Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”
Parallel translations
- WEB 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?”
- KJV Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
- NKJV Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?”
- NASB And Jesus said to them, “I ask you whether it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?”
- NLT Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”
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
Jesus asks whether the Sabbath is for doing good or harm, saving life or destroying it. He frames mercy as the Sabbath's true intent.
Overview
Jesus poses a question that exposes the moral heart of the matter: to withhold good is itself a kind of harm. The Sabbath, given for human flourishing, is rightly a day for doing good and saving life. His question silences the legalists and reveals that genuine Sabbath-keeping includes acts of mercy.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Mark 3:4And He asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” But they were silent.
- Luke 14:3So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
- Matt 12:12–13How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
- John 7:19–23Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?”
- Luke 9:56And He and His disciples went on to another village.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 6:9 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.