Mark 3:2

2 They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him.

Mark 3:2 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 3:2

And they watched him
The ruler of the synagogue, and the principal men in it; particularly the Scribes and Pharisees, who followed him wherever he went; they observed him diligently, and kept their eyes upon him; this lame man being in the synagogue, to see

whether he would heal him on the sabbath day;
which, knowing his readiness to do good, they might expect he would:

that they might accuse him;
as they had accused his disciples before, of the violation of the sabbath: according to the Evangelist Matthew, they put a question to him, whether it was lawful to heal on the sabbath day? with this view, that they might, one way or another, have something to accuse him of, either to the people, or to the sanhedrim; (See Gill on Matthew 12:10).

Mark 3:2 In-Context

1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand.

2 They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him.

3 And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come forward."

4 Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent.

5 He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.