Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus highlights the hypocrisy by pointing out how readily they attend to their animals' needs, even from the manger, on the Sabbath, yet object to freeing a suffering human being. He emphasizes that the very act of "loosing" from the manger to water is considered necessary care, a far less urgent need than this woman's liberation from years of bondage.
Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus had just healed a woman who had been suffering for eighteen years, an act that offended the synagogue ruler who then publicly criticized Jesus for breaking the Sabbath. Jesus directly confronts this ruler and others like him, pointing out the hypocrisy of their strict observance of the Sabbath laws when it came to animals, yet they condemned him for showing compassion to a suffering human being. He highlights that their own practices on the Sabbath involve loosening their animals from their stalls to give them water, a clear parallel to him "loosening" this woman from her long-standing affliction.
The synagogue ruler was furious that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. But Jesus had a sharp question: what do YOU do on the Sabbath?
Jesus calls out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. They meticulously followed strict rules about not working on the Sabbath, yet they conveniently overlooked these rules when their own comfort or property was involved.
The Ruler's Logic
The ruler argued that there were six days for healing, implying the Sabbath was exclusively for rest. This shows a rigid, legalistic approach to God's commands.
Jesus' Counter-Argument
Jesus points out their everyday practice: unhitching an ox or donkey to give it water. This was a common, necessary task, often performed on the Sabbath. It was permitted because it was for the well-being of their animals and their own interests. Jesus highlights the double standard: they allowed work for animals but condemned healing for people.
Was the Sabbath meant to be a burden, or a blessing? Jesus reveals the heart of God concerning His holy day.
The Sabbath was instituted by God for rest and restoration, a sign of His own work of creation and redemption. The religious leaders had twisted it into a rigid set of human regulations that often hindered compassion.
Ask a follow-up
A Day for Mercy
Jesus argues that acts of mercy and compassion are not violations of the Sabbath, but actually honor its true purpose. Freeing an animal for a basic need like water is permissible. How much more, then, should freeing a person from suffering be allowed, especially when they have been bound for years?
Restoring the Broken
This woman was bound by an 'infirmity' for eighteen years, described as being held by Satan. Jesus saw her not as a case to be managed on a weekday, but as a daughter of Abraham in desperate need of immediate liberation. His healing was an act of 'loosing' her from bondage, mirroring the unhitching of an animal.
Understand the original words
kyrios · Greek Noun
A term signifying divine authority, mastery, or sovereign ownership. In the Gospels, it is a title acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah and the sovereign God-man with authority over the natural and supernatural realms.
hypokritēs · Greek Noun
A person who pretends to be morally or religiously upright while harboring contrary motives or living in violation of the truth. It implies a 'play-acting' or wearing a mask before God and others.
This incident highlights the tension between Jesus' compassionate ministry and the rigid, often hypocritical, interpretations of Sabbath law held by some religious leaders of his day.
c. 200 BC - AD 30
Development of Strict Sabbath Laws
During the Second Temple period, Jewish leaders developed detailed interpretations and regulations for Sabbath observance, emphasizing rest and prohibiting work.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Ministry and Teaching
Jesus traveled throughout Galilee and Judea, teaching in synagogues and performing miracles, often encountering opposition from religious authorities.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus Heals a Woman on the Sabbath
Jesus teaches in a synagogue and miraculously heals a woman who had been afflicted for eighteen years, causing her to stand upright.
Early 1st century AD
Ruler of Synagogue Objects
The synagogue ruler, indignant that Jesus healed on the Sabbath, confronts Jesus and the crowd, arguing that healing is work forbidden on the holy day.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Counter-Argument
Jesus challenges the ruler's hypocrisy by comparing the healing of the woman to the common practice of untying an ox or donkey to lead it for water on the Sabbath.
Early 1st century AD
Shame and Rejoicing
Jesus' powerful argument leaves his adversaries ashamed, while the people rejoice over the glorious deeds of healing and liberation.
This passage shares the same core argument, with Jesus asking about rescuing a sheep on the Sabbath, highlighting the inconsistency of prioritizing property over people.
Luke 6:9Jesus directly confronts the same kind of religious hypocrisy, asking 'Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?', mirroring the principle at play in Luke 13:15.
Exodus 20:8-10This foundational command outlines the Sabbath's purpose for rest, but Jesus' argument shows that acts of mercy and necessity are not violations of its spirit.
Isaiah 58:6-7This prophetic passage describes true fasting and Sabbath observance as acts of justice and compassion, directly opposing the rigid, unmerciful application of rules seen in Luke 13:15.
calvinLuke 13:10-17: "And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath."
- And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11. And, lo, a woman who had a spirit of infirmity during eighteen years, and was bent down, and was altogether unable to lift up her head. [279] 12. Whom when Jesus saw, he called her to him, and said to her, Woman, thou art delivered from thine infirmity. 13. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood upright, and glorified God. 14. And th…
jfbLuke 13:15: "The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?"
- the Lord—(See on [1655]Lu 10:1).hypocrite!—How "the faithful and true Witness" tears off the masks which men wear!his ox, &c.—(See on [1656]Mt 12:9-13; and Lu 6:9).
Jesus highlights the hypocrisy by pointing out how readily they attend to their animals' needs, even from the manger, on the Sabbath, yet object to freeing a suffering human being. He emphasizes that the very act of "loosing" from the manger to water is considered necessary care, a far less urgent need than this woman's liberation from years of bondage.
Jesus had just healed a woman who had been suffering for eighteen years, an act that offended the synagogue ruler who then publicly criticized Jesus for breaking the Sabbath. Jesus directly confronts this ruler and others like him, pointing out the hypocrisy of their strict observance of the Sabbath laws when it came to animals, yet they condemned him for showing compassion to a suffering human being. He highlights that their own practices on the Sabbath involve loosening their animals from their stalls to give them water, a clear parallel to him "loosening" this woman from her long-standing affliction.
Jesus had just healed a woman who had been suffering for eighteen years, an act that offended the synagogue ruler who then publicly criticized Jesus for breaking the Sabbath. Jesus directly confronts this ruler and others like him, pointing out the hypocrisy of their strict observance of the Sabbath laws when it came to animals, yet they condemned him for showing compassion to a suffering human being. He highlights that their own practices on the Sabbath involve loosening their animals from their stalls to give them water, a clear parallel to him "loosening" this woman from her long-standing affliction.
"Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it?" — Jesus highlights the hypocrisy by pointing out how readily they attend to their animals' needs, even from the manger, on the Sabbath, yet object to freeing a suffering human being. He emphasizes that…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026