Matthew 9:12
New International Version
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

New Living Translation
When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.”

English Standard Version
But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

Berean Standard Bible
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Berean Literal Bible
And having heard, He said, "Not those being strong have need of a physician, but those being sick.

King James Bible
But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

New King James Version
When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

New American Standard Bible
But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

NASB 1995
But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

NASB 1977
But when He heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

Legacy Standard Bible
But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

Amplified Bible
But when Jesus heard this, He said, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but [only] those who are sick.

Christian Standard Bible
Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But when He heard this, He said, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do.

American Standard Version
But when he heard it, he said, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But when Yeshua heard, he said to them, “The healthy do not need a doctor, but those who have become ill.”

Contemporary English Version
Jesus heard them and answered, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But Jesus hearing it, said: They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are ill.

English Revised Version
But when he heard it, he said, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When Jesus heard that, he said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor; those who are sick do.

Good News Translation
Jesus heard them and answered, "People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick.

International Standard Version
When Jesus heard that, he said, "Healthy people don't need a physician, but sick people do.

Literal Standard Version
And Jesus having heard, said to them, “They who are whole have no need of a physician, but they who are ill;

Majority Standard Bible
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

New American Bible
He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.

NET Bible
When Jesus heard this he said, "Those who are healthy don't need a physician, but those who are sick do.

New Revised Standard Version
But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

New Heart English Bible
When he heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.

Webster's Bible Translation
But when Jesus heard that, he said to them, They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are sick.

Weymouth New Testament
He heard the question and replied, "It is not men in good health who require a doctor, but the sick.

World English Bible
When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jesus having heard, said to them, 'They who are whole have no need of a physician, but they who are ill;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Calling of Matthew
11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”…

Cross References
Jeremiah 8:22
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?

Mark 2:17
On hearing this, Jesus told them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Luke 5:31
Jesus answered, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Colossians 4:14
Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas send you greetings.


Treasury of Scripture

But when Jesus heard that, he said to them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

They that be whole.

Psalm 6:2
Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.

Psalm 41:4
I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

Psalm 147:3
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

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Matthew 9
1. Jesus heals a paralytic
9. calls Matthew from the receipt of custom;
10. eats with tax collectors and sinners;
14. defends his disciples for not fasting;
20. cures the sick woman;
23. raises Jairus' daughter from death;
27. gives sight to two blind men;
32. heals a mute man possessed of a demon;
36. and has compassion on the multitude.














(12) They that be whole.--Literally, They that are strong. St. Luke gives, with a more professional precision, "They that are in health." That, speaking from the thoughts and standpoint of those addressed (which in another than our Lord we might term grave irony), which enters so largely into our Lord's teaching, appears here in its most transparent form. Those of whom He speaks were, we know, suffering from the worst form of spiritual disease, but in their own estimation they were without spot or taint, and as such. therefore, He speaks to them. On their own showing, they ought not to object to His carrying on that work where there was most need of it. The proverb cited by Him in Luke 4:23 shows that it was not the first time that He had referred to His own work as that of the Great Physician.

Verse 12. - But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole. Οἱ ἰσχύοντες (so also Mark) may include an arriere-pensee of moral self-assertion which St. Luke entirely loses by his alteration to οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες: cf. 1 Corinthians 4:10. Need not; have no need of (Revised Version). These are the emphatic words in the sentence. Christ takes the Pharisees at their own estimate of themselves, and, without entering into the question of whether this was right or wrong, shows them that on their own showing he would be useless to them. A physician, but they that are sick. "Sed ubi dolores sunt, air, illic festinat medicns," Ephr. Syr., in his exposition of Tatian's 'Diatess.' (Resch, 'Agrapha,' p. 443).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[On]
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

hearing this,
ἀκούσας (akousas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

[Jesus] said,
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“[It is] not
Οὐ (Ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

the
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

healthy
ἰσχύοντες (ischyontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2480: To have strength, be strong, be in full health and vigor, be able; meton: I prevail. From ischus; to have force.

[who]
ἔχουσιν (echousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

need
χρείαν (chreian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5532: From the base of chraomai or chre; employment, i.e. An affair; also occasion, demand, requirement or destitution.

a doctor,
ἰατροῦ (iatrou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2395: A physician. From iaomai; a physician.

but
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

the
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sick.
κακῶς (kakōs)
Adverb
Strong's 2560: Badly, evilly, wrongly. From kakos; badly.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 9:12 When Jesus heard it he said (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 9:11
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