Mark 3:4

Mark 3:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent.

Context of Mark 3:4

2In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against him, how they might kill him.

Mark 3:4 word by word

καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· ἔξεστιν τοῖς σάββασιν ἀγαθὸν ποιῆσαι ἢ κακοποιῆσαι, ψυχὴν σῶσαι ἢ ἀποκτεῖναι; οἱ δὲ ἐσιώπων.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• he saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Is it lawfulἔξεστι, ἐξόνexesti · be permittedG1832
• to do goodἀγαθοποιέωagathopoieō · to do goodG15
• on the sabbath daysσάββατονsabbaton · SabbathG4521
• orἤē · orG2228
• to do evilκακοποιέωkakopoieō · to do evil/harmG2554
• to saveσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982
• lifeψυχήpsuchē · soul: lifeG5590
• to killἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• they held their peaceσιωπάωsiōpaō · be quietG4623

Cross-references for Mark 3:4

• Mark 2:27Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.
• Hosea 6:6For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
• Matthew 12:10There he saw a man who had a shriveled hand, and in order to accuse him they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
• Luke 6:9Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you: Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”
• Luke 13:13Then he laid his hands on her, and instantly she was restored and began to glorify God.
• Luke 14:1One Sabbath, when he went in to eat at the house of one of the leading Pharisees, they were watching him closely.
• Mark 9:34But they were silent, because on the way they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest.

Commentaries on Mark 3:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4To do good - or - evil? to save life, or to kill? - It was a maxim with the Jews, as it should be with all men, that he who neglected to preserve life when it was in his power, was to be reputed a murderer. Every principle of sound justice requires that he should be considered in this light. But, if this be the case, how many murderers are there against whom there is no law but the law of God! To kill - but instead of , several MSS. and versions have to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-5Verses 1-5 See this explained in Matthew 12:9-13. Mark 3:4 Or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? - It seems to have been a maxim with the Jews that not to do good when we have an opportunity is to do evil; not to save life is to kill or to be guilty of murder. If a man has an opportunity of saving a man‘s life when he is in danger, and does not do it, he is evidently guilty of his death. On this principle our Saviour puts this question to the Jews…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4Jesus challenged his enemies' belief that God did not allow doing good works on the Sabbath (see Luke 13:10–17). to save life or to destroy it: This might refer to an incident in which the Maccabees decided to fight if attacked on the Sabbath (1 Maccabees 2:32–41). These great Jewish heroes were willing to kill on the Sabbath day. But the Pharisees did not allow good works on that day. The question Jesus asked embarrassed them. It shamed them into…Read the comment

Topics related to Mark 3:4

• Capernaum
• Jesus, the Christ
• Miracles

In the dictionaries

• Blaspheme
• Ordain
• Surname
• Thunder
• Virtue
• Whole
• Good
• Jesus Christ
• Lawful
• Mark, the Gospel According to

Commentaries on Mark 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings