Remember that even though the verse can be taken in one way, Jesus often says things that apply in other ways. In particular, those ways often include ideas and actions of the religious establishment that are not in line with both loving God and loving neighbor.

Here is the complete verse in various language translations.

In Old English, "holy" and "healthy" and "whole" were similar words.

More: Happy Holidays and the Wassail

More: Wholesome and healthy sanctified saints

Is there anyone not covered in the categories of "whole" and "sick"? Is anyone in both of the categories?

• Do those that are "whole" or "healthy" need a physician?
• Do those that are "sick" need a physician?

If Jesus is the physician, then the following questions arise?

• Do those that are "whole" or "healthy" need Jesus?
• Do those that are "sick" need Jesus?

Jesus then adds more to help explain the previous verse.

• Which group constitutes the "righteous"?
• Which group constitutes the "sinners"?

Is anyone in both groups? Is anyone not in either of these groups?

He tells the disciples to "go", not just sit there and think, and "learn" what that means.

The clarification is then added as "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance".

• Do the righteous need to "repent"?
• Who is not a "sinner"?

One often wants to place oneself in the "righteous" category and others in the "sinners" category. Is that a misconception that we are to "go" and "learn"?

Discussion question: How might one "go" and "learn"?

Mark, widely recognized as being written from what Peter told Mark, uses the same words as Matthew.

Luke, as often happens, provides a more literal text that does not reflect any double-meanings from what Jesus actually says.


Luke changes the Greek word for "strong" (discussed below) to Greek word for "healthy" or "sound".

Might what Luke says have had an effect to back-translate Matthew and Mark to fit the more literal Luke - at the expense of losing any double meaning in Matthew and Mark?

• The ancient Greek word "ὑγιής" ≈ "sound, healthy, strong" and is the source of the English word "hygiene".
• The modern Greek word "υγιής" (ee-y-EES) ≈ "healthy, sane, sound"

A key insight to a translation issue is that the Strong definition of the word may list the definition used as the last meaning or near the end of the list while ancient lexicons may not even list that definition other than used in GNT (Greek New Testament). This could be a case where the theologians decided on a meaning and then that meaning is put into the dictionary of approved meanings and others keep repeating this idea until everyone accepts that idea. That is, until someone actually goes back and looks at what was done.

The main words of interest here are the following.

• "healthy"
• "physician"
• "strong"

Since there does not appear to be an issue with "physician" that word will be covered first.

• The ancient Greek word "ἰατρός" ≈ "physician" and is the source of the last part of "psychiatry".
• The modern Greek word "ιατρός" (ee-a-TROS) ≈ "physician"

In the context of this verse, the physician appears to be Jesus referring to himself as the physician. There does not seem to be any issue with this word.

• The ancient Greek word "ἰσχύω" ≈ "physically strong, powerful" rather than just healthy.
• The modern Greek word "ισχύω" (ee-SKHEE-o) ≈ "valid, in effect" as in a passport being valid.

Let us look at how Matthew uses this word.

Whatever the salt represents, it is not good when it has lost "strength".

More: Salt salted with a salty salt

Here is one example of a "strong" man - translated in the KJV (King James Version) as "fierce".

Here is another example of a "strong" man.


The verse and context of this verse appears to be that the strong man of this world is Satan.

More: Matthew 12:26-29 Snatching the raptured goods from the strong man

The wind can be "strong".


That "wind" can represent the power of Satan.

More: Matthew 7:24-27 Rain, rivers and wind: code word interpretation

The "wind" as a "big breath" can represent the Holy Spirit.

More: A big breath from a wind bag

One can lack strength to stay awake or "be able" to do so.


The Greek for "strong enough" does not come through in the KJV.

How does Paul use the word for "strong"?

More: The coveting of greed

The word "bad" can mean bad is in "I am in bad shape" or evil, worthless, etc.

• The ancient Greek word "κακός" ≈ "bad, worthless, useless" rather than sick or ill.
• The modern Greek word "κακός" (ka-KOS) ≈ "bad, evil, wicked".

So the word in the GNT often means "sick" as people that are in "bad shape" or "bad condition" but can mean evil.

Other than this verse, the idea of "healthy" does not appear to fit very well.

Here are the Wictionary entries for the ancient Greek adjective "κακός". (as of 2022-02-11)

1. As a measure of quality: bad, worthless, useless
2. As a measure of appearance: ugly, hideous
3. Of circumstances: injurious, wretched, unhappy
4. As a measure of character: low, mean, vile, evil

Compare these definitions with the Strong definitions that were compiled in the late 1800's.

When Jesus uses the word in speaking, it appears to be for evil or bad.

Jesus often uses words that are code words in that they can have another meaning. In this case, the traditional meaning in ancient Greek might make some sense in the larger context.

Let us look at how Jesus uses the Greek word for "bad" or "evil" in Matthew and see how the meaning of "sick" fits.

Others appear to use the this word for "sick" which raises the issue of what type of "sick" were these people.

Let us return to the original verse.

This verse study started with the observation that the Latin Vulgate word for "strong" was the basis for the name for which Valentine's Day is named.

More: A strong case for Valentine's Day

The obvious questions from the verse from the original Greek are the following.

• Who is strong (or righteous) and does not need the physician (i.e., Jesus)?
• Who is bad or evil (as in a sinner) and does need the physician (i.e., Jesus)?

Does everyone need Jesus? Who might not need Jesus?