Pharisee who hosted Jesus for dinner
Simon the Pharisee
A Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner and privately judged him for letting a sinful woman anoint his feet — prompting Jesus's parable about a moneylender and two debtors.
Life and work
Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to eat at his house, but during the meal a woman known in the town as a sinner came in, wept at Jesus's feet, wiped them with her hair, and anointed them with perfume. Simon judged Jesus privately for allowing it, assuming a real prophet would know what kind of woman she was. Jesus responded with the parable of two debtors — one forgiven a large debt and one a small one — asking Simon which would love the moneylender more, then applied it directly: the woman's extravagant love flowed from how much she had been forgiven, while Simon's cool hospitality showed how little he felt he needed forgiveness (Luke 7:36-50). He is distinct both from Simon Peter and from Simon the Leper, at whose house in Bethany a similar anointing later took place.
Extra-biblical evidence
No extra-biblical record of this Simon survives outside Luke's Gospel.
Scripture references
- Luke 7:36-50 — Hosts Jesus and is taught the parable of the two debtors
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