Luke6
New American Standard
1Now it happened that Jesus was passing through some grainfields on a Sabbath, and His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
2But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
3And Jesus, answering them, said, “Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him,
4how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?”
5And He was saying to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
6On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught; and a man was there whose right hand was withered.
7Now the scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse Him.
8But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” And he got up and came forward.
9And Jesus said to them, “I ask you whether it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?”
10And after looking around at them all, He said to him, “Stretch out your hand!” And he did so; and his hand was restored.
11But they themselves were filled with senseless rage, and began discussing together what they might do to Jesus.
12Now it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer with God.
13And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles:
14Simon, whom He also named Peter, and his brother Andrew; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew;
15and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot;
16Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
17And then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon,
18who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were being cured.
19And all the people were trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.
20And He raised His eyes toward His disciples and began saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
22Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man.
23Rejoice on that day and jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to treat the prophets the same way.
24But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.
25Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
26Woe to you when all the people speak well of you; for their fathers used to treat the false prophets the same way.
27“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28bless those who curse you, pray for those who are abusive to you.
29Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic from him either.
30Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.
31Treat people the same way you want them to treat you.
32If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.
35But love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people.
36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.
38Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
39Now He also spoke a parable to them: “A person who is blind cannot guide another who is blind, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40A student is not above the teacher; but everyone, when he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.
41Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
42How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
43For there is no good tree that bears bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree that bears good fruit.
44For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.
45The good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
46“Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
47Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like:
48he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when there was a flood, the river burst against that house and yet it could not shake it, because it had been well built.
49But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; and the river burst against it and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Luke 6.
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.
Key Words
σάββατον (sábbaton): the Sabbath (i.e. Shabbath), or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance or institution itself); by extension, a se'nnight, i.e. the interval between two Sabbaths; likewise the plural in all the above applications
αὐτός (autós): the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
διαπορεύομαι (diaporeúomai): to travel through
διά (diá): through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional)
μαθητής (mathētḗs): a learner, i.e. pupil
τίλλω (tíllō): to pull off
καί (kaí): and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ἐσθίω (esthíō): used only in certain tenses, the rest being supplied by G5315 (φάγω); to eat (usually literal)
στάχυς (stáchys): a head of grain (as standing out from the stalk)
ψώχω (psṓchō): to triturate, i.e. (by analogy) to rub out (kernels from husks with the fingers or hand)
Cross References
Luke 6David's eating of the consecrated shewbread when hungry, cited directly by Jesus to answer Pharisees.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Direct parallel in the Sermon on the Mount concerning persecution, blessing, and reward.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallel command to love enemies and pray for persecutors.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Direct parallel in the Sermon on the Mount concerning the mote and the beam.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Direct parallel addressing those who cry 'Lord, Lord' but do not obey.
Supported by Matthew Henry
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
The parallel Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, pronouncing blessings on the poor.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Paraphrases the beatitude, noting God has chosen the poor of this world rich in faith.
Supported by JFB
Parallel command prohibiting censorious judging.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallel teaching on blind leaders falling into the ditch.
Supported by JFB
Identical maxim that the disciple is not above his master.
Supported by JFB
Parallel discourse regarding knowing a tree by its good or corrupt fruits.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel instruction on speech reflecting the abundance of the heart.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Apostolic exhortation to be doers of the word, and not hearers only.
Supported by Matthew Poole
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
Sabbath Lordship claim identical to Luke's record of Christ's supreme authority over the Sabbath.
Supported by JFB
Matthew's parallel account of Jesus healing the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Mark's parallel account of the healing of the withered hand on the Sabbath.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Affirms Jesus' absolute sovereign choice of the twelve: 'Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.'
Supported by John Calvin
Similar occurrence where healing power (virtue) is perceived going out of Jesus upon physical contact.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Abraham reminds the rich man that in his lifetime he received his consolation.
Supported by JFB
Illustrates the false prophets who spoke lies to please the people.
Supported by JFB
The parallel Golden Rule in the Sermon on the Mount.
Supported by JFB
Parallel call to emulate God's perfection, framed as mercy in Luke.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Condemnation of judging another while committing the same or worse offenses.
Supported by Matthew Henry
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
Old Testament precedent of Jeroboam's hand drying up and being restored by prayer.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Another instance where Pharisees watched Jesus to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Apostolic instruction to continue in prayer, reflecting Jesus' model of spending the night praying.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Denounces woes on the rich who live in luxury and oppress others.
Contrasts God's hungry servants being filled with the full going hungry.
Apostolic instruction to bless those who persecute and curse.
Old Testament precedent of giving one's cheek to him who smites.