Luke 14:3
What does Luke 14:3 mean?
A plain-English look at Luke 14:3 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Luke 14:3 means
Jesus addresses the experts directly: Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not? He refuses to let tradition eclipse Scripture’s intent. By posing a legal question, He meets the lawyers and Pharisees on their own ground, yet lifts the discussion to God’s purpose in giving the Sabbath—a day for rest, restoration, and doing good. His question invites them to admit what conscience knows: love fulfills the law. He does not ask if healing is convenient, but if it aligns with God’s law. The implication is clear: if mercy reflects God’s character, then withholding mercy would contradict the Sabbath’s very design and the law’s heart.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, or not?
KJV
King James Version · 1611And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, or not?
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And Jesus, answering, said to the scribes and Pharisees, Is it right to make people well on the Sabbath or not?
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and Jesus answering spake to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, `Is it lawful on the sabbath-day to heal?'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And Jesus answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And Jesus answering spoke unto the doctors of the law and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?
Context
Coming after the man with dropsy is brought forward, this question frames the encounter not as a power display but as a matter of truth and righteousness. Their answer—or refusal to answer—will reveal whether they value people or their system more. The next verse records their silence and Jesus’ decisive healing. Immediately afterward, Jesus uses an everyday example (rescuing an animal) to show that their practice already admits mercy on the Sabbath. This exchange clears the ground for a broader critique of pride and a call to humility at the table.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Mark 3:4
And he saith unto them, Is it lawful on the sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? to save a life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
- Luke 11:44
Woe unto you! for ye are as the tombs which appear not, and the men that walk over them know it not.
- Matthew 12:10
and behold, a man having a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? that they might accuse him.
- John 7:23
If a man receiveth circumcision on the sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken; are ye wroth with me, because I made a man every whit whole on the sabbath?
- Matthew 12:2
But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath.
- Luke 13:14
And the ruler of the synagogue, being moved with indignation because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, answered and said to the multitude, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the day of the sabbath.
Related questions readers ask
Keep reading
Want to dig deeper? Explore Luke 14
Hand-picked devotionals, topical studies, and pastoral answers that draw on Luke 14.
Topics that quote it
Topic
Bible Verses About Humility
Humility is a foundational Christian virtue, recognizing our true place before God and extending that attitude to others.
Topic
Bible Verses About Debt
Scripture does not forbid borrowing — but it warns honestly about its weight.
Topic
Bible Verses About Christian Finances
Money is discipleship — handled, not just held.
What the Bible says about…
Verses for this moment
Verses for
Bible Verses for Anxiety Before a Job Interview
Quiet your nerves and walk in with steady steps — six verses to pray on the way.
Verses for
Bible Verses for When Prayer Feels Empty
When the words won't come — scripture for the dry prayer life.
Verses for
Bible Verses for When You Feel Forgotten by God
When the prayers feel one-sided — verses for the quiet seasons.