14:5a–b

Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?:
This question emphasizes an obvious fact: the leaders would help their children or even animals on the Sabbath by pulling them out of a well. Jesus implied that it was also right for him to help the sick man on the Sabbath. The next verse indicates that Jesus expected a reply. Some ways to translate this emphatic question are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

If any one of you had a child or an ox that happened to fall in a well on a Sabbath, would you not pull it out at once on the Sabbath itself? (Good News Translation)

• As a statement or a statement followed by a question:

⌊You must admit that⌋ when your child or your ox falls into a well, you pull him out right away, even if it is the Sabbath day. ⌊Am I not correct?⌋

14:5a

son: In languages that do not have a single word for son, you may use a more general word such as “child,” as in the Good News Translation. The focus here is not on whether the child is male or female.

ox: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as ox is a general word that can refer to any animal that is like a cow. It often refers to an animal that is used in farm work. Although the English word “ox” refers specifically to a castrated bull, the Greek word is more general. In languages that do not have a term for ox, you may:

• Use the name of a similar animal in your culture. For example:

cow/buffalo

• Use a general term. For example:

one of your work animals

The word ox is used in a similar context in 13:15c.

pit: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as pit refers to a hole that people dig to get water from a source under the ground. It may or may not have water at the bottom at any certain time. This kind of hole is deep, and if someone fell in, he could not climb out by himself. Other ways to translate this word are:

well (New International Version)
-or-
deep hole

14:5b

immediately pull him out: If a person or an animal fell into a well that had water in it, someone would have to pull him up quickly. Otherwise, the person or animal might drown. People would not wait until the Sabbath day ended before they helped him get out. Use an appropriate verb to describe getting someone out of a deep hole.

General Comment on 14:5a–b

In the Greek text, the Sabbath day is mentioned in 14:5b, rather than in 14:5a. For example:

5aIf one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well, 5bwill he hesitate to pull him out on the sabbath day? (Revised English Bible)

This order specifies that people were willing to pull out a child or animal on the Sabbath day. The text does not actually say that the child or animal fell into the well earlier that same day, but it implies it. The Berean Standard Bible order specifies that the child or animal fell into the well on the Sabbath. The word “immediately” in the Berean Standard Bible shows that the child or animal was also pulled out on the Sabbath. You may use whichever order is natural in your language.

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