New International Version
Mark 2:17
17On 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.”
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- 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
15While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 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.” 18Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” 19Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them.
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 9:12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
- Luke 5:31Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
- Luke 15:7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
- Luke 16:15He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
- John 9:34To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
- Isaiah 1:18“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
- Isaiah 55:7Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
- Luke 15:10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of 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 20:21I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
- Acts 26:20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.
- Romans 5:6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men
- 1 Timothy 1:15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
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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