The Meaning of Luke 6:9 Explained

Luke 6:9

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?

YLT: Then said Jesus unto them, 'I will question you something: Is it lawful on the sabbaths to do good, or to do evil? life to save or to kill?'

Darby: Jesus therefore said to them, I will ask you if it is lawful on the sabbath to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

ASV: And Jesus said unto them, I ask you, Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good, or to do harm? to save a life, or to destroy it?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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]? 

What does Luke 6:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus" question had two parts. He first asked if it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath or if it was lawful to do evil. The obvious answer was that doing good was lawful but doing evil was not lawful. God had instituted the Sabbath for the welfare of humankind. His attitude of love should have characterized the Israelites as they observed the day. They, too, should have made it a special day for the blessing of people. The second part of Jesus" question particularized it and pointed to its ultimate consequences. Obviously Jesus was speaking about saving a life (Gr. psyche) from physical destruction, not saving a soul from eternal damnation.

Context Summary

Luke 6:1-11 - The Right Use Of The Sabbath
It was a brave and bold step for Jesus to set Himself against the ritualistic proscriptions of the ruling religious party of His age. How many who had hoped that He would redeem Israel, must have been hurt by what seemed to be ruthless iconoclasm. But there was no hope of the holy thoughts of God ever emerging from the mass of hide-bound rules and regulations with which the Pharisees had covered them, unless the frost of literalism was broken up with a strong hand. Christ was not destroying religion, but freeing it from the formalist. Reality, reality! Be true and real!
The grave question today is, whether, in our revolt from Puritan strictness in observing Sunday, we have not gone to the other extreme. The Church of God will have to stand for God's day, not only for God's sake, but for the sake of the masses, who are menaced by a seven-days' working week. The Sabbath was made for man; he needs it. If God made it for him, let God's children preserve it. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 6

1  Jesus reproves the Pharisees;
12  chooses apostles;
17  heals the diseased;
20  preaches to his disciples before the people: the beattitudes;
27  Love your Enemy
37  Do not Judge
43  A Tree and Its Fruit
46  The House on the Rock

Greek Commentary for Luke 6:9

I ask you [επερωτω υμας]
They had questions in their hearts about Jesus. He now asks in addition (επ — ep') an open question that brings the whole issue into the open. [source]
A life [πσυχην]
So the Revised Version. The rabbis had a rule: Periculum vitae pellit sabbatum. But it had to be a Jew whose life was in peril on the sabbath. The words of Jesus cut to the quick.Or to destroy it (η απολεσαι — ē apolesai). On this very day these Pharisees were plotting to destroy Jesus (Luke 6:7). [source]
Or to destroy it [η απολεσαι]
On this very day these Pharisees were plotting to destroy Jesus (Luke 6:7). [source]
I will ask [ἐπερωτήσω]
Peculiar to Luke's narrative. The best texts read ἐπερωτῶ , the present tense, I ask. So Rev. [source]
Life [ψυχὴν]
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 Mark 12:30. Wyc., to make a soul safe. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 6:9

1 Timothy 6:18 Do good [ἀγαθοεργεῖν]
In this uncontracted form, N.T.oolxx, oClass. Comp. Acts 14:17. The usual word is ἀγαθοποιεῖν , see Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9, Luke 6:33, Luke 6:35; 1 Peter 2:15. oP. who has ἐργάζεσθαι τὸ ἀγαθὸν towork that which is good, Romans 2:10; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 4:28. [source]
3 John 1:11 That which is evil [το κακον]
“The bad,” as in Romans 12:21 (neuter singular abstract).But that which is good (αλλα το αγατον — alla to agathon). “But the good.” As in Romans 12:21 again. Probably by the contrast between Diotrephes and Demetrius.He that doeth good Articular present active participle of αγατοποιεω — agathopoieō late and rare verb, in contrast with ο κακοποιων — ho kakopoiōn (old and common verb) as in Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9; 1 Peter 3:17.Is of God (εκ του τεου εστιν — ek tou theou estin). As in 1 John 3:9.Hath not seen God As in 1 John 3:6. He does not say εκ του διαβολου — ek tou diabolou as Jesus does in John 8:44, but he means it. [source]
3 John 1:11 He that doeth good [ο αγατοποιων]
Articular present active participle of αγατοποιεω — agathopoieō late and rare verb, in contrast with ο κακοποιων — ho kakopoiōn (old and common verb) as in Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9; 1 Peter 3:17.Is of God (εκ του τεου εστιν — ek tou theou estin). As in 1 John 3:9.Hath not seen God As in 1 John 3:6. He does not say εκ του διαβολου — ek tou diabolou as Jesus does in John 8:44, but he means it. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 6:9 mean?

Said then - Jesus to them I ask you whether it is lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil Life to save to destroy
εἶπεν δὲ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς αὐτούς Ἐπερωτῶ ὑμᾶς εἰ ἔξεστιν τῷ σαββάτῳ ἀγαθοποιῆσαι κακοποιῆσαι ψυχὴν σῶσαι ἀπολέσαι

εἶπεν  Said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
Ἐπερωτῶ  I  ask 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐπερωτάω  
Sense: to accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate.
εἰ  whether 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: εἰ  
Sense: if, whether.
ἔξεστιν  it  is  lawful 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔξεστι 
Sense: it is lawful.
τῷ  on  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
σαββάτῳ  Sabbath 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: σάββατον  
Sense: the seventh day of each week which was a sacred festival on which the Israelites were required to abstain from all work.
ἀγαθοποιῆσαι  to  do  good 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἀγαθοποιέω  
Sense: to do good, do something which profits others.
κακοποιῆσαι  to  do  evil 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: κακοποιέω  
Sense: to do harm.
ψυχὴν  Life 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ψυχή  
Sense: breath.
σῶσαι  to  save 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἐκσῴζω 
Sense: to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction.
ἀπολέσαι  to  destroy 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἀπόλλυμι  
Sense: to destroy.

What are the major concepts related to Luke 6:9?

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