But the synagogue leader was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. “There are six days for work,” he told the crowd. “So come and be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath.”
Parallel translations
- WEB The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!”
- KJV And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
- NKJV But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”
- NASB But the synagogue leader, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days during which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”
- NLT But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The synagogue ruler, angry that Jesus healed on the Sabbath, tells the crowd to come for healing on other days. He values rule-keeping over mercy.
Overview
His indignation reveals how legalism can blind people to God's compassion at work. Notably he rebukes the crowd rather than confront Jesus directly. The episode exposes a man-made view of the Sabbath that treats God's gift as a burden and resents the very deliverance the day should celebrate.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Exod 20:9Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
- Matt 12:2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
- John 9:14–16Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath.
- John 5:15–16And the man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
- Mark 5:22A synagogue leader named Jairus arrived, and seeing Jesus, he fell at His feet
- Luke 14:3–6So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
- Luke 6:7Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.
- Luke 6:11But the scribes and Pharisees were filled with rage and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
- Luke 8:41Just then a synagogue leader named Jairus came and fell at Jesus’ feet. He begged Him to come to his house,
- Acts 18:8Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his whole household believed in the Lord. And many of the Corinthians who heard the message believed and were baptized.
- Exod 23:12For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the son of your maidservant may be refreshed, as well as the foreign resident.
- Rom 10:2For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.
- Acts 13:15After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word to them: “Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak.”
- Ezek 20:12I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
- Acts 18:17At this, the crowd seized Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the judgment seat. But none of this was of concern to Gallio.
- Mark 3:2–6In order to accuse Jesus, they were watching to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.
- Matt 12:10–12and a man with a withered hand was there. In order to accuse Jesus, they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
- Lev 23:3For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, a day of sacred assembly. You must not do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 13:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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