Preface: Luke 14 consists of two big events: (1) Jesus is invited to a meal on the Sabbath in the home of a pharisee leader (which appears to be a setup); and (2) Jesus speaks to a large crowd of people about the cost of discipleship. In the home of the pharisee, Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath who suffers from a swollen body. He first makes a few statements, which shuts down the religious crowd before healing the afflicted man. In both groups, Jesus taught using several parables.

Bible Summary: Jesus said, "Choose the lowest place. A man gave a banquet but his guests made excuses. To be my disciple you must carry your cross.".

This should be the most extensive examination of Luke 14 available, where you will be able to examine in depth every word of the original text.

Outline of Chapter 14:

Preface

Introduction

         vv.     1–24         Jesus Has a Meal at the Home of a Chief Pharisee

         vv.         1–6          Jesus is Criticized for Healing, on the Sabbath, a Man with Abnormal Swelling

         vv.         7–11        Jesus Warns the Pharisees Not to Act as Arrogant Guests

         vv.        12–24        Two Parables About Banquets

         vv.    25–35         Jesus Speaks to the Large Crowd With Him

         vv.        25–27        The Cost of Being Jesus’ Disciple

         vv.        28–30        The Parable of the Expensive Building Project

         vv.        31–32        The Parable of the King Contemplating War

         vv.         33           The True Disciple of Jesus Gives Up All His Possessions

         vv.        34–35        Salt Flavors and Preserves

Chapter Summary

Addendum

Charts, Graphics and Short Doctrines:

         Preface               Quotations

         Introduction         Titles and/or Brief Descriptions of Luke 14 (by Various Commentators)

         Introduction         Brief, but insightful observations of Luke 14 (various commentators)

         Introduction         Fundamental Questions About Luke 14

         Introduction 

         Introduction         The Prequel of Luke 14

         Introduction         The Principals of Luke 14

         Introduction         The Places of Luke 14

         Introduction         By the Numbers

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Luke 14

         Introduction         Outlines and Summaries of Luke 14 (Various Commentators)

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Luke 14 from the Summarized Bible

         Introduction 

         Introduction 

         Introduction         The Big Picture (Luke 10–16)

         Introduction         Paragraph Divisions of Modern Translation for Luke 14

         Introduction 

         Introduction 

         Introduction         Changes—additions and subtractions

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         Summary            A Set of Summary Doctrines and Commentary

         Summary            Why Luke 14 is in the Word of God

         Summary            What We Learn from Luke 14

         Summary            Jesus Christ in Luke 14

         Summary 

         Summary 

         Addendum          Doctrine of Healing (R. B. Thieme, Jr.)

         Addendum          2001 Translation Notes for Luke 14:5

         Addendum          Extended Commentary from Kretzmann for Luke 14:1–6

         Addendum          The Doctrine of Resurrection (by R. B. Thieme, Jr.)

         Addendum          Extended Commentary from Kretzmann for Luke 14:21–24

         Addendum          2001 Translation Notes for Luke 14:27

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         Addendum          A Complete Translation of Luke 14

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         Addendum          Doctrinal Teachers Who Have Taught Luke 14

         Addendum          Word Cloud from a Reasonably Literal Paraphrase of Luke 14

         Addendum          Word Cloud from Exegesis of Luke 14

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An Introduction to Luke 14

I ntroduction: Luke 14 continues with the Lord’s public ministry, which includes confrontations with the religious class, parables, the cost of discipleship and salt which has lost its savor. There are two sections to this chapter: (1) Jesus is invited into the home of a pharisee on the Sabbath and He actually does a considerable amount of teaching there (vv. 1–24). In this section, Jesus is clearly speaking directly to so-called experts in the Mosaic Law (called lawyers) (vv. 1, 3). (2) Then He is back with the multitudes, teaching and presumably moving towards Jerusalem (vv. 25–35). In this section, Jesus is clearly speaking to a large crowd (v. 25).

Based upon what we have studied in Luke 9 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD), we are in a section of Luke which takes place during the Lord’s public ministry, but chapters 10–18½ are not in any sort of an order. Therefore, these two basic incidents may have occurred one after the other; but not necessarily.

In the first setting, Jesus appears to be speaking mostly to pharisees and experts in the Mosaic Law (called lawyers). The Lord heals a man seemingly to set up the religious types (in this case, experts in the Law). It is not really clear if others are there as their guests. Jesus teaches with two parables and an application of true humility.

Now, in the overall context of the chapters we are studying, Jesus is moving about from city to city, speaking to large and small crowds and/or to His disciples.

I think that we can generally assume that the Lord’s disciples are with Him all of the time or nearly all of the time. From a verse in the previous chapter, the Lord seems to be going from city to city, but with the general destination of Jerusalem.

No specific city is named in this chapter; and only one miracle is recorded.

We do not know if this is in any sort of chronological order or not (and that likely makes little difference). I would assume that what we are studying is, more or less, in chronological order (although there are clear instances where we temporarily leave a strict adherence to chronology).

I don’t know that there is any reason to separate this from chapters which have come before or come after. Like those chapters, this appears to be very episodic in nature.

