Luke 5:31-33 New English Translation

³¹Jesus^[a] answered them, “Those who are well don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do.^[b] ³²I have not come^[c] to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”^[d]

The Superiority of the New

³³Then^[e] they said to him, “John’s^[f] disciples frequently fast^[g] and pray,^[h] and so do the disciples of the Pharisees,^[i] but yours continue to eat and drink.”^[j]

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Footnotes

Luke 5:31 tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:31 sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is well (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.
Luke 5:32 sn I have not come is another commission statement by Jesus; see 4:43-44.
Luke 5:32 sn Though parallels exist to this saying (Matt 9:13; Mark 2:17), only Luke has this last phrase but sinners to repentance. Repentance is a frequent topic in Luke’s Gospel: 3:3, 8; 13:1-5; 15:7, 10; 16:30; 17:3-4; 24:47.
Luke 5:33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 5:33 tc Most mss (א*^,2 A C D Θ Ψ ƒ^1,13 M latt sy) read διὰ τί (dia ti, “Why do John’s…?”) here, turning the statement into a question. But such seems to be a motivated reading, assimilating the text to Mark 2:18 and Matt 9:14. The reading represented in the translation is supported by P⁴ א¹ B L W Ξ 33 892* 1241 sa.sn John refers to John the Baptist.
Luke 5:33 sn John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.
Luke 5:33 tn Grk “and offer prayers,” but this idiom (δέησις + ποιέω) is often simply a circumlocution for praying.
Luke 5:33 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
Luke 5:33 tn Grk “but yours are eating and drinking.” The translation “continue to eat and drink” attempts to reflect the progressive or durative nature of the action described, which in context is a practice not limited to the specific occasion at hand (the banquet).

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