The Meaning of Luke 13:15 Explained

Luke 13:15

KJV: The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

YLT: Then the Lord answered him and said, 'Hypocrite, doth not each of you on the sabbath loose his ox or ass from the stall, and having led away, doth water it?

Darby: The Lord therefore answered him and said, Hypocrites! does not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the manger and leading it away, water it?

ASV: But the Lord answered him, and said, Ye hypocrites, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The Lord  then  answered  him,  and  said,  [Thou] hypocrite,  doth  not  each one  of you  on the sabbath  loose  his  ox  or  [his] ass  from  the stall,  and  lead [him] away  to watering? 

What does Luke 13:15 Mean?

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 13:15

The Lord answered him [απεκριτη δε αυτωι ο Κυριος]
Note use of “the Lord” of Jesus again in Luke‘s narrative. Jesus answered the ruler of the synagogue who had spoken to the crowd, but about Jesus. It was a crushing and overwhelming reply. [source]
Hypocrites [υποκριται]
This pretentious faultfinder and all who agree with him.Each of you (εκαστος υμων — hekastos humōn). An argumentum ad hominen. These very critics of Jesus cared too much for an ox or an ass to leave it all the sabbath without water.Stall Old word, in the N.T. only here and Luke 2:7, Luke 2:12, Luke 2:16 the manger where the infant Jesus was placed.To watering (ποτιζει — potizei). Old verb, causative, to give to drink. [source]
Each of you [εκαστος υμων]
An argumentum ad hominen. These very critics of Jesus cared too much for an ox or an ass to leave it all the sabbath without water. [source]
Stall [πατνης]
Old word, in the N.T. only here and Luke 2:7, Luke 2:12, Luke 2:16 the manger where the infant Jesus was placed.To watering (ποτιζει — potizei). Old verb, causative, to give to drink. [source]
To watering [ποτιζει]
Old verb, causative, to give to drink. [source]
Loose [λύει]
Compare thou art loosed, Luke 13:12. [source]
Stall []
See on Luke 2:7. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 13:15

Luke 2:7 In a manger [ἐν φάτνῃ]
Used by Luke only, here and Luke 13:15. Wyc. has a cracche, spelt also cratch. Compare French crèchea manger. Quite possibly a rock-cave. Dr. Thomson says: “I have seen many such, consisting of one or more rooms, in front of and including a cavern where the cattle were kept” (“Land and Book”). [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 13:15 mean?

Answered therefore him the Lord and said Hypocrites Each one of you on the Sabbath not does he untie the ox of him or donkey from the stall having led [it] away give [it] to drink
Ἀπεκρίθη δὲ αὐτῷ Κύριος καὶ εἶπεν Ὑποκριταί ἕκαστος ὑμῶν τῷ σαββάτῳ οὐ λύει τὸν βοῦν αὐτοῦ ὄνον ἀπὸ τῆς φάτνης ἀπαγαγὼν ποτίζει

Ἀπεκρίθη  Answered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
Κύριος  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
εἶπεν  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
Ὑποκριταί  Hypocrites 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Plural
Root: ὑποκριτής  
Sense: one who answers, an interpreter.
ἕκαστος  Each  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἕκαστος  
Sense: each, every.
ὑμῶν  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
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.
λύει  does  he  untie 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λύω  
Sense: to loose any person (or thing) tied or fastened.
βοῦν  ox 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: βοῦς  
Sense: an ox, a cow.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὄνον  donkey 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὄνος  
Sense: an ass.
φάτνης  stall 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: φάτνη  
Sense: a crib, a manger.
ἀπαγαγὼν  having  led  [it]  away 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀπάγω  
Sense: to lead away.
ποτίζει  give  [it]  to  drink 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ποτίζω  
Sense: to give to drink, to furnish drink.