The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.
Parallel translations
- WEB The scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him.
- KJV And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
- BSB Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.
- NKJV So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.
- NASB Now the scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse Him.
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 scribes and Pharisees watch Jesus, hoping to accuse him of healing on the Sabbath. Their hostility seeks grounds for condemnation.
Overview
Rather than rejoicing at the prospect of healing, the leaders watch to entrap Jesus, hardened by their legalism. Their watching exposes hearts more concerned with accusation than mercy. Luke contrasts their malice with Jesus' compassion, sharpening the moral issue he is about to raise.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Luke 20:20They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
- Mark 3:2They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.
- Ps 37:32–33The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to kill him.
- Luke 13:14The 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!”
- Luke 11:53–54As he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly angry, and to draw many things out of him;
- Ps 38:12They also who seek after my life lay snares. Those who seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and meditate deceits all day long.
- Luke 14:1–6When he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching him.
- John 5:10–16So the Jews said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat.”
- John 9:26–29They said to him again, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
- Isa 29:21who cause a person to be indicted by a word, and lay a snare for the arbiter in the gate, and who deprive the innocent of justice with false testimony.
- Matt 26:59–60Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;
- Jer 20:10For I have heard the defaming of many, “Terror on every side! Denounce, and we will denounce him!” say all my familiar friends, those who watch for my fall. “Perhaps he will be persuaded, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.”
- John 9:16Some therefore of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” There was division among them.
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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 6:7 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.