Mark 2:17
New International Version
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

New Living Translation
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

English Standard Version
And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Berean Standard Bible
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.”

Berean Literal Bible
And Jesus having heard, says to them, "Those being strong have no need of a physician, but those being sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

New American Standard Bible
And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

NASB 1995
And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

NASB 1977
And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “Those who are healthy do not have need for a physician, but only those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Amplified Bible
When Jesus heard this, He said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but [only] those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners [who recognize their sin and humbly seek forgiveness].”

Christian Standard Bible
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But when Yeshua heard, he said to them, “The healthy have no need for a physician, but those who have become very ill; I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Contemporary English Version
Jesus heard them and answered, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn't come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners."

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When Jesus heard that, he said to them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor; those who are sick do. I've come to call sinners, not people who think they have God's approval."

Good News Translation
Jesus heard them and answered, "People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts."

International Standard Version
When Jesus heard that, he told them, "Healthy people don't need a physician, but sick ones do. I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners."

Literal Standard Version
And Jesus, having heard, says to them, “They who are strong have no need of a physician, but they who are ill; I did not come to call righteous men, but sinners.”

Majority Standard Bible
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, to repentance.”

New American Bible
Jesus heard this and said to them [that], “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

NET Bible
When Jesus heard this he said to them, "Those who are healthy don't need a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

New Revised Standard Version
When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

New Heart English Bible
And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

Webster's Bible Translation
When Jesus heard it, he saith to them, They that are in health, have no need of a physician, but they that are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.

Weymouth New Testament
Jesus heard the words, and He said, "It is not the healthy who require a doctor, but the sick: I did not come to appeal to the righteous, but to sinners."

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. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Jesus, having heard, saith to them, 'They who are strong have no need of a physician, but they who are ill; I came not to call righteous men, but sinners to reformation.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Calling of Levi
16When the scribes who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with these people, they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17On 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.” 18Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were often fasting. So people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t Your disciples fast like John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees?”…

Cross References
Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

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

Matthew 9:13
But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For 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.

Luke 5:32
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

1 Timothy 1:15
This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.


Treasury of Scripture

When Jesus heard it, he said to 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.

They that are whole.

Matthew 9:12,13
But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick…

Luke 5:31,32
And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick…

Luke 15:7,29
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…

I came.

Isaiah 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.

Isaiah 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.

Matthew 18:11
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

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Appeal Doctor Health Healthy Heard Hearing Ill Jesus Medical Need Physician Reformation Repentance Require Righteous Sick Sinners Strong Upright Whole Words
Mark 2
1. Jesus followed by multitudes,
3. heals a paralytic;
13. calls Matthew;
15. eats with tax collectors and sinners;
18. excuses his disciples for not fasting;
23. and for picking the heads of grain on the Sabbath day.














(17) I came not to call the righteous.--Closely as the three accounts agree, it is noticeable that here also St. Mark and St. Luke, as writing for Gentile readers, omit the reference which we find in Matthew 9:13, to the words cited by our Lord from the Old Testament.

Verse 17. - Jesus heard their murmurings, and his answer was, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. As the physician is not infected by the disease of the patient, but rather overcomes it and drives it from him, so it is no disgrace but rather an honor to the physician to associate himself with the sick, and so much the more, the greater the sickness. So that it is as though Christ said, "I who am sent from heaven by the Father, that I might be the Physician of the souls of sinners, am not defiled by their sins and spiritual diseases when I converse with them; but rather I cure and heal them, which is alike for my glory and for their good, and so much the more, the greater their sins. For I am the physician of sinners, not their companion. But you, scribes and Pharisees, are not the physicians but the companions of sinners, and so you are contaminated. Nevertheless, you desire to be thought righteous and holy; and therefore I do not associate with you,

(1) because the whole, such as you think yourselves to be, need not the spiritual Physician; and

(2) because your insincerity and pocrisy are an offense to me."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[On]
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

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
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

told
λέγει (legei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

them,
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

“[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.

I have not come
ἦλθον (ēlthon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

to call
καλέσαι (kalesai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 2564: (a) I call, summon, invite, (b) I call, name. Akin to the base of keleuo; to 'call'.

the righteous,
δικαίους (dikaious)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1342: From dike; equitable; by implication, innocent, holy.

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

sinners.”
ἁμαρτωλούς (hamartōlous)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 268: Sinning, sinful, depraved, detestable. From hamartano; sinful, i.e. A sinner.


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NT Gospels: Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it he said (Mar Mk Mr)
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