◄ Matthew 12:10 ►
and a man with a withered hand was there. In order to accuse Jesus, they asked Him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"
Study Bible
and a man with a withered hand was there.

This phrase introduces a man suffering from a physical deformity, a withered hand, which would have significantly impacted his ability to work and participate fully in society. In the cultural context of first-century Judea, physical disabilities were often seen as a sign of sin or divine displeasure, though this was not a universal belief. The presence of this man in the synagogue suggests he was seeking healing or spiritual guidance. The withered hand can also be seen as a symbol of spiritual barrenness, which Jesus came to restore. This incident occurs in a synagogue, a place of worship and teaching, highlighting the religious setting where Jesus often performed miracles and taught.

Mrk 3:1 Once again Jesus entered the synagogue,…
Luk 6:6 On another Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue…
1Ki 13:4-6 Now when King Jeroboam, who was at the altar in Bethel,…

In order to accuse Jesus, they asked Him,

The "they" refers to the Pharisees, a religious group known for their strict adherence to the Law of Moses and additional oral traditions. Their question was not out of genuine curiosity but was a trap to find grounds to accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath law. The Pharisees were often in conflict with Jesus because He challenged their interpretations and authority. This reflects the growing tension between Jesus and the religious leaders, who were threatened by His teachings and popularity. The Pharisees' focus on legalism contrasts with Jesus' emphasis on mercy and compassion.

Mrk 3:2 In order to accuse Jesus, they were watching…
Luk 6:7 Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, …
Luk 20:20 So they watched Him closely and sent spies…

“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

The question posed by the Pharisees centers on the interpretation of the Sabbath law, which prohibited work on the seventh day. Healing was considered work by some religious leaders, and thus, they deemed it unlawful on the Sabbath. However, the Law of Moses did not explicitly forbid acts of mercy or healing on the Sabbath. Jesus often used such questions to teach deeper spiritual truths, emphasizing the spirit of the law over the letter. This question also highlights the broader theme of Jesus' ministry: the fulfillment and reinterpretation of the Law. Jesus' response to such challenges often pointed to the greater principle of love and mercy, as seen in other scriptures like Hosea 6:6, "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice."

Luk 14:3 So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees,…
Luk 13:14-16 But the synagogue leader was indignant that Jesus had healed…
Jhn 7:23 If a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
Central figure in the New Testament, the Son of God, who is teaching and performing miracles.

2. Man with a Withered Hand
An individual suffering from a physical ailment, present in the synagogue.

3. Pharisees
A religious group in Judaism known for strict adherence to the Law of Moses, often in conflict with Jesus.

4. Synagogue
A Jewish place of worship and teaching, where this event takes place.

5. Sabbath
The seventh day of the week, a day of rest and worship in Jewish tradition, central to the conflict in this passage.
Teaching Points
Understanding the Sabbath
The Sabbath is meant for rest and worship, but also for doing good and showing mercy. Jesus demonstrates that acts of compassion align with God's intentions for the Sabbath.

Legalism vs. Compassion
The Pharisees' focus on legalistic adherence to the law blinds them to the needs of others. Christians are called to prioritize love and mercy over rigid rule-following.

Jesus' Authority
Jesus asserts His authority over the Sabbath, highlighting His divine nature and understanding of God's law. Believers should recognize and submit to Christ's authority in all areas of life.

Faith in Action
The healing of the man with the withered hand illustrates the power of faith and the importance of taking action in response to Jesus' commands.

Confronting Hypocrisy
Jesus challenges the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, encouraging believers to examine their own hearts and ensure their actions align with their professed beliefs.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jesus' response to the Pharisees' question about the Sabbath challenge our understanding of religious practices today?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our observance of religious traditions does not hinder us from showing compassion and mercy?

3. How does the healing of the man with the withered hand demonstrate the balance between faith and action in our lives?

4. What are some modern-day examples of legalism that we might encounter, and how can we address them in a Christ-like manner?

5. How can we apply Jesus' teaching on the Sabbath to our own practice of rest and worship in a way that honors God and serves others?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 20:8-11
The commandment to keep the Sabbath holy, which the Pharisees reference in their challenge to Jesus.

Mark 3:1-6 and Luke 6:6-11
Parallel accounts of the same event, providing additional context and details.

Isaiah 58:13-14
Discusses the true spirit of the Sabbath, emphasizing delight and honor rather than legalistic restrictions.

Matthew 23:23
Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for neglecting the weightier matters of the law, such as justice and mercy, which relates to their attitude in this passage.
Sermons
The Use of MeansDr. Manton.Matthew 12:10
The Withered HandC. H. Spurgeon.Matthew 12:10
The Withered HandMark Guy Pearse.Matthew 12:10
The SabbathMarcus Dods Matthew 12:1-13
The Efficacy of Righteous WrathP.C. Barker Matthew 12:9-14
The Mission of ChristJ.A. Macdonald Matthew 12:9-21
People
Beelzebub, David, Isaiah, Jesus, Jonah, Jonas, Ninevites, Solomon
Places
Galilee, Nineveh
Topics
Accuse, Arm, Asking, Behold, Bring, Charge, Cure, Dead, Heal, Intention, Lawful, Question, Questioned, Reason, Sabbath, Sabbaths, Saying, Shrivelled, Withered
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Matthew 12:10

     2545   Christ, opposition to
     5977   waiting
     6163   faults

Matthew 12:1-14

     5381   law, letter and spirit

Matthew 12:8-12

     5379   law, Christ's attitude

Matthew 12:9-14

     7430   Sabbath, in NT

Library
An Attempt to Account for Jesus
'But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons.'--MATT. xii. 24. Mark's Gospel tells us that this astonishing explanation of Christ and His work was due to the ingenious malice of an ecclesiastical deputation, sent down from Jerusalem to prevent the simple folk in Galilee from being led away by this new Teacher. They must have been very hard put to it to explain undeniable but unwelcome facts, when they hazarded such a preposterous …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'Make the Tree Good'
'... Make the tree good, and his fruit good....' --MATT. xii. 33. In this Gospel we find that our Lord twice uses this image of a tree and its fruit. In the Sermon on the Mount He applies it as a test to false teachers, who hide, beneath the wool of the sheep's clothing, the fangs and paws of ravening wolves. He says, 'By their deeds ye shall know them; for as is the tree so is its fruit.' That is a rough and ready test, which applies rather to the teacher than to his doctrine, but it applies, to …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'A Greater than Jonas'
'A greater than Jonas is here.'--MATT. xii. 41. There never was any man in his right mind, still more of influence on his fellows, who made such claims as to himself in such unmistakable language as Jesus Christ does. To say such things of oneself as come from His lips is a sign of a weak, foolish nature. It is fatal to all influence, to all beauty of character. It is not only that He claims official attributes as a fanatical or dishonest pretender to inspiration may do. He does that, but He does …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'A Greater than Solomon'
'A greater than Solomon is here.'--MATT. xii. 42. It is condescension in Him to compare Himself with any; yet if any might have been selected, it is that great name. To the Jews Solomon is an ideal figure, who appealed so strongly to popular imagination as to become the centre of endless legends; whose dominion was the very apex of national glory, in recounting whose splendours the historical books seem to be scarce able to restrain their triumph and pride. I. The Man. The story gives us a richly …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Pharisees' Sabbath and Christ's
'At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and His disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2. But when the Pharisees saw it they said unto Him, Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day. 3. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4. How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xii. 32, "Whosoever Shall Speak a Word against the Holy Spirit, it Shall not be Forgiven Him, Neither In
1. There has been a great question raised touching the late lesson of the Gospel, to the solution of which I am unequal by any power of mine own; but "our sufficiency is of God," [2335] to whatever degree we are capable of receiving His aid. First then consider the magnitude of the question; that when ye see the weight of it laid upon my shoulders, ye may pray in aid of my labours, and in the assistance which is vouchsafed to me, may find edification for your own souls. When "one possessed with a …
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xii. 33, "Either Make the Tree Good, and Its Fruit Good," Etc.
1. The Lord Jesus hath admonished us, that we be good trees, and that so we may be able to bear good fruits. For He saith, "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt, for the tree is known by his fruit." [2484] When He says, "Make the tree good, and his fruit good;" this of course is not an admonition, but a wholesome precept, to which obedience is necessary. But when He saith, "Make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt;" this is not a …
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

Sweet Comfort for Feeble Saints
I. First, we have before us a view of MORTAL FRAILTY And first, the encouragement offered in our text applies to weak ones. What in the world is weaker than the bruised reed, or the smoking flax? A reed that groweth in the fen or marsh, let but the wild duck light upon it, and it snaps; let but the foot of man brush against it and it is bruised and broken; every wind that comes howling across the river makes it shake to and fro, and well nigh tears it up by the roots. You can conceive of nothing …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855

How to Read the Bible
I. That is the subject of our present discourse, or, at least the first point of it, that IN ORDER TO THE TRUE READING OF THE SCRIPTURES THERE MUST BE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THEM. I scarcely need to preface these remarks by saying that we must read the Scriptures. You know how necessary it is that we should be fed upon the truth of Holy Scripture. Need I suggest the question as to whether you do read your Bibles or not? I am afraid that this is a magazine reading age a newspaper reading age a periodical …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 25: 1879

Strength in the Weak.
"He is Faithful that Promised." "A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench."--MATT. xii. 20. Strength in the Weak. Will Jesus accept such a heart as mine?--this erring, treacherous, traitor heart? The past! how many forgotten vows--broken covenants--prayerless days! How often have I made new resolutions, and as often has the reed succumbed to the first blast of temptation, and the burning flax been well-nigh quenched by guilty omissions and guiltier commissions! Oh! …
John Ross Macduff—The Faithful Promiser

Identity of Christ's Character.
THE argument expressed by this title I apply principally to the comparison of the first three Gospels with that of Saint John. It is known to every reader of Scripture that the passages of Christ's history preserved by Saint John are, except his passion and resurrection, for the most part different from those which are delivered by the other evangelists. And I think the ancient account of this difference to be the true one, viz., that Saint John wrote after the rest, and to supply what he thought …
William Paley—Evidences of Christianity

What are Evidences of Backsliding in Heart.
1. Manifest formality in religious exercises. A stereotyped, formal way of saying and doing things, that is clearly the result of habit, rather than the outgushing of the religious life. This formality will be emotionless and cold as an iceberg, and will evince a total want of earnestness in the performance of religious duty. In prayer and in religious exercises the backslider in heart will pray or praise, or confess, or give thanks with his lips, so that all can hear him, perhaps, but in such a …
Charles G. Finney—The Backslider in Heart

