Luke 14:4

And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) And he took him.—Better, he laid hold on him. The healing was, in this instance, effected by actual contact.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

14:1-6 This Pharisee, as well as others, seems to have had an ill design in entertaining Jesus at his house. But our Lord would not be hindered from healing a man, though he knew a clamour would be raised at his doing it on the sabbath. It requires care to understand the proper connexion between piety and charity in observing the sabbath, and the distinction between works of real necessity and habits of self-indulgence. Wisdom from above, teaches patient perseverance in well-doing.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They held their peace - They were silent. They "could" not say it was not lawful, for the law did not forbid it. If it had they would have said it. Here was the time for them to make objections if they had any, and not after the man was healed; and as they "made" no objection "then," they could not with consistency afterward. They were, therefore, effectually silenced and confounded by the Saviour.

He took him - Took hold of the man, or perhaps took him apart into another room. By taking hold of him, or touching him, he showed that the power of healing went forth from himself.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3-6. (See on [1667]Mt 12:11, 12).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 14:1"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And they held their peace,.... Or were silent, choosing to say nothing, which might countenance such an action; and yet knew not how to condemn it:

and he took him, and healed him, and let him go; he took him by the hand, or laid his hands on him; he touched him, and, it may be, stroked the part affected, and in an instant the prodigious swelling of his body came down: for he who at his rebuke could dry up the sea, could by a touch dry up such a quantity of water, as was in this man's body; and then he dismissed him from the table and company, and he went home perfectly cured.

Geneva Study Bible

And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. they held their peace] It was the silence of a splenetic pride and obstinacy which while secretly convinced determined to remain unconvinced. But such silence was His complete public justification. If the contemplated miracle was unlawful why did not they—the great religious authorities of Judaism—forbid it?

he took him] Rather, taking hold of him, i.e. laying his hand upon him.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 14:4. Ἰάσατο, He healed him) His adversaries were using the dropsical man as the cloke for assailing the Lord: but yet Jesus conferred the benefit on him.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - And they held their peace. What could they say? If they had pressed the absurd restrictions with which they hedged round the sabbath day, they felt they would be crushed by one of the Master's deep and powerful arguments. They had hoped he would have acted on the impulse of the moment, and healed the sufferer or else failed; but his calm question confused them. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go. With one of his majestic exercises of Divine power - so slight a task to Christ - the deadly disease was cured in a moment, and then, with quiet crushing contempt, the Physician passed into the Rabbi, and to the awe-struck guests he put a question; it was his apology for the late infringement of the traditions of the sabbath day. What had they to say? Luke 14:4

Vincent's Word Studies

Took

Took hold of him. Luke 20:20; 1 Timothy 6:12.