Then said Jesus unto them
The Scribes and Pharisees, who were watching him, and whose thoughts, and the reasonings of their minds, purposes, and intentions, he full well knew:
I will ask you one thing;
or question, as they had asked him one before; ( Matthew 12:10 )
is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to
save life, or to destroy it?
(See Gill on Mark 3:4) to which may be added, that to save life on the sabbath day was agreeable to their own canons: there were many things which they allowed might be done on the sabbath day, when life was in danger, which otherwise were not lawful; (See Gill on Matthew 12:8).