Verse Lens · Context pointer
Luke 5:31 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 31. 31And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Role in This Section
Luke 5:31 records the speech or response at Luke 5:31 within Luke 5:27–5:32: “And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick”.
Read It With
- Luke 5:27–5:32
Read Luke 5:31 with 5:27–5:32. In isolation, this contribution—records the speech or response at Luke 5:31 within Luke 5:27–5:32: “And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick”—can be detached from its speaker, audience, scene or teaching sequence, and outcome. The complete unit establishes: Jesus calls tax collector Levi, who leaves his station and hosts a great feast; critics question table fellowship, and Jesus answers that he calls sinners to repentance like a physician attending the sick.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Luke 5:27–5:32 — Levi's Banquet Draws a Mercy ControversySources used for this context pointer
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and coverage.
Exact location: Luke 5:27–5:32, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording and sentence relations; the edition is not treated as a complete apparatus.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT official repository, data/sblgnt/text/Luke.txt, 5:27–5:32
Open the Luke Greek text file ↗open translation and translator notes
NET Bible First Edition Notes: Luke
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, KJV-language clarification, historical notes, Synoptic parallels, and textual alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible First Edition Luke PDF, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to Luke 5:27–5:32
Open source ↗