Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you something: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?”
Parallel Translations
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Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you something: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?”
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Then sayde Iesus vnto them: I will axe you a question: Whether is it laufull on the saboth dayes to do good or to do evill? to save lyfe or for to destroye it?
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Then sayd Iesus vnto them, I will aske you a question, Whether is it lawfull on the Sabbath dayes to doe good, or to doe euill? to saue life, or to destroy?
Examined in Scripture Analysis
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Historical claims about the natural world, weighed against the scientific record.
Cross-references (5)
Passages linked to Luke 6:9 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Mark 3:4 He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?” But they were silent.
- Matthew 12:12-13 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.” Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other.
- Luke 14:3 Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
- John 7:19-23 Didn’t Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill me?” The multitude answered, “You have a demon! Who seeks to kill you?” Jesus answered them, “I did one work and you all marvel because of it. Moses has given you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a boy. If a boy receives circumcision on the Sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me, because I made a man completely healthy on the Sabbath?
- Luke 9:56 For the Son of Man didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” They went to another village.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (9 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Whoso helpeth not his neighbor when he can, he…
Whoso helpeth not his neighbor when he can, he killeth him.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And looking round about upon them all,.... The Scribes…
And looking round about upon them all,.... The Scribes and Pharisees, and the rest of the people in the synagogue; See Gill on Mar 3:5.
he said to the man; who had the withered hand,
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stretch forth thy hand, and he did so; he stretched it out, as the Syriac and Persic versions render it, which he was not able to do before:
and his hand was restored well as the other; the phrase, "well as the other", is left out in one copy, and in the Vulgate Latin version; and so is the word "well" in the Syriac and Arabic versions; and the word "immediately" is added in the Ethiopic version. And certain it is, that his withered hand was restored sound and well as the other, directly.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain To save life or to kill - He just…
To save life or to kill - He just then probably saw the design to kill him rising in their hearts.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 9. I will ask you one thing] I…
Verse 9. I will ask you one thing] I will put a question to you. See note on Mr 3:4; Mr 3:5.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain good, or . . . evil, save . .…
good, or . . . evil, save . . . or destroy--By this novel way of putting His case, our Lord teaches the great ethical principle, that to neglect any opportunity of doing good is to incur the guilt of doing evil; and by this law He bound His own spirit. (See Mar 3:4.)
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 9. I will ask you one thing] Rather, I…
9. I will ask you one thing] Rather, I further ask you. Implying that He had already addressed some questions to their consciences on this subject, or perhaps because they had asked Him, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ Mat_12:10.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do…
Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? The sum and substance of the Master"s teaching here is works of love done for the bodies and souls of men never mar or in any way interfere with the holiness of a day of rest. St. Matthew in his account of the plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath day, (Mat_12:5) tells us, on that occasion Jesus asked how it was that the priests on the sabbath days profaned the sabbath and were blameless? The Jews in later days used to declare, perhaps in answer to Jesus Christ"s famous question here, "that in the temple was there no sabbatism." Now, the Lord pressed home to those who listened to his voice the great truth that in all labours of love, of pity, and of kindness, done anywhere, there was no sabbatism.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 to them
to them
"to the Pharisees"
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I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?
Jesus asks this question to force the Pharisees to admit that he was right to heal on the Sabbath. The intent of the question is thus rhetorical: to get them to admit what they all know is true rather than to obtain information. However, Jesus says, "I ask you," so this question is not like other rhetorical questions that might need to be translated as statements. This should be translated as a question. (See: Rhetorical Question)
to do good or to do harm
"to help someone or to harm someone"
Stretch out your hand
"Hold out your hand" or "Extend your hand"
restored
healed
translationWords
Jesus
lawful
good
life
restore
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 6:9 Is this a day to save life or…
6:9 Is this a day to save life or to destroy it? Jesus’ question penetrated the religious leaders’ motives. They were plotting against Jesus (an evil act) because he was going to heal someone (a good act).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.