As we have studied earlier, there appear to be some teachings found in this chapter which are found elsewhere, but likely in a different context. For instance, Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath in this chapter (vv. 1–6) is given a very similar argument as we found in Luke 13:10–17. This would suggest that Jesus on several occasions purposely healed on the Sabbath in order to expose the religiosity of the religious hierarchy. Jesus speaks of salt and discipleship here and elsewhere—but not necessarily parallel events.

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Jesus Has a Meal at the Home of a Chief Pharisee

Jesus is Criticized for Healing, on the Sabbath, a Man with Abnormal Swelling

Although there are elements of the next narrative found elsewhere, this particular narrative appears to belong to Luke’s gospel alone.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:                       I will use the Westcott-Hort Greek text as the basis for my English translation. I use that test primarily because e-sword has a nice module by Rob Wolfram which has the interlinear English text, Strong’s #’s, and the Greek morphology. The e-sword tab is IWH+P. I do not use their English text for my translation. Also, throughout, I take in consideration alternate readings.

As a young Christian, I was quite interested in the alternative readings. After many decades of study, I have found that, as with the Hebrew text, disputed readings rarely have any affect on the interpretation of a text (apart from perhaps a half-dozen fairly well-known alternate readings, like the end of the book of Mark).

I will compare the Greek text to English translations of the Latin and Syriac (= Aramaic) texts, using the Douay-Rheims translation and George Lamsa’s translation from the Syriac. I often update these texts with non-substantive changes (e.g., you for thou, etc.).

In general, the Latin text is an outstanding translation from the Hebrew text into Latin and very trustworthy (I say this as a non-Catholic). Unfortunately, I do not read Latin—apart from some very obvious words—so I am dependent upon the English translation of the Latin (principally, the Douay-Rheims translation).

The Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls are irrelevant, as they preceded the writing of the New Testament by over 200 years.

Underlined words indicate differences in the text.

Ancient texts:

Westcott-Hort Text (Greek)    And it was, in the going of Him to a house of a certain ruler of the pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread (and they were observing Him). And behold a man, a certain one, was [having] dropsy in front of Him. And responding, the Jesus spoke face to face with the lawyers and pharisees, saying, “It is lawful on the Sabbath to serve or not?”

Douay-Rheims 1899 (Amer.) And it came to pass, when Jesus went into the house of one of the Pharisees, on the sabbath day, that they watched him.

And behold, there was a certain man before him that had the dropsy.

And Jesus answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?

Holy Aramaic Scriptures        And it happened that when He entered into the house of one from the rulers of the Phrishe {the Pharisees} to eat bread on the day of the Shabtha {the Sabbath}, and they were watching Him,

and behold, a certain gabra {man} who had gathered waters {i.e. had dropsy}, was there before Him,

and Eshu {Yeshua} answered and said unto the Saphre {the Scribes}, and unto the Phrishe {the Pharisees}, “Is it lawful to heal on the Shabtha {the Sabbath}?”

James Murdock’s Syriac NT And it occurred, that, as he entered the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread, on the sabbath day, they watched him.

And lo, a dropsical man was before him.

And Jesus answered, and said to the Scribes and Pharisees: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?

Original Aramaic NT              And it was that when he entered the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath day, and they were observing him,

Behold, one man who was swollen with fluid was there before him.

And Yeshua answered and said to the Scribes and to the Pharisees, "Surely it is legal to heal on the Sabbath."

Lamsa Peshitta (Syriac)         And it was that when he entered the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath day, and they were observing him,

Behold, one man who was swollen with fluid was there before him.

And Yeshua answered and said to the Scribes and to the Pharisees, “Surely it is legal to heal on the Sabbath.”

Significant differences: 

English Translations:          I have included translations which I disagree with and footnotes that I do not necessarily agree with. If I believe that the author is too far from the truth, I may even address that at the footnote. However, nearly all of the correct commentary will be found following the Greek text box and the translation of each phrase.

Limited Vocabulary Translations:

Bible in Basic English             And it came about that when he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees on the Sabbath, to have a meal, they were watching him. 

And a certain man was there who had a disease. 

And Jesus, answering, said to the scribes and Pharisees, Is it right to make people well on the Sabbath or not?

Bible in Worldwide English     One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat at the house of a ruler. He was a ruler of the Pharisees. They were watching Jesus. A man stood in front of him. He was sick. His body was filled with water. Jesus asked the teachers of Gods law and the Pharisees, Is it right to heal a person on the Sabbath day or not?

Easy English                          Jesus goes to the house of a Pharisee

One Jewish day of rest, Jesus went into the house of a leader of the Pharisees. This man had asked him to come and to eat a meal with him. The people there were all watching him carefully. A sick man came up to Jesus. His arms and legs had grown fat, because they were full of water. So Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and to the teachers of God's Law. He asked them, ‘Is it right for us to make someone well on our day of rest, or not?’

Easy-to-Read Version–2008  On a Sabbath day, Jesus went to the home of a leading Pharisee to eat with him. The people there were all watching him very closely. A man with a bad disease was there in front of him. Jesus said to the Pharisees and experts in the law, "Is it right or wrong to heal on the Sabbath day?"

