John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. And answered them, saying , etc.] Murmuring secretly at what he had done: which of you shall have an ass, or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day ? being just ready to be drowned there; and therefore it must be much more right and necessary to cure a man, a reasonable creature, just drowning with a dropsy, as this man was. The Syriac and Persic versions, instead of an ass, read a son, very wrongly: a like kind of reasoning is used by Christ, in (see Gill on Matthew 12:11), (see Gill on Luke 13:15).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - This Pharisee, as well as others, seems to have had an ill design i entertaining Jesus at his house. But our Lord would not be hindere from healing a man, though he knew a clamour would be raised at his doing it on the sabbath. It requires care to understand the prope connexion between piety and charity in observing the sabbath, and the distinction between works of real necessity and habits of self-indulgence. Wisdom from above, teaches patient perseverance in well-doing.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ αποκριθεις 611 5679 V-AOP-NSM προς 4314 PREP αυτους 846 P-APM ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S τινος 5101 I-GSM υμων 5216 P-2GP ονος 3688 N-NSM η 2228 PRT βους 1016 N-NSM εις 1519 PREP φρεαρ 5421 N-ASN εμπεσειται 1706 5695 V-FDI-3S και 2532 CONJ ουκ 3756 PRT-N ευθεως 2112 ADV ανασπασει 385 5692 V-FAI-3S αυτον 846 P-ASM εν 1722 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF ημερα 2250 N-DSF του 3588 T-GSN σαββατου 4521 N-GSN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. Pit (frear). The primary meaning is a well, as distinguished from a fountain.Pull out. More correctly up (ana).
Robertson's NT Word Studies
14:5 {An ass or an ox} (onos e bous). But Westcott and Hort huios e bous ({a son or an ox}). The manuscripts are much divided between huios (son) and onos (ass) which in the abbreviated uncials looked much alike (TC, OC) and were much alike. The sentence in the Greek reads literally thus: Whose ox or ass of you shall fall (peseitai, future middle of pipto) into a well and he (the man) will not straightway draw him up (anaspasei, future active of anaspaw) on the sabbath day? The very form of the question is a powerful argument and puts the lawyers and the Pharisees hopelessly on the defensive.
