Luke 18:5 is the inner thought of an unjust judge who finally grants a widow’s request, not out of fairness but because her repeated pleas have become a nuisance he wants to end. Jesus tells this parable to show that if a corrupt judge will eventually respond to persistence, a good and righteous God will hear His people who cry out to Him. The words are spoken by Jesus, who is teaching His disciples as recorded in Luke’s Gospel.
Yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’”
Luke 18:5 (WEB)
What Luke 18:5 Means
The verse opens with “yet because this widow bothers me,” which reveals the judge’s motive. He admits he has no fear of God and no concern for people, so the widow’s justice does not move him. What moves him is her relentless presence. The word that describes her coming to him again and again is more vivid in the original Greek than most English renderings can capture. The judge is worn down, not persuaded.
The second half, “I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming,” shows the judge weighing his own comfort against her pressure. He decides it is easier to rule in her favor than to keep being interrupted. The verse does not say the judge became just. It says he became tired.
What the verse does not promise is that every persistent request will be granted in the way we want, or that God is like this judge at all. Jesus is making a contrast, not an equation. If an indifferent judge gives in to persistence, how much more will a loving Father respond to the prayers of His own children?
The Context of Luke 18:5
Luke’s Gospel was written to a largely Gentile audience, probably in the 70s or 80s AD, and it is traditionally attributed to Luke, a companion of Paul. Luke has a particular interest in prayer, the poor, and those who were marginalized in society, and widows appear several times in his account as examples of vulnerable people whom God cares for. This parable sits within a section of teaching on prayer and faith.
Just before the parable, Jesus speaks about the coming of the kingdom and the need to receive it like a child. Just after it, in the verses that follow, He tells the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector, which again turns on who is truly heard by God. Seen in that setting, Luke 18:5 is not a stand-alone lesson about getting what you want. It is part of a larger teaching that God hears the humble, persistent, and faithful.
Key Phrases in Luke 18:5
Luke 18:7
Won’t God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them?
(WEB)
This verse follows directly from the parable and makes the contrast explicit. Jesus asks whether God will not avenge His chosen ones who cry to Him day and night, and the answer He implies is yes, and with far more care than the judge showed.
Luke 11:9
“I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.
(WEB)
Here Jesus teaches the disciples to ask, seek, and knock, which shares the same call to persistent, expectant prayer. It shows that the parable of the widow is part of a broader pattern in Jesus’ teaching on prayer.
A Short Prayer From Luke 18:5
Lord, You know the things I have been asking You for, some of them for a long time. Sometimes I grow tired and wonder whether You are listening. Teach me to keep coming to You with honesty and trust, the way the widow kept coming to the judge. Remind me that You are not an unjust judge, but a Father who loves me and hears me. Help me to rest in Your timing and Your justice. Amen.
