Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, August 14th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Chinese NCV (Simplified)

马可福音 3:4

又對他們說:“在安息日哪一樣是可以作的呢:作好事還是壞事?救命還是害命?”他們一聲不響。

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Capernaum;   Jesus, the Christ;   Miracles;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Pharisees;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Jesus Christ;   Legalism;   Miracle;   Synagogue;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jesus Christ;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Law, Ten Commandments, Torah;   Persecution in the Bible;   Sabbath;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Consciousness;   Disease;   Error;   Good ;   Liberty (2);   Lord's Supper. (I.);   Mental Characteristics;   Mission;   Nation (2);   Nationality;   Paradox;   Peace (2);   Physician (2);   Questions and Answers;   Sabbath ;   Salvation;   Soul;   Worldliness (2);   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Phar'isees,;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Good;   Lawful;   Mark, the Gospel According to;   Resurrection;  

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
又 问 众 人 说 : 在 安 息 日 行 善 行 恶 , 救 命 害 命 , 那 样 是 可 以 的 呢 ? 他 们 都 不 作 声 。

Contextual Overview

1 Another time when Jesus went into a synagogue, a man with a crippled hand was there. 2 Some people watched Jesus closely to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath day so they could accuse him. 3 Jesus said to the man with the crippled hand, "Stand up here in the middle of everyone." 4 Then Jesus asked the people, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath day: to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?" But they said nothing to answer him. 5 Jesus was angry as he looked at the people, and he felt very sad because they were stubborn. Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." The man held out his hand and it was healed. 6 Then the Pharisees left and began making plans with the Herodians about a way to kill Jesus. 7 Jesus left with his followers for the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed him. 8 Also many people came from Judea, from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from the lands across the Jordan River, and from the area of Tyre and Sidon. When they heard what Jesus was doing, many people came to him. 9 When Jesus saw the crowds, he told his followers to get a boat ready for him to keep people from crowding against him. 10 He had healed many people, so all the sick were pushing toward him to touch him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Is it: Mark 2:27, Mark 2:28, Hosea 6:6, Matthew 12:10-12, Luke 6:9, Luke 13:13-17, Luke 14:1-5

But: Mark 9:34

Reciprocal: Matthew 12:12 - it is Luke 14:3 - Is John 5:10 - it is not John 7:19 - Why Galatians 6:10 - do good

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "How could you have done such a thing?" She answered, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."
Deuteronomy 29:19
These are the kind of people who hear these curses but bless themselves, thinking, "We will be safe even though we continue doing what we want to do." Those people may destroy all of your land, both wet and dry.
2 Kings 1:4
This is what the Lord says: ‘You will never get up from the bed you are lying on; you will die.'" Then Elijah left.
2 Kings 1:6
They said, "A man came to meet us. He said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him what the Lord says: "Why do you send messengers to ask questions of Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron? Is it because you think there is no God in Israel? You will never get up from the bed you are lying on; you will die."'"
2 Kings 1:16
Elijah told Ahaziah, "This is what the Lord says: ‘You have sent messengers to ask questions of Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron. Is it because you think there is no God in Israel to ask? Because of this, you will never get up from your bed; you will die.'"
2 Kings 8:10
Elisha said to Hazael, "Go and tell Ben-Hadad, ‘You will surely recover,' but the Lord has told me he will really die."
Psalms 10:11
The wicked think, "God has forgotten us. He doesn't see what is happening."
2 Corinthians 2:11
I did this so that Satan would not win anything from us, because we know very well what Satan's plans are.
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I am afraid that your minds will be led away from your true and pure following of Christ just as Eve was tricked by the snake with his evil ways.
1 Timothy 2:14
And Adam was not tricked, but the woman was tricked and became a sinner.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he saith unto them,.... Either to the whole multitude, to all the assembly in the synagogue; and so the Persic version renders it, "again he said to the multitude"; or rather, to the Scribes and Pharisees, who were watching him, and had put a question to him, which he answers by another:

