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Mark 2:17

When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

KJV

καὶ ἀκούσας ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς· οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ’ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες· οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς.

Greek NT

Hoc audito Jesus ait illis : Non necesse habent sani medico, sed qui male habent : non enim veni vocare justos, sed peccatores.

Vulgate

And when Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

ASV

Jesus hearing this, saith to them: They that are well have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For I came not to call the just, but sinners.

Douay-Rheims

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In this verse

People Jesus

In the original Greek

17 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
δίκαιος
dikaios
adjective · 79×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
κακῶς
kakos
adverb · 16×
καλέω
kaleo
verb · 148×
λέγω
lego
verb · 2256×
οὐ
ou
particle · 1626×
χρεία
chreia
noun · 49×
ἀκούω
akouo
verb · 427×
ἀλλά
alla
conjunction · 636×
ἁμαρτωλός
amartolos
adjective · 47×
ἔρχομαι
erchomai
verb · 627×
ἔχω
echo
verb · 707×
ἰατρός
iatros
noun · 7×
ἰσχύω
ischuo
verb · 28×
Ἰησοῦς
iesous
noun · 908×
o
article · 19778×

Textual variants

2 variant units attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

trivial
SBLGNT: ὅτι | WH/NIV: ὅτι
  • ὅτιSBLGNT
  • ὅτιWestcott-Hort, Reader's GNT (NA27)
source: sblgnt-apparatus
notable
SBLGNT: ἁμαρτωλούς | WH/Treg/NIV: ἁμαρτωλούς | RP: + εἰς μετάνοιαν
  • ἁμαρτωλούςSBLGNT
  • ἁμαρτωλούςWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • + εἰς μετάνοιανRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Themes

Historic Christian voices

6 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§545Jesus invites sinners to the table of the kingdom: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."258 He invites them to that conversion without which one cannot enter the kingdom, but shows them in word and deed his Father's boundless mercy for them and the vast "joy in heaven over one sinner who repents".259 The supreme proof of his love will be the sacrifice of his own life…
§574From the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, certain Pharisees and partisans of Herod together with priests and scribes agreed together to destroy him.317 Because of certain acts of his expelling demons, forgiving sins, healing on the sabbath day, his novel interpretation of the precepts of the Law regarding purity, and his familiarity with tax collectors and public sinners318…
§1484"Individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary way for the faithful to reconcile themselves with God and the Church, unless physical or moral impossibility excuses from this kind of confession."94 There are profound reasons for this. Christ is at work in each of the sacraments. He personally addresses every sinner: "My son, your sins are forgiven."95 H…
…and 1 more from this source.

Cross-references

  • 1Cor 6:9 — Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
  • 1Tim 1:15 — This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
  • 1Tim 1:15 — This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
  • 2Chr 16:12 — And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.
  • Acts 20:21 — Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Acts 26:20 — But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
  • Ezek 34:16 — I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong;
  • Isa 1:18 — Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
  • Isa 55:7 — Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
  • Job 13:4 — But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
  • John 9:40 — And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
  • Luke 5:31 — And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
  • Luke 5:31 — And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
  • Luke 15:7 — I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
  • Luke 15:10 — Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
  • Luke 15:29 — And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my frien
  • Luke 16:15 — And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
  • Luke 19:10 — For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
  • Matt 9:12 — But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
  • Matt 9:12 — But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
  • Matt 9:13 — But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
  • Matt 18:10 — Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
  • Rom 5:6 — For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
  • Rom 5:20 — Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
  • Titus 2:14 — Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
  • Titus 3:3 — For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.