Matthäus 12:13

13 Dann spricht er zu dem Menschen: Strecke deine Hand aus. Und er streckte sie aus, und sie ward wiederhergestellt, gesund wie die andere.

Matthäus 12:13 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 12:13

Then saith he to the man
That is, after he had looked round about upon them, to observe their countenances; and what answer they would make to his arguments; and with anger for their inhumanity and cruelty; being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, i.e. their unmercifulness to their fellow creatures, and the stupidity and blindness of their minds, being ignorant of the Scriptures, and of the sabbath, the nature, use, and Lord of it; which things are observed by the Evangelist Mark; then, in a commanding authoritative way, almighty power going along with his word, he says to the man who stood forth before him, and the Pharisees,

stretch forth thine hand,
which was before contracted and shrivelled up;

and he stretched it forth
with all the ease imaginable, and was, not only able to do this, but to make use of it any way;

for it was restored whole like as the other;
his left hand, which had never been damaged. This was an instance of Christ's power; a proof of the lawfulness of healing on the sabbath day; and a rebuke to the Pharisees for their cruelty and uncharitableness. This man was an emblem of the inability of men to do anything that is spiritually good, and of the power and efficacy of divine grace to enable persons to stretch out their hands, and do things which they of themselves are not equal to.

Matthäus 12:13 In-Context

11 Er aber sprach zu ihnen: Welcher Mensch wird unter euch sein, der ein Schaf hat und, wenn dieses am Sabbath in eine Grube fiele, es nicht ergreifen und aufrichten wird?

12 Wieviel vorzüglicher ist nun ein Mensch als ein Schaf! Also ist es erlaubt, an den Sabbathen Gutes zu tun.

13 Dann spricht er zu dem Menschen: Strecke deine Hand aus. Und er streckte sie aus, und sie ward wiederhergestellt, gesund wie die andere.

14 Die Pharisäer aber gingen hinaus und hielten Rat wider ihn, wie sie ihn umbrächten.

15 Als aber Jesus es erkannte, entwich er von dannen; und es folgten ihm große Volksmengen, und er heilte sie alle.