Mark 3 · Verse 4

Mark 3:4

And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
Mark 3:4, King James Version

Mark 3:4 in other translations

BSBAnd He asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” But they were silent.
WEBHe said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do harm? To save a life or to kill?” But they were silent.
ASVAnd he saith unto them, Is it lawful on the sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? to save a life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
YLTAnd he saith to them, ‘Is it lawful on the sabbaths to do good, or to do evil? life to save, or to kill?' but they were silent.
DARBYAnd he says to them, Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill? But they were silent.
BBEAnd he said to them, Is it right to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil? to give life or to put to death? But they said nothing.
WebsterAnd he saith to them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? but they held their peace.

What does Mark 3:4 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 4. Or to do evil? to saw life, or to kill?. It seems to have been a maxim with the Jews, that not to do good, when we have an opportunity, was to do evil; not to save life was 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 matter 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," Mt 25:45. If this be true, what an obligation rests on the rich to do good!

(c) "to save life" Hos 6:6

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 3:1-5

This man's case was piteous; he had a withered hand, which disabled him from working for his living; and those that are so, are the most proper objects of charity. Let those be helped that cannot help themselves. But stubborn infidels, when they can say nothing against the truth, yet will not yield. We hear what is said amiss, and see what is done amiss; but Christ looks at the root of bitterness in the heart, the…

Read the full comment on Mark 3:1-5 →

Mark 3:4 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
λέγειlegeiHe saysG3004
αὐτοῖς·autoisto them;G846
ἔξεστινexestinIs it lawfulG1832
τοῖςtoison theG3588
σάββασινsabbasinSabbathsG4521
ἀγαθὸνagathongoodG18
ποιῆσαιpoiēsaito doG4160
ἢēorG2228
κακοποιῆσαι,kakopoiēsaito do evil?G2554
ψυχὴνpsuchēnLifeG5590
σῶσαιsōsaito saveG4982
ἢēorG2228
ἀποκτεῖναι;apokteinaito kill?G615
οἱhoi<the>G3588
δὲdeButG1161
ἐσιώπων.esiōpōnthey were silent.G4623

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Mark 3:4

  • Luke 6:9

    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?

  • Luke 14:1-5

    And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; …

  • Matthew 12:10-12

    And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

  • Hosea 6:6

    For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

  • Mark 2:27-28

    And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

  • Luke 13:13-17

    And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 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? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? …

  • Mark 9:34

    But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Is it.
2:27,28; Ho 6:6; Mt 12:10-12; Lu 6:9; 13:13-17; 14:1-5
But.
9:34

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Mark 3:3

    And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

  • Mark 3:4

    And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

  • Mark 3:5

    And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Read all of Mark 3

Mark 3:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y les dice: ¿Es lícito hacer bien en sábado, ó hacer mal? ¿salvar la vida, ó quitarla? Mas ellos callaban.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il leur dit: Est-il permis de faire du bien le jour de sabbat, ou de faire du mal? de sauver la vie, ou de tuer? Mais ils gardaient le silence.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er spricht zu ihnen: Ist es erlaubt, an den Sabbathen Gutes zu tun oder Böses zu tun, das Leben zu retten oder zu töten? Sie aber schwiegen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et dicit eis: Licet sabbatis benefacere, an male? animam salvam facere, an perdere? At illi tacebant.