is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil, to save life, or to kill? The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions read, or "to destroy", as in Luke 6:9, To do evil, kill, or destroy, are not lawful at any time; and to do good, and to save life, must be right at all times: our Lord has a particular view to the Scribes and Pharisees, and the question is put home to their own consciences; whose hearts and thoughts, designs and views, were all open to Christ; and who were now watching to do evil to him, and even to destroy and take away his life: for the violation of the sabbath was death by the law, and this was what they sought to accuse him of: now he puts the question to them, and makes them judges which must appear most right and just in the sight of God and men, for him to heal this poor man of his withered hand, though on the sabbath day; which would be doing a good and beneficent action to him, whereby his life would be saved, and preserved with comfort and usefulness, and he would be in a capacity of getting his livelihood; or for them to cherish an evil intention against him, to seek to bring mischief on him; and not only destroy his character and usefulness as much as in them lay, but even take away his very life also: he leaves it with them to consider of which was most agreeable to the law of God, the nature of a sabbath, and the good of mankind;

but they held their peace; or "were silent", not being able to return an answer, but what must have been in his favour, and to their own confusion, and therefore chose to say nothing.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this explained in Matthew 12:9-13.

Mark 3:4

Or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? - It seems to have been a maxim with the Jews that not to do good when we have an opportunity is to do evil; not to save life is to kill or to be guilty of murder. If a man has an opportunity of saving a man’s life when he is in danger, and does not do it, he is evidently guilty of his death. On this principle our Saviour puts this question to the Jews - whether it was better for him, having the power to heal this man, to do it, or to suffer him to remain in this suffering condition; and he illustrates it by an example, showing that in a manner of much less importance - that respecting their cattle - they would do on the Sabbath just as “he” would if he should heal this man. The same remark may apply to all opportunities of doing good. “The ability to do good imposes an obligation to do it” (Cotton Mather) He that has the means of feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked, and instructing the ignorant, and sending the gospel to the destitute, and that does it not, is guilty, for he is practically doing evil; he is suffering evils to exist which he might remove. So the wicked will be condemned in the day of judgment because “they did it not,” Matthew 25:45. If this is true, what an obligation rests upon the rich to do good!

Mark 3:5

With anger - With a severe and stern countenance; with indignation at their hypocrisy and hardness of heart. This was not, however, a spiteful or revengeful passion; it was caused by excessive “grief” at their state: “being grieved for the hardness of their hearts.” It was not hatred of the “men” whose hearts were so hard; it was hatred of the sin which they exhibited, joined with the extreme grief that neither his teaching nor the law of God, nor any means which could be used, overcame their confirmed wickedness. Such anger is not unlawful, Ephesians 4:26. However, in this instance, our Lord has taught us that anger is never lawful except when it is tempered with grief or compassion for those who have offended.

Hardness of their hearts - The heart, figuratively the seat of feeling or affection, is said to be tender when it is easily affected by the sufferings of others - by our own sin and danger - by the love and commands of God; when we are easily made to feel on the great subjects pertaining to our interest, Ezekiel 11:19-20. It is hard when nothing moves it; when a man is alike insensible to the sufferings of others, to the dangers of his own condition, and to the commands, the love, and the threatenings of God. It is most tender in youth, or when we have committed fewest crimes. It is made hard by indulgence in sin, by long resisting the offers of salvation, or by opposing any great and affecting appeals which God may make to us by his Spirit or providence, by affliction, or by a revival of religion. Hence, it is that the most favorable period for securing an interest in Christ, or for becoming a Christian, is in youth the first, the tenderest, and the best days of life. Nay, in the days of childhood, in the Sabbath-school, God may be found, and the soul prepared to die.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Mark 3:4. To do good - or - evil? to save life, or to kill? — It was a maxim with the Jews, as it should be with all men, that he who neglected to preserve life when it was in his power, was to be reputed a murderer. Every principle of sound justice requires that he should be considered in this light. But, if this be the case, how many murderers are there against whom there is no law but the law of God!

To kill - but instead of αποκτειναι, several MSS. and versions have απολεσαι to destroy. Wetstein and Griesbach quote Theophylact for this reading; but it is not in my copy. Paris edit. 1635.


 
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