Self-righteousness

Self-righteousness is trusting in one's own goodness and looking down on others. This page lists verses on those who trusted in themselves, being right in one's own eyes, holier-than-thou attitudes, claiming to be without sin, and one's own righteousness set beside righteousness from God.

Trusting in themselves

• Luke 18:9-14
  ⁹And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable: ¹⁰Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.“Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’ ¹³And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
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• Luke 16:15
  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
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• Luke 10:29
  But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
  Show context · Read Luke 10 →
• Matthew 23:28
  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
  Show context · Read Matthew 23 →

Right in one's own eyes

• Proverbs 12:15
  The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.
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• Proverbs 16:2
  All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.
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• Proverbs 21:2
  Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.
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• Proverbs 30:12
  There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.
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• Proverbs 20:6
  Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?Many a man proclaims his loving devotion, but who can find a trustworthy man?
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• Job 32:1-2
  ¹So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. ²Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God,
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Holier than thou

• Isaiah 65:5
  Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long.
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• Luke 7:39
  Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”
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• Matthew 9:11-13
  ¹¹And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹²But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
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• Luke 15:28-30
  ²⁸And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. ²⁹And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
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• Matthew 7:3-5
  ³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? ⁴Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye? ⁵Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
  Show context · Read Matthew 7 →

Claiming to be without sin

• 1 John 1:8-10
  ⁸If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.
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• Proverbs 20:9
  Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin”?
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• Ecclesiastes 7:20
  For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
  Show context · Read Ecclesiastes 7 →
• Job 33:9
  I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me.
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One's own righteousness and God's righteousness

• Isaiah 64:6
  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
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• Deuteronomy 9:4-6
  ⁴Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness. ⁵Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ⁶Understand therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
  Show context · Read Deuteronomy 9 →
• Romans 10:3
  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
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• Philippians 3:9
  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
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• Titus 3:5
  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
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See also

• Pride
• Hypocrisy
• Judging others
• Humility
• Justification
• Self-deception

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.