Luke 13:15
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)
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Jesus isn't just pointing out a double standard; he's highlighting how their everyday acts of compassion for animals, like untying an ox to give it water, were considered vital for Sabbath observance, yet they denied the same basic care to a suffering human being. This reveals their religious rules had become more about rigid traditions than genuine love and mercy.
Jesus had just healed a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years while teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. The synagogue ruler, offended that Jesus performed healing on the Sabbath, publicly rebuked Him and the crowd, telling them to come for healing on a workday. Jesus, responding to this hypocrisy, challenges the ruler's logic by pointing out their own practices of caring for their animals on the Sabbath.
The synagogue ruler was fuming because Jesus healed a woman on the Sabbath. But Jesus had a question that cut right to the heart of his hypocrisy.
Jesus doesn't shy away from calling out religious leaders when their actions contradict their beliefs.
The Ruler's Outrage
The leader of the synagogue was deeply offended (Luke 13:14). He believed healing a woman on the Sabbath was breaking God's law. His logic: there are six days for work, so why do it on the holy day?
Jesus's Counter-Question
Jesus turns the tables with a simple, relatable question (Luke 13:15). He asks if they would ever leave their own animals thirsty on the Sabbath, or if they'd at least untie them to get a drink. The implication is clear: of course, they wouldn't. They'd care for their animals' needs.
The Double Standard
Jesus highlights the glaring double standard. They were willing to do work to care for their animals, but they were angry at him for doing a work of mercy to care for a suffering human being. His question exposes their twisted priorities and their lack of genuine compassion.
When the synagogue ruler demanded healing wait for a less holy day, Jesus powerfully revealed who truly mattered in God's eyes.
Jesus's illustration wasn't just about logic; it was about value and identity.
More Than Just an Animal
The ruler saw the healing as a violation of the Sabbath. Jesus saw it as a necessary act of liberation for someone precious.
The 'Daughter of Abraham'
In verse 16, Jesus calls the afflicted woman 'this daughter of Abraham.' This wasn't a casual description; it was a title of immense dignity and spiritual heritage. It meant she was part of God's covenant people, deserving of care and restoration, not just dismissal.
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 exchange highlights the intense conflict Jesus faced over Sabbath observance. While religious leaders rigidly interpreted the law to forbid any work, Jesus argued that acts of compassion and mercy, even on the Sabbath, were consistent with God's will and the true spirit of the law.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
Jesus teaches in Galilean synagogues
Jesus frequently taught in synagogues throughout Galilee, drawing crowds and encountering opposition from religious leaders.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath
Jesus heals a woman who had been disabled for eighteen years, a miraculous act that drew criticism from the synagogue ruler.
c. 30-33 AD
Debates over Sabbath observance
Jesus engaged in frequent debates with Pharisees and scribes regarding the proper interpretation and application of the Sabbath law.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' healing ministry faces opposition
Many of Jesus' healing miracles, especially those performed on the Sabbath, were met with hostility and accusations of breaking the law.
Jesus uses a very similar argument, asking if someone wouldn't rescue their own sheep if it fell into a pit on the Sabbath, highlighting the hypocrisy of prioritizing animals over people.
Luke 6:9In another Sabbath controversy, Jesus directly asks the critics if it is lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, making a similar point about the lawfulness of acts of compassion.
Exodus 20:8-10This passage lays out the commandment to 'remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,' but Jesus' argument shows that acts of compassion and necessity do not violate the spirit of this sacred day.
Isaiah 58:13-14God speaks through Isaiah about a Sabbath that is 'a delight' and 'honorable,' which involves refraining from one's own ways and pursuits, implying that true Sabbath observance aligns with justice and mercy, not rigid legalism.
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 isn't just pointing out a double standard; he's highlighting how their everyday acts of compassion for animals, like untying an ox to give it water, were considered vital for Sabbath observance, yet they denied the same basic care to a suffering human being. This reveals their religious rules had become more about rigid traditions than genuine love and mercy.
Jesus had just healed a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years while teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. The synagogue ruler, offended that Jesus performed healing on the Sabbath, publicly rebuked Him and the crowd, telling them to come for healing on a workday. Jesus, responding to this hypocrisy, challenges the ruler's logic by pointing out their own practices of caring for their animals on the Sabbath.
Jesus had just healed a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years while teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. The synagogue ruler, offended that Jesus performed healing on the Sabbath, publicly rebuked Him and the crowd, telling them to come for healing on a workday. Jesus, responding to this hypocrisy, challenges the ruler's logic by pointing out their own practices of caring for their animals on the Sabbath.
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Satan's Chains vs. Sabbath Rules
Jesus contrasts the 'bond' (Luke 13:16) that had held the woman captive for eighteen years with the supposed 'bond' of Sabbath-keeping. He argues that freeing a person from suffering, especially a 'daughter of Abraham,' was not only permissible but fitting for the Sabbath – a day meant to reflect God's liberating love.
"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 isn't just pointing out a double standard; he's highlighting how their everyday acts of compassion for animals, like untying an ox to give it water, were considered vital for Sabbath observance…
