spiritual blindness and hypocrisy of the religious leaders. It serves as a prophetic warning, indicating that their actions are not only misguided but also subject to divine judgment.

as well
This phrase indicates that the rebuke is not isolated but part of a broader condemnation. Jesus is addressing not only the Pharisees but also the experts in the law, showing that the issue of hypocrisy and legalism is widespread among the religious elite. It underscores the comprehensive nature of Jesus' critique, emphasizing that no group is exempt from accountability.

experts in the law
The Greek term "nomikoi" refers to those who were well-versed in the Mosaic Law and its interpretations. These individuals were responsible for teaching and interpreting the law for the people. Historically, they were seen as authorities on religious matters, yet Jesus criticizes them for their failure to embody the spirit of the law they profess to uphold.

You weigh men down with heavy burdens
This phrase paints a vivid picture of the oppressive nature of the legalistic demands imposed by the religious leaders. The Greek word "phortizo" means to load or burden, suggesting that the experts in the law were adding unnecessary and onerous requirements to the people’s spiritual lives. This reflects a historical context where the oral traditions and additional laws had become a heavy yoke, contrary to the liberating intent of God's commandments.

but you yourselves will not lift a finger
Here, Jesus highlights the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. The phrase "lift a finger" is a colloquial expression indicating a refusal to help or make an effort. In Greek, "prosphero" means to offer or bring forth, suggesting that the leaders were unwilling to assist or alleviate the burdens they imposed. This criticism points to a lack of compassion and servant leadership, which are central to the teachings of Christ.

to lighten their load
The concept of lightening a load is central to the message of Jesus, who offers rest and relief to those who are weary and burdened (Matthew 11:28-30). The Greek word "kathaireo" means to take down or remove, indicating that the leaders had the power to ease the people's burdens but chose not to. This stands in stark contrast to the mission of Jesus, who came to fulfill the law and offer grace and truth.

(46) Ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne.--See Note on Matthew 23:4.

Verse 46. - Ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Then the Lord turned to the accomplished Jerusalem scholar, and with withering emphasis pronounced upon his famous and influential order those scathing reproaches which for eighteen centuries have been the woeful inheritance of all hypocritical self-deceivers. How true was the expression, "burdens grievous to be borne," a very superficial study of the Talmud will amply show; for although even the earliest parts of that stupendous compilation were not committed to writing until some time after, yet very much of what we now peruse in those strange, weary treatises existed then in the oral tradition. which it was the life-work of scholars and pedants, like the lawyer to whom Jesus was then speaking, to learn, to expound, and to amplify; and these vexatious and frivolous ordinances which the lawyers and scribes pressed home upon the people with such urgency were often shirked and avoided by the learned and cultured scribe-class as a body.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“Woe
οὐαί (ouai)
Interjection
Strong's 3759: Woe!, alas!, uttered in grief or denunciation. A primary exclamation of grief; 'woe'.

to you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

as well,
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

experts in the law!”
νομικοῖς (nomikois)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3544: From nomos; according to law, i.e. Legal; as noun, an expert in the law.

He replied.
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“You weigh men down
φορτίζετε (phortizete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 5412: To load, burden; pass: To be laden. From phortos; to load up, i.e. to overburden with ceremony.

[with] heavy burdens,
φορτία (phortia)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 5413: A burden; the freight of a ship. Diminutive of phortos; an invoice, i.e. a task or service.

but
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

you yourselves
αὐτοὶ (autoi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

will not lift
προσψαύετε (prospsauete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4379: To touch lightly. From pros and psauo; to impinge, i.e. Lay a finger on.

a
ἑνὶ (heni)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one.

finger {to lighten}
δακτύλων (daktylōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 1147: A finger. Probably from deka; a finger.

[their]
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

load.
φορτίοις (phortiois)
Noun - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 5413: A burden; the freight of a ship. Diminutive of phortos; an invoice, i.e. a task or service.


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NT Gospels: Luke 11:46 He said Woe to you lawyers also! (Luke Lu Lk)
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