Physician, heal thyself

Physician, heal thyself (Greek: Ἰατρέ, θεράπευσον σεαυτόν, Iatre, therapeuson seauton), sometimes quoted in the Latin form, Medice, cura te ipsum, is an ancient proverb appearing in Luke 4:23. There, Jesus is quoted as saying, "Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, 'Physician, heal thyself': whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country."[1] Commentators have pointed out the echo of similar skepticism in the taunts that Jesus would ultimately hear while hanging on the cross: "He saved others; himself he cannot save".[2][3] The shortened Latin form of the proverb, Medice, cura te ipsum, was made famous through the Latin translation of the Bible, the Vulgate, and so gained currency across Europe.

  1. ^ KJV, Luke 4:23.
  2. ^ Isaac Williams, The Gospel Narrative of Our Lord's Nativity Harmonized, London 1844, p.384. The quoted biblical passage is from Matthew 27:42.
  3. ^ Vincent, Marvin Richardson (1887). Word Studies in the New Testament (2 ed.). C. Scribner's sons. p. 293. Retrieved 8 February 2022.