Discovery BoxLuke 13:14-17 
Context13:14 But the president of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, “There are six days on which work 1 should be done! 2 So come 3 and be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath day.” 13:15 Then the Lord answered him, 4 “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall, 5 and lead it to water? 6 13:16 Then 7 shouldn’t 8 this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan 9 bound for eighteen long 10 years, be released from this imprisonment 11 on the Sabbath day?” 13:17 When 12 he said this all his adversaries were humiliated, 13 but 14 the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things 15 he was doing. 16
1 sn The irony is that Jesus’ “work” consisted of merely touching the woman. There is no sense of joy that eighteen years of suffering was reversed with his touch.
2 tn Grk “on which it is necessary to work.” This has been simplified in the translation.
3 tn The participle ἐρχόμενοι (ercomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
4 tn Grk “answered him and said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been shortened to “answered him.”
5 tn Grk “from the manger [feeding trough],” but by metonymy of part for whole this can be rendered “stall.”
6 sn The charge here is hypocrisy, but it is only part one of the response. Various ancient laws detail what was allowed with cattle; see Mishnah, m. Shabbat 5; CD 11:5-6.
7 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to show the connection with Jesus’ previous statement.
8 tn Grk “is it not necessary that.” Jesus argues that no other day is more appropriate to heal a descendant of Abraham than the Sabbath, the exact opposite view of the synagogue leader.
9 sn Note that this is again a battle between Satan and God; see 11:18-23.
10 tn The word “long” reflects the emphasis added in the Greek text by ἰδού (idou). See BDAG 468 s.v. 1.
11 tn Or “bondage”; Grk “bond.”
12 tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
13 tn Or “were put to shame.”
14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
15 sn Concerning all the wonderful things see Luke 7:16; 19:37.
16 tn Grk “that were being done by him.” The passive has been converted to an active construction in the translation.
