Luke 18:11 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The Pharisee stood, and prayed thus— The Pharisee, having a very high opinion of his own sanctity, would not mingle with the crowd of worshippers in the temple, lest he should have been defiled by them. See Isaiah 65:5. But he stood on a place by himself alone; this is plainly expressed in the Greek, which should be rendered, the Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed these things. He spoke them aloud in the hearing of those who were in the temple at their devotions. He shewed his pride and self-conceit by standing as near the sanctuary, the place of the divine habitation, as he could, that the priests might hear him also, and that he might be at as great a distance as possible from the prophane publican, who, he observed, was praying at the same time with himself. This circumstance of his standing near the sanctuary, is not indeed directly mentioned; but it is implied in that which is told of the publican, (Luke 18:13.) namely, that he stood afar off. Here therefore the Pharisee prayed, whose thanksgiving savoured of the rankestpride, being a praising of himself rather than God, and such a praising of himself, as implied the highest contempt of others, and particularly of his fellow-worshipper: for he did not simply thank God that he was possessed of this or that virtue, but truly that he was not like other men, and particularly like the publican, who was then addressing God. Moreover, he took care to do himself all manner of honour, by an exact detail of the sins to which other men, particularly the publicans, were prone, from which, in his own opinion, he was perfectly free; and of the duties, which they neglected, but which he failed not to perform. See the next verse. Or even as this publican, expresses a kind of contemptuous pointing at him as it were with the finger.