Lesser and Fuller Forms.
Moreover, we have endeavoured to use the fullest form, including the words of those Gospels which have the lesser forms of sentences, except where the sentence ends in a period, in which case have given the least form, so that the larger form of the other Gospels might be made apparent; as, for instance, this sentence, taken from Matt. xii. 47; Mark iii. 32; Luke viii. 20: ^c 20 And it was told him, ^a Behold, thy mother and thy brethren bseek for thee. ^c stand without desiring to see thee. ^a seeking …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus Defends Disciples who Pluck Grain on the Sabbath.
(Probably While on the Way from Jerusalem to Galilee.) ^A Matt. XII. 1-8; ^B Mark II. 23-28; ^C Luke VI. 1-5. ^b 23 And ^c 1 Now it came to pass ^a 1 At that season ^b that he ^a Jesus went { ^b was going} on the { ^c a} ^b sabbath day through the grainfields; ^a and his disciples were hungry and began ^b as they went, to pluck the ears. ^a and to eat, ^c and his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. [This lesson fits in chronological order with the last, if the Bethesda …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus Heals Multitudes Beside the Sea of Galilee.
^A Matt. XII. 15-21; ^B Mark III. 7-12. ^a 15 And Jesus perceiving it withdrew ^b with his disciples ^a from thence: ^b to the sea [This was the first withdrawal of Jesus for the avowed purpose of self-preservation. After this we find Jesus constantly retiring to avoid the plots of his enemies. The Sea of Galilee, with its boats and its shores touching different jurisdictions, formed a convenient and fairly safe retreat]: ^a and many followed him; ^b and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Blasphemous Accusations of the Jews.
(Galilee.) ^A Matt. XII. 22-37; ^B Mark III. 19-30; ^C Luke XI. 14-23. ^b 19 And he cometh into a house. [Whose house is not stated.] 20 And the multitude cometh together again [as on a previous occasion--Mark ii. 1], so that they could not so much as eat bread. [They could not sit down to a regular meal. A wonderful picture of the intense importunity of people and the corresponding eagerness of Jesus, who was as willing to do as they were to have done.] 21 And when his friends heard it, they went …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Sign Seekers, and the Enthusiast Reproved.
(Galilee on the Same Day as the Last Section.) ^A Matt. XII. 38-45; ^C Luke XI. 24-36. ^c 29 And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, ^a 38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. [Having been severely rebuked by Jesus, it is likely that the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign that they might appear to the multitude more fair-minded and open to conviction than Jesus had represented them to be. Jesus had just wrought …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Christ's Teaching as to his Mother and Brethren.
(Galilee, Same Day as the Last Lesson.) ^A Matt. XII. 46-50; ^B Mark III. 31-35; ^C Luke VIII. 19-21. ^a 46 While he yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without seeking to speak to him. [Jesus was in a house, probably at Capernaum--Mark iii. 19; Matt. xiii. 1.] ^c 19 and there came { ^b come} ^c to him his mother and ^b his brethren; ^c and they could not come at him for the crowd. ^a and, standing without, they sent unto him, calling him. 32 And the multitude …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus Defends Healing a Withered Hand on the Sabbath.
(Probably Galilee.) ^A Matt. XII. 9-14; ^B Mark III. 1-6; ^C Luke VI. 6-11. ^a 9 And he departed thence. [The word here points to a journey as in Matt. xi. 1 and xv. 29, which are the only places where Matthew uses this expression. Greswell may be right in thinking that it indicates the return back to Galilee from the Passover, since a cognate expression used by John expresses such a journey from Galilee to Judæa. See John vii. 3 ], ^c 6 And it came to pass on another sabbath [another sabbath …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Acceptance of the Christian Conception of Life Will Emancipate Men from the Miseries of Our Pagan Life.
The External Life of Christian Peoples Remains Pagan Though they are Penetrated by Christian Consciousness--The Way Out of this Contradiction is by the Acceptance of the Christian Theory of Life--Only Through Christianity is Every Man Free, and Emancipated of All Human Authority--This Emancipation can be Effected by no Change in External Conditions of Life, but Only by a Change in the Conception of Life--The Christian Ideal of Life Requires Renunciation of all Violence, and in Emancipating the Man …
Leo Tolstoy—The Kingdom of God is within you

The Two Sabbath-Controversies - the Plucking of the Ears of Corn by the Disciples, and the Healing of the Man with the Withered Hand
IN grouping together the three miracles of healing described in the last chapter, we do not wish to convey that it is certain they had taken place in precisely that order. Nor do we feel sure, that they preceded what is about to be related. In the absence of exact data, the succession of events and their location must be matter of combination. From their position in the Evangelic narratives, and the manner in which all concerned speak and act, we inferred, that they took place at that particular …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The First Peræan Discourses - to the Pharisees Concerning the Two Kingdoms - their Contest - what Qualifies a Disciple for the Kingdom of God, And
It was well that Jesus should, for the present, have parted from Jerusalem with words like these. They would cling about His hearers like the odour of incense that had ascended. Even the schism' that had come among them [4194] concerning His Person made it possible not only to continue His Teaching, but to return to the City once more ere His final entrance. For, His Peræan Ministry, which extended from after the Feast of Tabernacles to the week preceding the last Passover, was, so to speak, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Opposition to Jesus.
During the first period of his career, it does not appear that Jesus met with any serious opposition. His preaching, thanks to the extreme liberty which was enjoyed in Galilee, and to the number of teachers who arose on all hands, made no noise beyond a restricted circle. But when Jesus entered upon a path brilliant with wonders and public successes, the storm began to gather. More than once he was obliged to conceal himself and fly.[1] Antipas, however, did not interfere with him, although Jesus …
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

The Cardinal was Seated, -- He Rose as Moretti Appeared. ...
The Cardinal was seated,--he rose as Moretti appeared. "I beg your Eminence to spare yourself!" said Moretti suavely, with a deep salutation, "And to pardon me for thus coming unannounced into the presence of one so highly esteemed by the Holy Father as Cardinal Bonpre!" The Cardinal gave a gesture of courteous deprecation; and Monsignor Moretti, lifting his, till then, partially lowered eyelids, flashed an angry regard upon the Abbe Vergniaud, who resting his back against the book-case behind him, …
Marie Corelli—The Master-Christian

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