God’s Word™                         On a day of worship Jesus went to eat at the home of a prominent Pharisee. The guests were watching Jesus very closely. A man whose body was swollen with fluid was there. Jesus reacted by asking the Pharisees and the experts in Moses' Teachings, "Is it right to heal on the day of worship or not?"

Good News Bible (TEV)         One Sabbath Jesus went to eat a meal at the home of one of the leading Pharisees; and people were watching Jesus closely. A man whose legs and arms were swollen came to Jesus, and Jesus spoke up and asked the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, "Does our Law allow healing on the Sabbath or not?"

J. B. Phillips                           Strict sabbatarianism is again rebuked

One Sabbath day he went into the house of one of the leading Pharisees for a meal, and they were all watching him closely. Right in front of him was a man afflicted with dropsy. So Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees and said, “Well, is it right to heal on the Sabbath day or not?”

The Message                         One time when Jesus went for a Sabbath meal with one of the top leaders of the Pharisees, all the guests had their eyes on him, watching his every move. Right before him there was a man hugely swollen in his joints. So Jesus asked the religion scholars and Pharisees present, “Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath? Yes or no?”

NIRV                                      Jesus Eats at a Pharisee’s House

One Sabbath day, Jesus went to eat in the house of a well-known Pharisee. While he was there, he was being carefully watched. In front of him was a man whose body was badly swollen. Jesus turned to the Pharisees and the authorities on the law. He asked them, “Is it breaking the Law to heal on the Sabbath day?”

New Life Version                    Another Man Healed on the Day of Rest

On the Day of Rest Jesus went into the house of one of the leaders of the proud religious law-keepers to eat. They all watched Jesus to see what He would do. A man who had very large arms and legs because of a sickness was put before Jesus. Jesus asked the teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers, “Does the Law say it is right to heal on the Day of Rest, or not?”

New Simplified Bible              Shortly after that he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees. They were there to eat on the Sabbath. They watched him. There was in his presence a man who had the dropsy swollen arms and legs. Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees: »Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?«

Thought-for-thought translations; dynamic translations; paraphrases:

Casual English Bible              HOW TO FOLLOW JESUS

JESUS IS CORDIALLY INVITED

Jesus went into the home of a leading Pharisee. He went there to eat a meal on the Sabbath. People kept a close eye on him. Right in front of Jesus there was a man suffering from edema—swelling.[1]

Jesus had a question for the Pharisees and the scholars who were experts in Jewish law. “Does the law allow us to heal people on the Sabbath, or not?”

¹14:2Some Bible translations use the older term “dropsy.” It refers to the swelling of soft tissue caused by excess water in the body. When the heart isn’t pumping efficiently, soft tissue in the body picks up and stores the extra fluid the heart should have pumped. By the end of the day, gravity has pulled a lot of the fluid into the lower legs and feet.

Contemporary English V.       One Sabbath, Jesus was having dinner in the home of an important Pharisee, and everyone was carefully watching Jesus. All of a sudden a man with swollen legs stood up in front of him. Jesus turned and asked the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses, "Is it right to heal on the Sabbath?"

The Living Bible                     One Sabbath as he was in the home of a member of the Jewish Council, the Pharisees were watching him like hawks to see if he would heal a man who was present who was suffering from dropsy.

Jesus said to the Pharisees and legal experts standing around, “Well, is it within the Law to heal a man on the Sabbath day, or not?”

New Berkeley Version           .

New Living Translation           Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely. There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen. [Or who had dropsy.] Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, “Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?”

The Passion Translation        Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

One day Jesus was on his way to dine with a prominent Jewish religious leader for a Sabbath meal. Everyone was watching him to see if he would heal anyone on the Sabbath. Just then, standing right in front of him was a man suffering with his limbs swollen with fluid.

Jesus asked the experts of the law and the Pharisees who were present, “Is it permitted within the law to heal a man on the Sabbath day? Is it right or wrong?”

UnfoldingWord Simplified T.  One day, which was a day of rest, Jesus went to eat at the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, and they were watching him carefully.  Right there in front of Jesus was a man who had a disease that caused his arms and legs to be very swollen.  Jesus asked the experts in Jewish law and the Pharisees who were present, "Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the day of rest, or not?"

Williams’ New Testament      One Sabbath, when He went to take a meal at the house of a Pharisee who was a member of the council, they continued to watch Him closely. Just in front of Him was a man who was suffering from dropsy. He answered the experts in the law and the Pharisees by asking, "Is it right to cure people on the Sabbath or not?"

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          Well, there was a time when [Jesus] went to eat a meal at the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath… And everyone there was watching him closely.

Then {Look!} suffering from edema came to him.

So Jesus asked those students of the Law and the Pharisees this:

‘Is it legal to cure on the Sabbath or not?’

Beck’s American Translation .

Breakthrough Version            And it happened during the time for Him to go into a house of a certain one of the head Separatists on the Sabbath to eat bread; they also were closely watching Him. And look, a certain swollen man was in front of Him. And when Jesus responded, He talked to the legal experts and Separatists, saying, "Is it permitted on the Sabbath to heal or not?"

