English Standard Version
Mark 2:17
17And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
Mark 2:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
- New International Version (NIV)On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Context of Mark 2:17
15And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." 18Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" 19And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
Read all of Mark 2Mark 2:17 word by word
Καὶ ἀκούσας ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς· ὅτι οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ᾽ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες· οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλ᾽ ἁμαρτωλούςRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- ·καίkai · andG2532
- Whenἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- he saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- They that are wholeἰσχύωischuō · be strongG2480
- haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- noοὐou · noG3756
- needχρείαchreia · needG5532
- of the physicianἰατρόςiatros · physicianG2395
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- sickκακῶςkakōs · badlyG2560
- I cameἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- to callκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
- the righteousδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
- sinnersἁμαρτωλόςhamartōlos · sinfulG268
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- repentanceμετάνοιαmetanoia · repentanceG3341
Cross-references for Mark 2:17
- Matthew 9:12But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
- Luke 5:31And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
- Luke 15:7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
- Luke 16:15And he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
- John 9:34They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out.
- Isaiah 1:18"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
- Isaiah 55:7let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
- Luke 15:10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
- Luke 19:10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
- Acts 20:21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Acts 26:20but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
- Romans 5:6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
- 1 Timothy 1:15The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
Commentaries on Mark 2:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17To repentance - This is omitted by ABDKL, twenty-seven others; both the Syriac, Persic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Gothic, Vulgate; six copies of the Itala; Euthymius and Augustin. Griesbach has left it out of the text; Grotius, Mill, and Bengel approve of the omission. See on Matthew 9:13; (note). I leave it as in the parallel place above quoted. Properly speaking, the righteous cannot be called to repentance. They have already forsaken sin, mourned for…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-17Verses 13-17 Matthew was not a good character, or else, being a Jew, he would never have been a publican, that is, a tax-gatherer for the Romans. However, Christ called this publican to follow him. With God, through Christ, there is mercy to pardon the greatest sins, and grace to change the greatest sinners, and make them holy. A faithful, fair-dealing publican was rare. And because the Jews had a particular hatred to an office which proved that they were…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Jesus answered his opponents with a well-known proverb. He compared himself to a doctor and sinners to sick people. Salvation is for those who know they are sinners, not for those who think they are righteous (Luke 16:15; 18:9; Romans 3:23).Read the comment
Topics related to Mark 2:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Mark 2
- 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
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