{Stood} (statheis). First aorist passive participle of
hist(886d)i. Struck an attitude ostentatiously where he could be
seen. Standing was the common Jewish posture in prayer ( Mt 6:5  Mr 11:25 ). {Prayed thus} (	auta pros(8875)cheto). Imperfect
middle, was praying these things (given following). {With
himself} (pros heauton). A soliloquy with his own soul, a
complacent recital of his own virtues for his own
self-satisfaction, not fellowship with God, though he addresses
God. {I thank thee} (eucharist(9320)soi). But his gratitude to God
is for his own virtues, not for God's mercies to him. One of the
rabbis offers a prayer like this of gratitude that he was in a
class by himself because he was a Jew and not a Gentile, because
he was a Pharisee and not of the _am-haaretz_ or common people,
because he was a man and not a woman. {Extortioners}
(harpages). An old word, harpax from same root as harpaz(935c),
to plunder. An adjective of only one gender, used of robbers and
plunderers, grafters, like the publicans ( Lu 3:13 ), whether
wolves ( Mt 7:15 ) or men ( 1Co 5:19f. ). The Pharisee cites the
crimes of which he is not guilty. {Or even} ((8820)kai). As the
climax of iniquity (Bruce), he points to "this publican."
Zaccheus will admit robbery ( Lu 19:8 ). {God} (ho theos).
Nominative form with the article as common with the vocative use
of 	heos (so verse  13  Joh 20:28 ).