Common English Bible           Healing on the Sabbath

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to share a meal in the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely. A man suffering from an abnormal swelling of the body was there. Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Does the Law allow healing on the Sabbath or not?”

Len Gane Paraphrase           Then it came about as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat food on the Sabbath that they watched him closely. And behold, a certain man was before him whose body was swollen with fluid. Jesus responded saying to the lawyers and Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"

A. Campbell's Living Oracles It happened on a Sabbath, when he was gone to eat at the house of one of the rulers, who was a Pharisee, that while the Pharisees were observing him, a man who had a dropsy stood before him.

Then Jesus addressing himself to the lawyers and Pharisees, said, Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?

New Advent (Knox) Bible       There was a sabbath day on which he was asked to take a meal with one of the chief Pharisees, and as he went into the house, they were watching him. Here his eye was met by the sight of a man who had the dropsy. Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees openly, Is healing allowed on the sabbath day?

NT for Everyone                     Jesus and the Pharisee

One sabbath, Jesus went to a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee. They were keeping a close eye on him.

There was a man there in front of Jesus who suffered from dropsy. So Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath or not?’

20^th Century New Testament On one occasion, as Jesus was going, on a Sabbath into the house of one of the leading Pharisees to dine, they were watching him closely. There he saw before him a man who was suffering from dropsy.

"Is it allowable," said Jesus, addressing the Students of the Law and the Pharisees, "to work a cure on the Sabbath, or is it not?"

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Berean Study Bible                One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and those in attendance were watching Him closely.  Right there before Him was a man with dropsy.  So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”

Christian Standard Bible        A Sabbath Controversy

One Sabbath, when he went in to eat [Lit eat bread] at the house of one of the leading Pharisees, they were watching him closely. There in front of him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid. In response, Jesus asked the law experts and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?

Conservapedia Translation    Before long Jesus went to eat bread in the home of one of the leading Pharisees on the Sabbath, as they watched him closely. Unexpectedly, a man appeared with painful swelling of his joints. Whereupon Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"

Revised Ferrar-Fenton           The Pharisaic Plot.

It occurred on one occasion, when He entered the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath, that they were watching Him; and one man in His presence was suffering from dropsy.

So Jesus, addressing the lawyers and Pharisees, asked, "Is it allowable to cure on the Day of Rest?"

Free Bible Version                 One Sabbath Jesus went to have a meal at the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees where they watched him closely. A man was there whose arms and legs were swollen. So Jesus asked the experts in religious law and the Pharisees, “Does the law allow healing on the Sabbath or not?”

God’s Truth (Tyndale)           And it chanced that he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on a Saboth day: and they watched him. And behold there was a man before him, which had the dropsy. And Jesus answered and spoke unto the lawyers and Pharisees saying: is it lawful to heal on the Saboth day?

International Standard V        Jesus Heals a Man on the Sabbath

One Sabbath, Jesus [Lit. he] went to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal. The guests [Lit. They] were watching Jesus [Lit. him] closely. A man whose body was swollen with fluid suddenly appeared in front of him. So Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the Law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”

NIV, ©2011                             Jesus at a Pharisee’s House

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”

Weymouth New Testament    One day--it was a Sabbath--He was taking a meal at the house of one of the Rulers of the Pharisee party, while they were closely watching Him. In front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy. This led Jesus to ask the lawyers and Pharisees, "Is it allowable to cure people on the Sabbath?"

Wikipedia Bible Project          It so happened that one Sabbath that Jesus went into the house of some of the Pharisees’ leaders to have a meal, and they were keeping a close watch on him.

A man was there suffering from limbs swollen with fluid.

So Jesus asked the experts in religious law and the Pharisees, “Does the law permit healing on the Sabbath or not?”

Catholic Bibles (those having the imprimatur):

Christian Community (1988)     One Sabbath Jesus had gone to eat a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee, and he was carefully watched. In front of him was a man suffering from dropsy; so Jesus asked the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”

7:36; 11:37

6:6; 13:10

The Heritage Bible                          And it was, in his going into the house of one of the ruling Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they were scrupulously watching him.

And behold, a certain man in front of him was suffering from dropsy.²

And Jesus answering spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it right to heal on the Sabbath?

² 14:2 suffering from dropsy, hudropikos, pathological accumulation of diluted lymph in body tissues and cavities.

New American Bible (2011)   Healing of the Man with Dropsy on the Sabbath.*

^a On a sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.^b

In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.*

Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”^c

* [14:1–6] See note on Lk 13:10–17.

* [13:10–17] The cure of the crippled woman on the sabbath and the controversy that results furnishes a parallel to an incident that will be reported by Luke in 14:1–6, the cure of the man with dropsy on the sabbath. A characteristic of Luke’s style is the juxtaposition of an incident that reveals Jesus’ concern for a man with an incident that reveals his concern for a woman; cf., e.g., Lk 7:11–17 and Lk 8:49–56.

