Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 12:9-13

"And he departed thence, and went into their synagogue: and 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. And he said unto them, What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, as the other." — Matthew 12:9-13 (ASV)

St. Jerome: Because He had vindicated His disciples with sound examples from the charge of breaking the Sabbath, the Pharisees sought to bring a false accusation against Him. This is why it says, And passing from there, He came into their synagogue.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: For what had happened before was said and done in the open air, and after this, He entered the synagogue.

St. Augustine of Hippo: One might have supposed that the incident with the heads of grain and this subsequent healing occurred on the same day, since it is mentioned to be the Sabbath in both cases. However, Luke has shown us that they were on different days.

Therefore, what Matthew says, And when he had passed from there, he came into their synagogue, should be understood to mean that He did not enter the synagogue until after He had left that place. But whether several days passed in between or He went there immediately is not expressed in this Gospel. This leaves room for the account of Luke, who tells of the healing of this paralysis on another Sabbath.¹

St. Hilary of Poitiers: When He entered the synagogue, they brought a man with a withered hand, asking Him whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath day, seeking an opportunity to convict Him from His answer. As it follows, they brought Him a man with a withered hand and asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?"

St. John Chrysostom: They did not ask so that they might learn, but so that they might accuse Him, as it follows, that they might accuse him. Although the action itself would have been enough, they also sought an opportunity against Him in His words, thus providing themselves with greater cause for complaint.²

St. Jerome: They asked Him whether it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath day so that if He refused, they could charge Him with cruelty or a lack of power; but if He healed the man, they could charge Him with transgressing the Law.

St. Augustine of Hippo: An inquiry may be raised as to how Matthew can say that they asked the Lord, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" seeing that Mark and Luke relate that it was the Lord who asked them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil?" (Luke 6:9).

It should be understood, then, that they first asked the Lord, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?" Then, understanding their thoughts and that they were seeking an occasion to accuse Him, He placed the man He was about to heal in the middle of them. He then put to them the question that Mark and Luke say He asked.

When they remained silent, He made the comparison about the sheep and concluded that one may do good on the Sabbath day. As it follows, He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not take hold of it and lift it out?"³

St. Jerome: In this way, He answers their question so as to convict the questioners of greed. He says, "If you on the Sabbath would hasten to lift out a sheep or any other animal that had fallen into a pit—not for the sake of the animal, but to preserve your own property—how much more should I deliver a man, who is so much better than a sheep?"

Glossa Ordinaria: Thus He answers their question with a fitting example to show that they profane the Sabbath by works of greed, even as they were charging Him with profaning it by works of charity. They are evil interpreters of the Law, who say that on the Sabbath we ought to rest from good deeds, when it is only from evil deeds that we ought to rest. As it is said, "You shall do no servile work in it" (Leviticus 23:3), that is, no sin. So it is in the everlasting rest: we shall rest only from evil, and not from good.⁴

St. Augustine of Hippo: After this comparison concerning the sheep, He concludes that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day, saying, "Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."⁵

St. John Chrysostom: Observe how He shows many reasons for this breaking of the Sabbath. But because the man was incurably sick, He proceeds immediately to the work, as it follows: "Then he says to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' And he stretched it out, and it was restored, whole like the other."

St. Jerome: In the Gospel that the Nazarenes and Ebionites useⁱ, which we recently translated into Greek from Hebrew, and which many regard as the genuine Matthew, this man with the withered hand is described as a builder. He makes his prayer in these words: "I was a builder and earned my living by the labor of my hands; I pray to you, Jesus, to restore me to health, so that I do not have to shamefully beg for my bread."

Rabanus Maurus: Jesus teaches and works chiefly on the Sabbath, not only because of the spiritual Sabbath, but also because of the gathering of the people, seeking for all to be saved.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Figuratively, after their departure from the grain field, from which the Apostles had received the fruit of their sowing, He came to the Synagogue to prepare the work of His harvest there as well; for afterward, many who were with the Apostles were healed.

St. Jerome: Until the coming of the Lord and Savior, the withered hand was in the Synagogue of the Jews, and the works of the Lord were not done in it. But when He came to earth, the right hand was restored in the Apostles who believed and was returned to its former work.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: All healing is done by the word, and the hand is restored like the other. That is, it is made like the ministry of the Apostles in the work of granting salvation. It also teaches the Pharisees that they should not be displeased that the work of human salvation is done by the Apostles, since if they would believe, their own hands would be made capable for the ministry of this same duty.

Rabanus Maurus: Alternatively, the man with the withered hand represents the human race, barren of good works and dried up by the hand that was stretched out to the fruit.ⁱ This was healed by the stretching out of the innocent hand on the Cross.

This withered hand is rightly said to have been in the Synagogue, for where the gift of knowledge is greater, the danger of an incurable affliction is also greater. When the withered hand is to be healed, it is first told to be stretched out, because the weakness of a barren mind is healed by no better means than by generosity in giving to the poor. A person's right hand is affected when he is negligent in giving alms, while his left hand is whole when he is attentive to his own interests. But when the Lord comes, the right hand is restored as whole as the left, because what he had gathered greedily, he now distributes freely.

1. De Cons. Ev., ii, 35
2. Hom., xl
3. De Cons. Ev., ii. 35
4. ord.
5. De Cons. Ev., ii, 35