Luke 6

Listen to this chapter

Jesus asserts his authority over the Sabbath by allowing his disciples to pluck corn and by healing a man with a withered hand, provoking the Pharisees. He then chooses twelve apostles after a night of prayer. On a plain, Jesus delivers teachings, including blessings for the poor and woes for the rich, and exhortations to love enemies, be merciful, and practice self-examination before judging others. He concludes with parables emphasizing that true discipleship involves hearing and doing his words, likening it to building a house on a strong foundation.

The Disciples Pluck Grain on the Sabbath 1–5

¶ And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?

And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;

How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?

And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Healing the Man with the Withered Hand 6–11

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.

And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.

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.

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?

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.

And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles 12–16

¶ And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,

And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

The Sermon on the Plain Begins 17–19

And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.

And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

Blessings and Woes 20–26

¶ And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Love Your Enemies 27–36

¶ But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.

Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Judging Others and Giving Generously 37–38

¶ Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Parables of Discipleship and Integrity 39–45

And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

The Foundation of the House 46–49

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Luke 6

Verse 1

the second sabbath after the first — One Greek word, deuteroproton ('second-first'), found only here in the New Testament. The disciples' plucking and rubbing the ears is the act Deut 23:25 allowed: 'thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand'. Matthew and Mark place the same event (Matt 12:1; Mark 2:23).

Verse 2

not lawful to do on the sabbath days — The charge is not that the grain was taken, which Deut 23:25 permitted, but that it was done on the sabbath. 'Lawful' is exesti, the word of the Pharisees' complaint in Mark 2:24 and Matt 12:2, and of Jesus' own question in v.9.

Verse 3

what David did — The account is 1 Sam 21:1–6, where the priest gave David 'hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread'. Jesus asks, 'Have ye not read', of the Pharisees' own Scripture (cf. Matt 12:3). David and 'they which were with him' were hungry, as the disciples were.

Verse 5

Lord also of the sabbath — Kyrios, master, set over the very day the Pharisees invoked. 'The Son of man' is Christ's own title for himself. Mark adds the saying that 'The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath' (Mark 2:27); Matthew has the same claim (Matt 12:8).

Verse 7

watched him — Paratereo, to observe closely and with intent; the purpose clause says why, 'that they might find an accusation'. The same watching recurs in 'they watched him, and sent forth spies' (Luke 20:20). Mark records the same watch, 'that they might accuse him' (Mark 3:2).

Verse 9

to save life, or to destroy it — Sozo, to save, against apollymi, to destroy. Jesus sets the question to those who were watching him (v.7), so that refusing the good counts as the evil. Mark's form, 'to save life, or to kill', adds that 'they held their peace' (Mark 3:4).

Verse 11

filled with madness — Anoia, literally want of understanding, rage. It occurs only here and in 2 Tim 3:9, where the folly of men who resist the truth 'shall be manifest unto all men'. Mark names the next step: they took counsel 'how they might destroy him' (Mark 3:6).

Verse 12

continued all night in prayer to God — Dianuktereuo, to spend the whole night, occurs only here in the New Testament. Luke records Christ's praying before the choice of the twelve; Matthew has him on 'a mountain apart to pray' (Matt 14:23). 'Those days' follow the plot of v.11.

Verse 13

he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles — Apostolos, one sent, from the verb for sending out. 'Chose' is eklegomai, to pick out from the larger company of 'his disciples'. The twelve are later sent with 'power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases' (Luke 9:1).

Verse 15

Simon called Zelotes — Zelotes, one zealous; the word is used of this Simon only here and in Acts 1:13. Matthew and Mark call him 'the Canaanite' (Matt 10:4; Mark 3:18). The list also holds Matthew, the man called from 'the receipt of custom' (Matt 9:9).

Verse 17

stood in the plain — Pedinos, level, found only here in the New Testament; he came down 'with them' from the mountain of v.12. The multitude came from Judaea, Jerusalem and the coast of Tyre and Sidon, cities named in Matt 11:21; they came both 'to hear him, and to be healed'.

Verse 20

Blessed be ye poor — Ptochos, one who has nothing, a beggar. Addressed to 'his disciples', and put in the second person, 'yours is the kingdom of God'. Matthew words the first beatitude 'poor in spirit' (Matt 5:3). James 2:5 says God has chosen 'the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom'.

