Luke 6:9

9 And Jesus said to them, "I ask you whether it is permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy [it]?"

Luke 6:9 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 6:9

Then said Jesus unto them
The Scribes and Pharisees, who were watching him, and whose thoughts, and the reasonings of their minds, purposes, and intentions, he full well knew:

I will ask you one thing;
or question, as they had asked him one before; ( Matthew 12:10 )

is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to
save life, or to destroy it?
(See Gill on Mark 3:4) to which may be added, that to save life on the sabbath day was agreeable to their own canons: there were many things which they allowed might be done on the sabbath day, when life was in danger, which otherwise were not lawful; (See Gill on Matthew 12:8).

Luke 6:9 In-Context

7 So the scribes and the Pharisees were watching closely [to see] if he would heal on the Sabbath, in order that they could find [a reason] to accuse him.

8 But he knew their thoughts and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Get up and stand in the middle," and he got up [and] stood there.

9 And Jesus said to them, "I ask you whether it is permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy [it]?"

10 And [after] looking around at them all, he said to him, "Stretch out your hand," and he did, and his hand was restored.

11 But they were filled with fury, and began discussing with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation