Genesis 50:2

50:2 Joseph instructed the physicians in his service ¹  to embalm his father, so the physicians embalmed Israel.

Job 13:4

13:4 But you, however, are inventors of lies; ² 

all of you are worthless physicians! ³ 

Jeremiah 8:22

8:22 There is still medicinal ointment ⁴  available in Gilead!

There is still a physician there! ⁵ 

Why then have my dear people ⁶ 

not been restored to health? ⁷ 

Matthew 9:12

9:12 When ⁸  Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. ⁹ 

Mark 2:17

2:17 When Jesus heard this he said to them, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. ¹⁰  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Mark 5:26

5:26 She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse.

Colossians 4:14

4:14 Our dear friend Luke the physician and Demas greet you.

¹ tn Heb “his servants the physicians.”

² tn The טֹפְלֵי־שָׁקֶר (tofÿle shaqer) are “plasterers of lies” (Ps 119:69). The verb means “to coat, smear, plaster.” The idea is that of imputing something that is not true. Job is saying that his friends are inventors of lies. The LXX was influenced by the next line and came up with “false physicians.”

³ tn The literal rendering of the construct would be “healers of worthlessness.” Ewald and Dillmann translated it “patchers” based on a meaning in Arabic and Ethiopic; this would give the idea “botchers.” But it makes equally good sense to take “healers” as the meaning, for Job’s friends came to minister comfort and restoration to him – but they failed. See P. Humbert, “Maladie et medicine dans l’AT,” RHPR 44 (1964): 1-29.

⁴ tn Heb “balm.” The more familiar “ointment” has been used in the translation, supplemented with the adjective “medicinal.”

⁵ tn Heb “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” In this context the questions are rhetorical and expect a positive answer, which is made explicit in the translation.

⁶ tn Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.

⁷ tn Or more clearly, “restored to spiritual health”; Heb “Why then has healing not come to my dear people?”

⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁹ sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is healthy (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.

¹⁰ sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is healthy (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.