Verse 22

separate you from their company — Aphorizo, to mark off by a boundary, to exclude. The blessing is 'for the Son of man's sake', and is joined to joy in v.23: 'for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets'. The apostles later rejoiced 'that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name' (Acts 5:41).

Verse 24

ye have received your consolation — Apecho, to receive in full, as a payment for which a receipt is given. Matthew uses the same verb of the hypocrites, 'They have their reward' (Matt 6:2, 5, 16). The rich man of the parable hears, 'thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things' (Luke 16:25).

Verse 27

Love your enemies — Agapao with echthros, the hostile one. 'Unto you which hear' limits this to those who listen, as in v.47. Matthew gives it with 'pray for them which despitefully use you' and 'persecute you' (Matt 5:44); Proverbs already says, 'If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat' (Prov 25:21).

Verse 29

offer also the other — Siagon is the cheek or jaw; the blow is given 'on the one cheek'. Lam 3:30 says of the afflicted, 'He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him'. 'Cloke' is himation, the outer garment, and 'coat' chiton, the tunic; Matthew reverses the order (Matt 5:40).

Verse 31

as ye would that men should do to you — Matthew gives the same sentence with the added words 'for this is the law and the prophets' (Matt 7:12). Luke places it between the commands about enemies and the questions on 'what thank have ye' (vv.32–34), where it sets the measure for giving.

Verse 32

what thank have ye? — Charis, grace, favour, rendered 'thank' here and in vv.33–34, three times in a row. Matthew's parallel asks 'what reward have ye?' and names 'the publicans' (Matt 5:46). Here the standard is 'sinners' (hamartolos), who do the same, so mere return of love earns no favour.

Verse 35

hoping for nothing again — Apelpizo, found only here in the New Testament. The reward is 'great', and the 'children of the Highest' (hypsistos) copy a God who 'is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil'. Matthew has the same point as the sun and rain given to the evil and the good (Matt 5:45).

Verse 36

merciful, as your Father also is merciful — Oiktirmon, compassionate, found only here and in James 5:11, of the Lord as 'very pitiful, and of tender mercy'. Matthew words the parallel, 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect' (Matt 5:48).

Verse 37

forgive, and ye shall be forgiven — Three paired commands: krino, to judge; katadikazo, to pronounce guilty; apoluo, to release. The first is Matthew's 'Judge not, that ye be not judged' (Matt 7:1). The passive verbs leave the judge unnamed, as the 'men' who give in v.38 are left open.

Verse 38

into your bosom — Kolpos, the fold of the garment at the chest. The measure is 'pressed down, and shaken together, and running over'. Mark has the similar saying 'with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you' (Mark 4:24); Prov 19:17 says the LORD repays the one who pities the poor.

Verse 39

Can the blind lead the blind? — Hodegeo, to guide on the road; bothynos, a pit or ditch. Matthew uses the saying of the Pharisees: 'they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch' (Matt 15:14). Luke calls it a 'parable' and joins it to vv.37–38.

Verse 40

every one that is perfect shall be as his master — Katartizo, to fit completely, to bring to full order. Matthew has 'The disciple is not above his master' (Matt 10:24) and John 'The servant is not greater than his lord' (John 13:16). The disciple's goal is the teacher's likeness.

Verse 42

Thou hypocrite — Hypokrites, a stage actor, one who plays a part. 'Mote' (karphos) is a dry splinter and 'beam' (dokos) a roof timber. Matthew has the same order of removal: 'first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly' (Matt 7:5).

Verse 45

out of the good treasure of his heart — Thesauros, a store laid up; 'abundance' is perisseuma, overflow. The word follows the tree and fruit of vv.43–44. Matthew has the same saying to the Pharisees: 'O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?' (Matt 12:34).

Verse 46

Lord, Lord, and do not — The double address recurs in 'Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven' (Matt 7:21), and in the shut door of Luke 13:25. Kyrios is a title of authority; the question asks why it is spoken without obeying.

Verse 48

digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock — Skapto, to dig, with bathyno, to deepen; the foundation is laid on petra, bedrock. The flood 'beat vehemently' (prosregnymi) and could not shake it. Matthew puts the same house with 'the rain descended, and the floods came' (Matt 7:25).