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Luke 6:6-11

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

6. And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. 7. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. 8. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. 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]? 10. And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 11. And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

Luke 6:6-11 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Luke 6:6

Theological / Devotional

On another sabbath. [The Man With a Withered Hand, Luke 6:6-11 = Matt. 12:9-14 = Mark 3:1-6. Major comment: Mark and Luke. See Early Galilean Ministry; on miracles pp. 208-213.] The Scriptures give no clue as to the chronological setting of the incident of vs. 6-11. It might be concluded from Matt. 12:9, taken alone, that the healing of the withered hand took place on the same Sabbath as the incident in the grain field, but Luke makes clear that it was “on another sabbath.” Furthermore, Jesus and His disciples were on their way home from the synagogue as they passed through the grain field (DA 284), whereas they are in the synagogue on this occasion (see Matt. 12:9). It seems that all three synoptic writers have grouped together certain incidents of conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders in topical rather than chronological order, the better to emphasize the growing opposition of the scribes and Pharisees toward Jesus and His work. See pp. 191, 192, 274.

Taught. Only Luke records the fact that Christ gave what we would call the sermon (see on v. 4:16, 17, 20, 21).

Right hand. Only Luke, with the professional eye of the physician, notes this particular. Whether it was the hand only, or the hand and the arm, that was atrophied, or paralyzed, is not certain. The Greek word here translated “hand” may also include the arm, and is so used by Greek writers. This was Christ’s fifth recorded encounter with the scribes and Pharisees since the opening of His Galilean ministry (see on Mark 2:24).

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