* [14:2] Dropsy: an abnormal swelling of the body because of the retention and accumulation of fluid.

a. [14:1–6] 6:6–11; 13:10–17.

b. [14:1] 11:37.

c. [14:3] 6:9; Mk 3:4.

New Catholic Bible                 A Dinner Given by a Pharisee^[a]

Chapter 14

Jesus Heals a Man with Dropsy on the Sabbath.^[b] On one Sabbath, Jesus went to dine at the home of a prominent Pharisee, and the people were watching him closely. In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy, and Jesus asked the lawyers and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”

[a] Luke 14:1 Luke is an artful composer of Gospel scenes. Here he brings together different themes in the unfolding of a repast. The Jews thought of the kingdom of God as a gathering of people at a banquet in heaven. And, for Luke, this repast doubtless has the value of an announcement and a symbol. Jesus has the honor of being invited on the Sabbath to dine with a group of Pharisees, the representatives of Jewish thought. His hosts follow solid principles of thought and congratulate themselves on their good education. They closely watch Jesus’ behavior out of curiosity mingled with apprehension. And one might say that Jesus goes out of his way to shock them.

[b] Luke 14:1 Jesus does not lose himself in compliments and conversation but posits an act, a sign of the salvation that he brings to human beings. This is a new miracle, again performed on a Sabbath. Religion is for the liberation of persons, not their enslavement. To keep the Sabbath is to bear witness to it (see Lk 6:6-11; 13:10-17). See note on Mt 12:9-14.

New English Bible–1970        The Healing of the Man with Dropsy (Peraea)

ONE SABBATH HE WENT to have a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee; and they were watching him closely. There, in front of him, was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus asked the lawyers and the Pharisees: 'Is it permitted to cure people on the Sabbath or not?'

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           One Shabbat Yeshua went to eat in the home of one of the leading P’rushim, and they were watching him closely. In front of him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid. Yeshua spoke up and asked the Torah experts and P’rushim, “Does the Torah allow healing on Shabbat or not?”

exeGeses companion Bible   .

Holy New Covenant Trans.    During a Sabbath day Jesus went to the home of an important Pharisee to eat with him. The Pharisees were all watching Jesus very closely. A man had a swelling disease. He was put before Jesus. Jesus asked the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, "Is it right or wrong to heal on the Sabbath day?"

The Israel Bible (beta)            .

Israeli Authorised Version      And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Prushim to eat bread on the Sabbath Day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Y'shuw`a answering spake unto the Torah teachers and Prushim, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath Day?

The Scriptures 2009              And it came to be, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they were watching Him closely.  And see, there was a certain man before Him suffering from dropsy.  And יהושע responding, spoke to those learned in the Torah and the Pharisees, saying, “Is it right to heal on the Sabbath?”

Tree of Life Version                Now when Yeshua went into the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees to eat a meal on Shabbat, they were watching Him closely. And there before Him was a man swollen with fluid. So Yeshua said to the Torah lawyers and the Pharisees, “Is it permitted to heal on Shabbat, or not?”

Weird English, Olde English, Anachronistic English Translations:

Accurate New Testament       ...and [It] becomes in the+ to come him to house [of] someone [of] the rulers [of] the pharisees [on] break (weekly) to eat bread and They were Watching him and look! Man Someone was Swollen before him and Answering The Jesus says to the [men] legal and pharisees Saying is (permissible) [on] the break (weekly) to relieve or not?

Alpha & Omega Bible            IT HAPPENED THAT WHEN HE WENT INTO THE HOUSE OF ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE PHARISEES ON THE SABBATH (7th Day of Rest & Worship. i.e. Saturday) TO EAT BREAD, THEY WERE WATCHING HIM CLOSELY.

AND THERE IN FRONT OF HIM WAS A MAN SUFFERING FROM DROPSY.

AND JESUS ANSWERED AND SPOKE TO THE LAWYERS AND PHARISEES, SAYING, “IS IT LAWFUL TO HEAL ON THE SABBATH (7th Day of Rest & Worship. i.e. Saturday), OR NOT?”

Awful Scroll Bible                   Now itself came about from-within he is to be came into the house, of a certain leader of the Resolved to be ate bread on a Rest indeed themselves were watching-over-before him.

Even be yourselves looked, there was he certain of the aspects-of-man from-within-near him, dropsical that itself-appearing-as-water.

Then Deliverance-of-Jah coming to be resolved-away, said with regards to the lawyers and they Resolved, speaking out, "Is it whether by- our -existence, to service on Rest"

Concordant Literal Version    And it occurred at His coming into the house of a certain one of the chiefs of the Pharisees on a sabbath to eat bread, they were scrutinizing Him."

And lo! a certain man in front of Him was dropsical.

And answering, Jesus spoke to those learned in the law and to the Pharisees, saying, "Is it allowed to cure on the sabbath or not?

exeGeses companion Bible   YAH SHUA HEALS ON THE SHABBATH

And so be it,

as he goes in the house of one of the arch Pharisees

to eat bread on the shabbath,

they observe him:

and behold,

there is a human in front of him - dropsical:

and Yah Shua answers,

saying to the torahists and Pharisees, wording,

Is it allowed to cure on the shabbath?

