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Luke6

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1Now it came to pass on a sabbath, that he was going through the grainfields; and his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

2But certain of the Pharisees said, Why do ye that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath day?

3And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read even this, what David did, when he was hungry, he, and they that were with him;

4how he entered into the house of God, and took and ate the showbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests alone?

5And he said unto them, The Son of man is lord of the sabbath.

6And it came to pass on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man there, and his right hand was withered.

7And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath; that they might find how to accuse him.

8But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man that had his hand withered, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.

9And Jesus said unto them, I ask you, Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good, or to do harm? to save a life, or to destroy it?

10And he looked round about on them all, and said unto him, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored.

11But they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

12And it came to pass in these days, that he went out into the mountain to pray; and he continued all night in prayer to God.

13And when it was day, he called his disciples; and he chose from them twelve, whom also he named apostles:

14Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip and Bartholomew,

15and Matthew and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,

16and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor;

17and he came down with them, and stood on a level place, and a great multitude of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judaea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

18and they that were troubled with unclean spirits were healed.

19And all the multitude sought to touch him; for power came forth from him, and healed them all.

20And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

21Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

22Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.

23Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

24But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

25Woe unto you, ye that are full now! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you, ye that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

26Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for in the same manner did their fathers to the false prophets.

27But I say unto you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you,

28bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.

29To him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and from him that taketh away thy cloak withhold not thy coat also.

30Give to every one that asketh thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

31And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

32And if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for even sinners love those that love them.

33And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? for even sinners do the same.

34And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive again as much.

35But love your enemies, and do them good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

36Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

37And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: release, and ye shall be released:

38give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again.

39And he spake also a parable unto them, Can the blind guide the blind? shall they not both fall into a pit?

40The disciple is not above his teacher: but every one when he is perfected shall be as his teacher.

41And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

42Or how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me cast out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

43For there is no good tree that bringeth forth corrupt fruit; nor again a corrupt tree that bringeth forth good fruit.

44For each tree is known by its own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

45The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

46And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

47Every one that cometh unto me, and heareth my words, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:

48he is like a man building a house, who digged and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock: and when a flood arose, the stream brake against that house, and could not shake it: because it had been well builded.

49But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that built a house upon the earth without a foundation; against which the stream brake, and straightway it fell in; and the ruin of that house was great.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Luke 6.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The disciples pluck corn on the sabbath. (1–5). Works of mercy suitable to the sabbath day. (6–11). The apostles chosen. (12–19). Blessings and woes declared. (20–26). Christ exhorts to mercy. (27–36). And to justice and sincerity. (37–49).

vv1-5

Christ justifies his disciples in a work of necessity for themselves on the sabbath day, and that was plucking the ears of corn when they were hungry. But we must take heed that we mistake not this liberty for leave to commit sin. Christ will have us to know and remember that it is his day, therefore to be spent in his service, and to his honour.

vv6-11

Christ was neither ashamed nor afraid to own the purposes of his grace. He healed the poor man, though he knew that his enemies would take advantage against him for it. Let us not be drawn either from our duty or from our usefulness by any opposition. We may well be amazed, that the sons of men should be so wicked.

vv12-19

We often think one half hour a great deal to spend in meditation and secret prayer, but Christ was whole nights engaged in these duties. In serving God, our great care should be not to lose time, but to make the end of one good duty the beginning of another. The twelve apostles are here named; never were men so privileged, yet one of them had a devil, and proved a traitor. Those who have not faithful preaching near them, had better travel far than be without it. It is indeed worth while to go a great way to hear the word of Christ, and to go out of the way of other business for it. They came to be cured by him, and he healed them. There is a fulness of grace in Christ, and healing virtue in him, ready to go out from him, that is enough for all, enough for each. Men regard the diseases of the body as greater evils than those of their souls; but the Scripture teaches us differently.

Cross References

Luke 6
v41 Samuel 21:6thematic

David's eating of the consecrated shewbread when hungry, cited directly by Jesus to answer Pharisees.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v22Matthew 5:10-12thematic

Direct parallel in the Sermon on the Mount concerning persecution, blessing, and reward.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v27Matthew 5:44thematic

Parallel command to love enemies and pray for persecutors.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v41Matthew 7:3-5thematic

Direct parallel in the Sermon on the Mount concerning the mote and the beam.

Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin

v46Matthew 7:21-23thematic

Direct parallel addressing those who cry 'Lord, Lord' but do not obey.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v1Matthew 12:1-8thematic

Matthew's parallel account of the disciples plucking grain on the Sabbath and Jesus' defense.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB

Old Testament law defining that shewbread belongs to and is to be eaten only by priests.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v20Matthew 5:2-12thematic

The parallel Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, pronouncing blessings on the poor.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v20James 2:5thematic

Paraphrases the beatitude, noting God has chosen the poor of this world rich in faith.

Supported by JFB

v37Matthew 7:1thematic

Parallel command prohibiting censorious judging.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v39Matthew 15:14thematic

Parallel teaching on blind leaders falling into the ditch.

Supported by JFB

v40Matthew 10:24thematic

Identical maxim that the disciple is not above his master.

Supported by JFB

v43Matthew 7:16-20thematic

Parallel discourse regarding knowing a tree by its good or corrupt fruits.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v45Matthew 12:34-37thematic

Parallel instruction on speech reflecting the abundance of the heart.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v46James 1:22thematic

Apostolic exhortation to be doers of the word, and not hearers only.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v1Mark 2:23-28thematic

Mark's parallel account of the Sabbath grain-plucking controversy.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

The Mosaic law permitting plucking standing grain with hands in a neighbor's field.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v5Matthew 12:8thematic

Sabbath Lordship claim identical to Luke's record of Christ's supreme authority over the Sabbath.

Supported by JFB

v6Matthew 12:9-14thematic

Matthew's parallel account of Jesus healing the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v6Mark 3:1-6thematic

Mark's parallel account of the healing of the withered hand on the Sabbath.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v13John 15:16thematic

Affirms Jesus' absolute sovereign choice of the twelve: 'Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.'

Supported by John Calvin

v19Luke 8:46thematic

Similar occurrence where healing power (virtue) is perceived going out of Jesus upon physical contact.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v24Luke 16:25thematic

Abraham reminds the rich man that in his lifetime he received his consolation.

Supported by JFB

v26Micah 2:11thematic

Illustrates the false prophets who spoke lies to please the people.

Supported by JFB

v31Matthew 7:12thematic

The parallel Golden Rule in the Sermon on the Mount.

Supported by JFB

v36Matthew 5:48thematic

Parallel call to emulate God's perfection, framed as mercy in Luke.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v41Romans 2:1thematic

Condemnation of judging another while committing the same or worse offenses.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v48Ezekiel 13:11thematic

Old Testament imagery of a wall built without foundation collapsing in a storm.

Pauline imagery of laying a secure foundation in Christ.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v61 Kings 13:4thematic

Old Testament precedent of Jeroboam's hand drying up and being restored by prayer.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v7Luke 14:1-6thematic

Another instance where Pharisees watched Jesus to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v12Colossians 4:2thematic

Apostolic instruction to continue in prayer, reflecting Jesus' model of spending the night praying.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v24James 5:1-6thematic

Denounces woes on the rich who live in luxury and oppress others.

v25Isaiah 65:13contrast

Contrasts God's hungry servants being filled with the full going hungry.

v28Romans 12:14thematic

Apostolic instruction to bless those who persecute and curse.

Old Testament precedent of giving one's cheek to him who smites.