Luke 6:9

Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

6:6-11 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But he knew there thoughts - He knew their thoughts - their dark, malicious designs - by the question, which they proposed to him, whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath-days (Matthew). In "reply" to their question, Jesus asked them whether they would not release a "sheep" on the Sabbath-day if it was fallen into a pit, and also asked "them" whether it was better to do good than to do evil on that day, implying that to "omit" to do "good" was, in fact, doing "evil."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

9. good, or … evil, save … or destroy—By this novel way of putting His case, our Lord teaches the great ethical principle, that to neglect any opportunity of doing good is to incur the guilt of doing evil; and by this law He bound His own spirit. (See Mr 3:4.)

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 6:6"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then said Jesus unto them,.... The Scribes and Pharisees, who were watching him, and whose thoughts, and the reasonings of their minds, purposes, and intentions, he full well knew:

I will ask you one thing; or question, as they had asked him one before; Matthew 12:10

is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? See Gill on Mark 3:4 to which may be added, that to save life on the sabbath day was agreeable to their own canons: there were many things which they allowed might be done on the sabbath day, when life was in danger, which otherwise were not lawful; See Gill on Matthew 12:8.

Geneva Study Bible

Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to {b} destroy it?

(b) Whoever does not help his neighbour when he can, he kills him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 6:9. ἀγαθοποιῆσαι, κακοποιῆσαι: on the meaning of these words and the issue raised vide on Mk.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9. I will ask you one thing] Rather, I further ask you. Implying that He had already addressed some questions to their consciences on this subject, or perhaps because they had asked Him, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ Matthew 12:10.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? The sum and substance of the Master's teaching here is - works of love done for the bodies and souls of men never mar or in any way interfere with the holiness of a day of rest. St. Matthew in his account of the plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath day (Matthew 12:5), tells us, on that occasion Jesus asked how it was that the priests on the sabbath days profaned the sabbath and were blameless? The Jews in later days used to declare, perhaps in answer to Jesus Christ's famous question here, "that in the temple was there no sabbatism." Now, the Lord pressed home to those who listened to his voice the great truth that in all labours of love, of pity, and of kindness, done anywhere, there was no sabbatism. Luke 6:9

Vincent's Word Studies

I will ask (ἐπερωτήσω)

Peculiar to Luke's narrative. The best texts read ἐπερωτῶ, the present tense, I ask. So Rev.

Life (ψυχὴν)

Better as Rev., a life. Though the question is a general one, it carries a hint of an individual life thrown into it by the special case at hand. See on Mark 12:30. Wyc., to make a soul safe.