Luke 5:31 Meaning and Explanation
“And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jesus answers that the healthy have no need of a physician — the sick do.
What Does Luke 5:31 Mean?
Jesus answers for his disciples with a proverb: 'They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.' A doctor belongs at the bedside of the ill; to find him among the sick is not scandal but vocation. The company at Levi's table is exactly where a healer should be found.
The saying defends and diagnoses at once. It explains why Christ sits with sinners — he is there as the Physician of souls — and it quietly asks the critics whether they have examined their own health. His care reaches those who admit the disease. The only thing that keeps a person from this Doctor is the insistence that nothing is wrong.
Luke 5:31 in the Original Language
iatros (ἰατρός), 'physician' -- a healer; one who tends the sick.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 5:31
What does Luke 5:31 mean?
Jesus answers that the healthy have no need of a physician — the sick do.