Luke 18:11

Verse 11. Stood and prayed thus with himself. Some have proposed to render this, "stood by himself" and prayed. In this way it would be characteristic of the sect of the Pharisees, who dreaded the contact of others as polluting, and who were disposed to say to all, Stand by yourselves. The Syraic so renders it, but it is doubtful whether the Greek will allow this construction. If not, it means, he said over to himself what he had done, and what was the ground on which he expected the favour of God. God, I thank thee. There was still in the prayer of the Pharisee an appearance of real religion. He did not profess to claim that he had made himself better than others.