Matthew 12:11

He replied to them, “Would anyone among you who has only one sheep that falls into a hole ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day► just leave it there [RHQ]? Certainly not! You would take hold of it and lift it out right away, and that would be acceptable work on our day of rest, too

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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?

In Context

10He saw a man with a shriveled hand there. The Pharisees thought that Jesus would be disobeying the tradition about not working on the day of rest if he healed the man, so one of them asked him, “Does God permit us to heal people on our day of rest?” They asked that question so that they might accuse him if he healed someone ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day►.

12Because sheep are valuable, their owners may work on our day of rest in order to rescue them. So, because people are more valuable than sheep, it is certainly right for us to do something good by healing another person any day, including our day of rest!”

Read all of Matthew 12

Cross References

Exodus 23:4If you see someone’s bull or donkey when it is wandering away loose, take it back to its owner, even if the owner is your enemy.

Luke 13:15Then the Lord replied to him, “You (sg) and your fellow religious leaders are hypocrites! ◄On the Sabbath/On our Jewish day of rest►, just like on every other day, ◄each of you unties his ox or donkey, and then leads it from the food trough to where it can drink water./does not each of you untie his ox or donkey, and then lead it from the food trough to where it can drink water?► [RHQ] That is work, too!

Matthew Henry on Matthew 12:2-14

Christ Vindicates His Disciples. 1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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