The Meaning of Luke 13:14 Explained

Luke 13:14

KJV: And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

YLT: And the chief of the synagogue answering -- much displeased that on the sabbath Jesus healed -- said to the multitude, 'Six days there are in which it behoveth us to be working; in these, then, coming, be healed, and not on the sabbath-day.'

Darby: But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus healed on the sabbath, answering said to the crowd, There are six days in which people ought to work; in these therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the ruler of the synagogue  answered  with indignation,  because  that Jesus  had healed  on the sabbath  day, and said  unto the people,  There are  six  days  in  which  men ought  to work:  in  them  therefore  come  and be healed,  and  not  on the sabbath  day. 

What does Luke 13:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

As previously, Jesus" works proved controversial and provided another opportunity for Him to teach. The synagogue official showed more concern for Sabbath observance then for human suffering (cf. the previous Sabbath controversies in Galilee [1] and in Jerusalem [2]). Instead of praising God with the woman he criticized her and Jesus indirectly. Perhaps he felt safer addressing the people than Jesus. His advice to the assembled crowd amounted to keeping them from entering the kingdom ( Luke 11:52). [3]

Context Summary

Luke 13:10-17 - Good Work For The Sabbath
There was in this woman a noble principle which led her to persevere in attending God's house, although there was much to discourage her. Probably she was animated by a faith which made her specially susceptible to the healing word of Christ. Infirmity of any kind should drive us to the house of God. We shall meet Jesus there. When He says, loosed, all the powers of hell cannot bind us down. "He breaks the power of cancelled sin."
The charge of Sabbath-breaking by these men was very unreasonable, because on that very morning each of them had unloosened his beast to lead him to the wellhead. And if it was not wrong, in their judgment, to untie a beast, surely it would not be wrong to untie the knotted disease that bound this woman's head to her feet by an invisible thong! Great human needs must have precedence over the observance of details of ritual. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 13

1  Jesus preaches repentance upon the punishment of the Galilaeans and others
6  The fruitless fig tree may not stand
10  He heals the crooked woman;
18  shows the powerful working of the word, by the parable of the grain of mustard seed,
20  and of leaven;
22  exhorts to enter in at the strait gate;
31  and reproves Herod and Jerusalem

Greek Commentary for Luke 13:14

Answered [αποκριτεις]
First aorist passive participle of αποκρινομαι — apokrinomai No one had spoken to him, but he felt his importance as the ruler of the synagogue and was indignant His words have a ludicrous sound as if all the people had to do to get their crooked backs straightened out was to come round to his synagogue during the week. He forgot that this poor old woman had been coming for eighteen years with no result. He was angry with Jesus, but he spoke to the multitude (τωι οχλωι — tōi ochlōi). [source]
Ought [δει]
Really, must, necessary, a direct hit at Jesus who had “worked” on the sabbath in healing this old woman. And not (και μη — kai mē). Instead of και ου — kai ou because in the imperative clause. [source]
And not [και μη]
Instead of και ου — kai ou because in the imperative clause. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 13:14

Luke 5:15 To be healed [θεραπεύεσθαι]
Originally, to be an attendant, to do service; and therefore of a physician, to attend upon, or treat medically. In classical writers it has also the meaning to heal, as undoubtedly in the New Testament, and in Luke (Luke 13:14; Acts 4:14, etc.). See on Matthew 8:7, and compare ἰαομαι , to heal, in Luke 5:17. [source]
3 John 1:5 Thou doest [ἐργάσῃ]
Or lit., according to the eymology, workest ( ἔργον work). See on James 2:9. The distinction between this verb and others signifying to do, such as ποιεῖν , πράσσειν , δρᾶν , which last does not occur in the New Testament, is not sharply maintained in Attic Greek. In certain connections the difference between them is great, in others, it is hardly perceptible. On ποιεῖν and πρα.σσειν , see on John 3:21. Ἐργάζομαι , like πράσσειν , contemplates the process rather than the end of action, carrying the ideas of continuity and repetition. It means to labor, to be active, to perform, with the idea of continued exertion, and therefore is used of servants, or of those who have an assigned business or office. See Matthew 21:28; Matthew 25:26; Luke 13:14; John 5:17; John 6:27; John 9:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:9. For the phrase ἐργάσῃ εἰς thoudoest toward (Rev.), see Matthew 26:10. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 13:14 mean?

Answering now the ruler of the synagogue indignant because on the Sabbath had healed - Jesus he was saying to the crowd - Six days there are in which it behooves to work these therefore coming be healed and not on the day of the Sabbath
Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ἀρχισυνάγωγος ἀγανακτῶν ὅτι τῷ σαββάτῳ ἐθεράπευσεν Ἰησοῦς ἔλεγεν τῷ ὄχλῳ ὅτι Ἓξ ἡμέραι εἰσὶν ἐν αἷς δεῖ ἐργάζεσθαι αὐταῖς οὖν ἐρχόμενοι θεραπεύεσθε καὶ μὴ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου

Ἀποκριθεὶς  Answering 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἀρχισυνάγωγος  ruler  of  the  synagogue 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀρχισυνάγωγος  
Sense: ruler of the synagogue.
ἀγανακτῶν  indignant 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀγανακτέω  
Sense: to be indignant, moved with indignation, be very displeased.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
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.
ἐθεράπευσεν  had  healed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: θεραπεύω  
Sense: to serve, do service.
  - 
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.
ἔλεγεν  he  was  saying 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
τῷ  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ὄχλῳ  crowd 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ὄχλος  
Sense: a crowd.
ὅτι  - 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
Ἓξ  Six 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: ἕξ  
Sense: six.
ἡμέραι  days 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.
εἰσὶν  there  are 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
δεῖ  it  behooves 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: δεῖ  
Sense: it is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper.
ἐργάζεσθαι  to  work 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Root: ἐργάζομαι  
Sense: to work, labour, do work.
αὐταῖς  these 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Feminine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἐρχόμενοι  coming 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
θεραπεύεσθε  be  healed 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: θεραπεύω  
Sense: to serve, do service.
τῇ  on  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἡμέρᾳ  day 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
σαββάτου  Sabbath 
Parse: Noun, Genitive 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.