Orthodox Jewish Bible           And it came to pass when he went into a bais of a certain one of the Rashei HaPerushim on Shabbos for betziat halechem, and they were watching him closely,

And there in front of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was a certain ish suffering from dropsy,

And in reply, Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach spoke to the Baalei Torah and Perushim, saying, Is it mutar (permissible) on Shabbos to give refuah or not?.

Rotherham’s Emphasized B. And it came to pass <when he entered into the house of one of the rulers of the Phariseesˎ on a Sabbathˎ to eat bread> that ||they|| were narrowly watching him. ² And lo! there was |a certain man| who had the dropsyˎ before him. ³ And Jesusˎ answeringˎ spake unto the Lawyers and Pharisees, saying—

Is it allowedˎ on the Sabbathˎ to cure, or not?

But |they| held their peace. [Rotherham has this phrase as a part of v. 3.]

Expanded/Embellished Bibles:

The Amplified Bible                Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

It happened one Sabbath, when He went for a meal at the house of one of the ruling Pharisees, that they were watching Him closely and carefully [hoping to entrap Him]. And there in front of Him was a man who had ^[a]dropsy (extreme swelling). And Jesus asked the lawyers and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”

[a] Or Edema, an abnormal accumulation of serous fluid in the connective tissue, causing swelling.

An Understandable Version   And it happened on a Sabbath day, when Jesus went to the house of one of the leading Pharisees for a meal, that they [i.e., probably other Pharisees who were also guests] were watching Him closely.

And there He saw a certain man suffering from dropsy [Note: This is a condition in which the tissues of the body retain too much fluid].

So, Jesus asked the teachers of the Law of Moses and the Pharisees, saying, “Is it permissible by the Law of Moses to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?”

The Expanded Bible              Healing on the Sabbath

On a Sabbath day, when Jesus went to eat at the home of a leading Pharisee, ·the people [^L they; ^C probably religious leaders] were watching Jesus very closely. And [^L Look; ^T Behold] in front of him was a man with ·dropsy [^C swelling caused by bodily fluids; also called edema]. Jesus said to the Pharisees and experts on the law, “Is it ·right or wrong [permitted; lawful] to heal on the Sabbath day?”

Jonathan Mitchell NT             Later, it occurred during the [situation for] Him to go (or: come) into the house of a certain one of the leaders (or: rulers; officials; chief or prominent men) of the Pharisees, on a sabbath, to eat bread (= a meal) – and they, themselves, were continuing in closely observing Him from the side, scrutinizing Him.

And then – look and take note! – there was [suddenly] a certain person (human) suffering from edema (dropsy; excess swelling from fluid retention) in front of Him.

And so, giving a discerning response, Jesus said to the men versed in the Law (the Torah and legal experts) and [to the] Pharisees, "Is it [other MSS: Does it continue being] allowed by custom and Law to give care, attentively treat or cure on the sabbath, or not?"

P. Kretzmann Commentary    Verses 1-6

Christ the Guest of a Pharisee. Luke 14:1-14

Healing a man afflicted with dropsy on the Sabbath:

And it came to pass, as He went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath-day that they watched Him.

And, behold, there was a certain man before Him which had the dropsy.

And Jesus, answering, spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day?

Syndein/Thieme                     {Healing Again on the Sabbath}

``And it came to pass {new subject} when He {Jesus} went to dine/'eat bread' at the house of a leader of the Pharisees one Sabbath . . . they were watching him closely.

``And, behold {pay attention!} there right in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy {hudropikos - a swelling from excessive accumulation of serous fluid in tissue}.

`` So Jesus had an answer {apokrinomai} {as in Luke 5:5 Jesus must have 'come to know their questioning thoughts'}, and said face to face with the experts in religious law and the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?"

Translation for Translators     Jesus told the Jewish leaders that they were being hypocritical about not helping people on the Sabbath.

Luke 14:1-6

One ◂Jewish day of rest/Sabbath day◂, Jesus went to eat [SYN] at the house of an important Pharisee. Some men who studied the Jewish laws and other Pharisees who were there were watching him carefully to see if he would do something for which they could accuse him. Unexpectedly, there was a man in front of Jesus whose arms and legs were swollen. Jesus said to them, “Is it permitted in our(inc) Jewish laws to heal someone ◂on our Jewish rest day/on the Sabbath►, or not?”

The Voice                               Another Sabbath Day came and Jesus was invited to an official’s home for a meal. This fellow was a leader of the Pharisees, and Jesus was still under close surveillance by them. Jesus noticed a man suffering from a swelling disorder. He questioned the religious scholars and Pharisees.

Jesus: Is it permitted by traditions and the Hebrew Scriptures to heal people on the Sabbath, or is it forbidden?

Bible Translations with a Lot of Footnotes:

Lexham Bible                         A Man Suffering from Edema Healed

And it happened that when he came to the house of a certain one of the leaders of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat a meal, [Literally “bread”] they were watching him closely. And behold, a certain man was in front of him, suffering from edema. And Jesus answered and [*Here “and ” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb] said to the legal experts and Pharisees, saying, “Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”

NET Bible®                             Healing Again on the Sabbath

Now¹ one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine² at the house of a leader³ of the Pharisees,⁴ they were watching⁵ him closely. There⁶ right⁷ in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.⁸ So⁹ Jesus asked¹⁰ the experts in religious law¹¹ and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath¹² or not?”

