Matthew 12 · Verse 10

Matthew 12:10

And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
Matthew 12:10, King James Version

Matthew 12:10 in other translations

BSBand a man with a withered hand was there. In order to accuse Jesus, they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
WEBAnd behold, there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” so that they might accuse him.
ASVand behold, a man having a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? that they might accuse him.
YLTand lo, there was a man having the hand withered, and they questioned him, saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the sabbaths?' that they might accuse him.
DARBYAnd behold, there was a man having his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? that they might accuse him.
BBEAnd there was a man with a dead hand. And they put a question to him, saying, Is it right to make a man well on the Sabbath day? so that they might have something against him.
WebsterAnd behold, there was a man who had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? that they might accuse him.

What does Matthew 12:10 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 10. A man which had his hand withered. This was probably one form of the palsy. Mt 4:24.

Mark and Luke have mentioned some circumstances omitted by Matthew. They say that Jesus addressed the man, and told him to stand forth in the midst. He then addressed the people. He asked them if it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath day? This was admitted by all their teachers, and it could not be denied. They were therefore silent. He then appealed to them, and drew an argument from their own conduct. A man that had a sheep that should fall into a pit on the Sabbath day would exercise the common offices of humanity, and draw it out. If a man would save the life of a sheep, was it not proper to save the life of a man ? By a reference to their own conduct, he silenced them.

Mark adds, that he looked on them with anger; that is, with strong disapprobation of their conduct. Their envy and malignity excited feelings of holy indignation. Mk 3:5.

(t) "Is it lawful" Lk 14:3

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 A man which had his hand withered - Probably through a partial paralysis. The man's hand was withered; but God's mercy had still preserved to him the use of his feet: He uses them to bring him to the public worship of God, and Jesus meets and heals him there. How true is the proverb - It is never so ill with us, but it might be much worse!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 12:9-13

Christ shows that works of mercy are lawful and proper to be done on the Lord's day. There are more ways of doing well upon sabbath days, than by the duties of worship: attending the sick, relieving the poor, helping those who need speedy relief, teaching the young to care for their souls; these are doing good: and these must be done from love and charity, with humility and self-denial, and shall be accepted, Ge…

Read the full comment on Matthew 12:9-13 →

Matthew 12:10 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
ἰδοὺidoubeholdG2400
ἄνθρωποςanthrōposa manG444
χεῖραcheiraa handG5495
ἔχωνechōnhavingG2192
ξηράν·xēranwithered;G3584
καὶkaiAndG2532
ἐπηρώτησανepērōtēsanthey askedG1905
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
λέγοντες·legontessaying;G3004
εἰeiIsG1487
ἔξεστινexestinit is lawfulG1832
τοῖςtoison theG3588
σάββασινsabbasinSabbathsG4521
θεραπεῦσαι;therapeusaito heal?G2323
ἵναinaso thatG2443
κατηγορήσωσινkatēgorēsōsinthey may accuseG2723
αὐτοῦ.¶autouHim.G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 12:10

  • Luke 13:14

    And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

  • John 9:16

    Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

  • John 8:6

    This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

  • Matthew 22:17-18

    Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

  • Luke 11:54

    Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

  • John 5:10

    The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

  • Luke 14:3-6

    And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things.

  • Zechariah 11:17

    Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

  • Isaiah 32:6

    For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

  • Matthew 12:2

    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.

  • 1 Kings 13:4-6

    And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Beth–el, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.

  • John 5:3

    In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
which.
1Ki 13:4-6; Zec 11:17; Joh 5:3
Is it.
19:3; 22:17,18; Lu 13:14; 14:3-6; 20:22; Joh 5:10; 9:16
that.
Isa 32:6; 59:4,13; Lu 6:6,7; 11:54; 23:2,14; Joh 8:6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 12:9

    And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:

  • Matthew 12:10

    And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

  • Matthew 12:11

    And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

Read all of Matthew 12

Matthew 12:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y he aquí había allí uno que tenía una mano seca: y le preguntaron, diciendo: ¿Es lícito curar en sábado? por acusarle.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et voici, il y avait là un homme qui avait la main sèche. Et ils l’interrogèrent, disant: Est-il permis de guérir, le jour de sabbat? – afin de l’accuser.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und siehe, da war ein Mensch, der eine verdorrte Hand hatte. Und sie fragten ihn und sprachen: Ist es erlaubt, an den Sabbathen zu heilen? auf daß sie ihn anklagen möchten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et ecce homo manum habens aridam, et interrogabant eum, dicentes: Si licet sabbatis curare? ut accusarent eum.