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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

Context of Mark 3:4

2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” 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. 5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

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 said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
• Hosea 6:6For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
• Matthew 12:10and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
• Luke 6:9Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”
• Luke 13:13Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
• Luke 14:1One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.
• Mark 9:34But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued 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