^1tn Grk “Now it happened that one.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

^2tn Grk “to eat bread,” an idiom for participating in a meal.

^3tn Grk “a ruler of the Pharisees.” He was probably a synagogue official.

^4sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

^5sn Watching…closely is a graphic term meaning to lurk and watch; see Luke 11:53-54.

^6tn Grk “And there.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

^7tn Grk “behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1). Here it has been translated as “right” in the phrase “right in front of him,” giving a similar effect of vividness in the translation.

^8sn The condition called dropsy involves swollen limbs resulting from the accumulation of fluid in the body’s tissues, especially the legs.

^9tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the sequence of events (Jesus’ question was prompted by the man’s appearance).

^10tn Grk “Jesus, answering, said.” This is redundant in contemporary English. In addition, since the context does not describe a previous question to Jesus (although one may well be implied), the phrase has been translated here as “Jesus asked.”

^11tn That is, experts in the interpretation of the Mosaic law (traditionally, “lawyers”).

^12sn “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” Will the Pharisees and experts in religious law defend tradition and speak out against doing good on the Sabbath? Has anything at all been learned since Luke 13:10-17? Has repentance come (13:6-9)?

New American Bible (2011)   .

The Spoken English NT         Jesus Heals a Man with Edema
Once Jesus went to a leading Pharisee’s house for a meal on the Sabbath. And they were watching him closely. Right then a man who had a bad case of edema came up to him.^a Jesus spoke to the scripture experts and Pharisees and said,^b “Is it allowed to heal on the Sabbath or not?”

^a.Lit. “And behold, a certain person with edema was in front of him.” Edema is when your feet (and sometimes other parts of your body too) get all swollen and packed with fluid.

^b.Lit. “And Jesus responded and said to the scripture experts and Pharisees.”

Wilbur Pickering’s New T.     Jesus heals a man with dropsy

Then it happened, when He entered the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they were watching Him closely. And then, there in front of Him was a man who had dropsy!¹ And Jesus reacted by saying to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

⁽¹⁾ It seems scarcely credible that such a person could have gotten in there by accident. The Pharisees were desperately looking for some way to accuse Him.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

A Faithful Version                  Now it came to pass, when He went into a house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching Him.  And behold, there was a certain man who had dropsy standing in front of Him.  Then Jesus answered and spoke to the doctors of the law and to the Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"

Analytical-Literal Translation  And it happened, when He went into [the] house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching Him closely. And look! A certain man was dropsical [i.e. having swollen arms and legs] before Him. And answering, Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to be healing on the Sabbath?"

Charles Thomson NT             It happened also on a sabbath day, when he went to eat at the house of one of the chiefs who were Pharisees, and they were watching him, behold there was before him a man, who had a dropsy; thereupon Jesus, addressing the teachers of the law, and the Pharisees, said, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?

Context Group Version          .

Far Above All Translation       Now it came to pass, when he had gone into the home of one of the senior members of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him closely, and it was the case that there was a certain man with oedema in front of him, at which Jesus reacted and addressed the scholars in the law and Pharisees and said, “Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?”

Green’s Literal Translation    .

Literal New Testament           AND IT CAME TO PASS ON HIS HAVING GONE INTO A HOUSE OF ONE OF THE RULERS OF THE PHARISEES ON A SABBATH TO EAT BREAD, THAT THEY WERE WATCHING HIM.

AND BEHOLD, A MAN CERTAIN THERE WAS DROPSICAL BEFORE HIM.

AND ANSWERING JESUS SPOKE TO THE DOCTORS OF THE LAW AND TO [THE] PHARISEES, SAYING, IS IT LAWFUL ON THE SABBATH TO HEAL?

Literal Standard Version        .

Modern English Version         The Healing of the Man With Edema

On the Sabbath they watched Him as He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees to eat bread. There before Him was a man who had edema. [Or dropsy.] Jesus said to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

Modern Literal Version 2020  And it happened, while* he was going into a house of a certain one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, that they themselves were observing him. And behold, there was before him, a certain man with dropsy. And Jesus answered and spoke to the professors of the law and Pharisees, saying, If it is not legal to heal on the Sabbath, then?

Modern KJV                           .

New American Standard B.    Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

It happened that when He went into the house of one of the leaders [I.e., members of the Sanhedrin] of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching Him closely [Or maliciously]. And there [Lit behold] in front of Him was a man suffering from edema [I.e., extreme swelling]. And Jesus responded and said to the lawyers [I.e., experts in Mosaic Law] and Pharisees [Lit Pharisees, saying], “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”

New Matthew Bible                Jesus eats with the Pharisee, heals a man with dropsy on the Sabbath, teaches to be lowly, tells of the great supper, and warns people who would follow him to first determine what it will cost them. The salt of the earth.

