Luke 6:9

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.

Luk 6:9 . ἀγαθοποιῆσαι , κακοποιῆσαι : on the meaning of these words and the issue raised vide on Mk.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Whoso helpeth not his neighbor when he can, he killeth him.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.

to them

"to the Pharisees"

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.

9. ἐπερωτῶ ὑμᾶς. ‘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. But St Luke here omits several dramatic incidents of the narrative.

ἀγαθοποιῆσαι ἢ κακοποιῆσαι. The aorists point to single acts of good or evil. He was intending to work a miracle for good; they were secretly plotting to do harm,—their object being, if possible, to put Him to death. They received this question in stolid silence. Mar 3:4.

ψυχήν, ‘a life.’

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9.] The words in the . text, ἐπ. ὑμᾶς τί ἔξεστιν, admit of two constructions according as they are punctuated: ‘I will ask you what is allowable on the sabbath,—to do good, or to do evil?’ (ἐπ. ὑμ. τί ἔξ. κ.τ.λ.); or, ‘I will ask you a certain thing: Is it,’ &c. (ἐπ. ὑμ. τι· ἔξ. κ.τ.λ.) This latter is preferable, both on account of the future ἐπερ., and of its similarity to ἐρωτήσω ὑμᾶς κἀγὼ λόγον, ch. 20:3. But the reading in the text is much preferable to either. After the question, Mark adds οἱ δὲ ἐσιώπων—as they did after the question just referred to in ch. 20, because they were in a dilemma, and either answer would have convicted them.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9. Ἐπερωτῶ ὑμᾶς. He answers the questioning in their hearts by a direct question which puts the matter in the true light. To refuse to do good is to do evil; and it could not be right to do evil on the sabbath.

The reading of TR., ἐπερωτήσω ὑμᾶς τι, is wrong in both variations; and has the disadvantage of being ambiguous, for τι may be indefinite or interrogative. “I will ask you something, Is it lawful?” etc. Or, “I will ask you what is lawful,” etc.

ψυχὴν σῶσαι ἤ ἀπολέσαι. It was a principle of the Rabbinists that periculum vitæ pellit sabbatum; but the life must be that of a Jew. This canon was liberally interpreted; so that a large number of diseases might be attended to on the Sabbath, as being dangerous. These modifications of the rigid rule were based on the principle that it was lawful to do good and avert evil on the sabbath; and to this Jesus appeals. If the Pharisees said, “This man’s life is not in danger,” the answer would have been easy, “You do not know that, any more than in the cases always allowed.” The addition of ἢ ἀπολέσαι has special point, for this was what these objectors were doing. They did not consider that they were breaking the sabbath in plotting to destroy Jesus on this day (ver. 7). Were they to be allowed to destroy, while He was forbidden to save?

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I will ask [επερωτησω] . Peculiar to Luke's narrative. The best texts read ejperwtw, the present tense, I ask. So Rev.

Life [ψυχην] . Better as Rev., a life. Though the question is a general one, it carries a hint of an individual life thrown into it by the special case at hand. See on Mr 12:30. Wyc., to make a soul safe.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.