Luke 13:15Therefore the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each one of you free his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath, and lead him away to water?
The setting
Synagogue in Galilee, ~30 AD. Saturday morning. Jesus has just healed a crippled woman and the synagogue ruler is furious about Sabbath violation...
The emotion here: controlled anger at injustice while protecting the vulnerable
The original word
hypokritai (ὑποκριταί) — stage actors wearing masks, pretending to be someone they're not
Why it matters
Jews were allowed 39 categories of work on Sabbath, including caring for animals
Read with care
What most readers miss in Luke 13:15
Jesus isn't arguing theology - He's exposing that they already break their own rules daily
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about Sabbath rules, but Jesus is exposing selective morality - they care more about animals than suffering humans.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Luke 13:15
Bible Genome reading
Luke 13:15 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Luke 13:15 comes from the book of Luke, written during the gospel period. The setting is the Temple. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include hypocrisy, compassion vs law. Notable phrases: You hypocrites; ox or donkey; lead him away to water.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Luke 13:15 mean to you, today?
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