And it happened that he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on a Sabbath day, and they were watching him. And there was before him a man who had the dropsy. And Jesus addressed the wise men of law and the Pharisees, asking, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?

NT (Variant Readings)           And it came to pass, when he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him. And behold, there was before him a certain man that had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, °or not?

°Byz. omits "or not".

Niobi Study Bible                   A Man with Dropsy Healed on the Sabbath
And it came to pass, as He went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath day, that they watched Him. And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had the dropsy. And Jesus answering, spoke unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?"

Restored Holy Bible 6.0         And it came to pass, on his going into the house of a certain one of the chiefs of the Pharisees, on a sabbath, to eat bread, that they were watching him, and lo, there was a certain dropsical man before him; and Jesus answering spake to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, 'Is it lawful on the sabbath-day to heal?'...

Revised Young's Lit. Trans.   .

Updated Bible Version 2.17   .

Young’s Updated LT             .

The gist of this passage:     Some pharisees of note watched Jesus carefully as he was in the home of one of them eating bread. Jesus asks their experts, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

1-3

Translation: And it came to pass, on the Sabbath, when Jesus [lit., He] went to the home of a certain leader of the pharisees to have a meal [lit., to eat bread].

Jesus received a number of invites to the homes of various pharisees, and most of the time, these were set ups. That is, the pharisees were going to use this time in order to find fault with something that Jesus does. So, there was this pretense of being sociable and friendly; but their intent was something entirely different. We would logically assume that is what is taking place here (obviously, Jesus did not just wander over to the home of a pharisee and started eating his food).

Why would this be done? By doing this, the pharisees get Jesus onto their own home turf and they control the guest list. That way, Jesus is not going to be surrounded by supporters.

Because this is a leader among the pharisees, he is able to tell the other pharisees what to do, to some extent. “Watch Him carefully,” may have been the instructions; “See if He performs any works.”

I would assume that the bread was baked the day before (and that there was possibly more to this meal than just bread). But how did the bread get to the table? Was it taken to the table the day before and left there? Or did someone, prior to the meal carry the bread there? I ask this simply because, for this meal, even if the food had been prepared the day before (maybe it had and maybe it hadn’t), there was some preparation involved in this meal, even if it was to move things from point A to point B. My point being, there is no doubt something which could have been called work associated with the pharisees or with one of their servants. We have all had guests over to eat; even if they are our closest friends who know us, some kind of preparation takes place (there would have been several pharisees there partaking of this meal). However, these pharisees are ready to go after Jesus Who will heal a man. We do not know how much effort was involved in healing a man. My assumption would be that, from Jesus, there is no effort whatsoever. He simply made the choice who to heal, and then healed them (or, allowed the Holy Spirit to heal them).

Why not invite Jesus on a day when work could be done? It appears that the primary reason for getting Jesus into this environment is to catch Him in the act of healing on the Sabbath (as if this is wrong to do).

Translation: The pharisees [lit., They] were [carefully] observing Him.

All of the pharisees who are there are watching Jesus carefully. The Lord is being set up; but it is reasonable to assume that these men were looking for anything that Jesus might do.

Luke14:1 And it came to pass, on the Sabbath, when Jesus [lit., He] went to the home of a certain leader of the pharisees to have a meal [lit., to eat bread]. The pharisees [lit., They] were [carefully] observing Him.

Translation: And [Jesus] sees [lit., And behold] a certain man in front of Him, [who] had swollen limbs [or, dropsy].

This particular illness was something which could be observed. It is a swelling of the tissue which could be very painful. If Jesus healed this man, it would be obvious.

This indicates that, by this time in the Lord’s public ministry, the pharisees did not question whether or not He could heal. They knew that He could heal.

We may reasonably assume that this man did not just happen to be here—that these pharisees found a man who had a physical ailment and brought him before Jesus on the Sabbath. It is reasonable to assume that various men with ailments did not just drop by a pharisee’s home at meal time.

Perhaps this man was seated directly in front of Jesus. Whatever limbs which he was that were swollen had to be clearly visible to the Lord; and this disease is apparently quite painful. It was probably obvious to all there that this man was in pain. Quite obviously, none of the experts in the Law could help this man.

Wouldn’t this have been a grand humanitarian gesture to bring this man before Jesus, knowing that Jesus might heal him? It would have been, but he was set there as a prop, in order to accuse Jesus of wrongdoing.

Now, you may ask, didn’t they do that before? Didn’t Jesus already resolve this issue? Not every pharisee knows every other pharisee. They did not have a chat room where they exchanged ideas. “Oh, you tried this? Well, then, I will try that. Lol” This incident and the one in Luke 13 tell us that the legalistic pharisees had the same ideas about getting Jesus to violate the Law (in their eyes, He was violating the Law). These two recorded incidents by Luke suggest that this sort of thing may have happened many times.

The pharisees knew that Jesus was compassionate (far more than they were), and were depending upon His compassion to heal on the Sabbath (which the pharisees have decided is working).

Luke14:2 And [Jesus] sees [lit., And behold] a certain man in front of Him, [who] had swollen limbs [or, dropsy].