Healing of a Man with a Withered Hand

NA²⁷ Matthew 12:9-14	B Mark 3:1-6	À^T Mark 3:1-6	D Mark 3:1-6	W Mark 3:1-6	D Luke 6:6-11	À^T Luke 6:6-11	B Luke 6:6-11
9Kai metabaV ekeiqen hlqen eiV thn sunagwghn autwn. 10kai idou anqrwpoV ceira ecwn xhran. kai ephrwthsan auton legonteV, Ei exestin toiV sabbasin qerapeusai; ina kathgorhswsin autou. 11O de eipen autoiV, TiV estai ex umwn anqrwpoV oV exei probaton en kai ean empesh touto toiV sabbasin eiV boqunon, ouci krathsei auto kai egerei; 12posw oun diaferei anqrwpoV probatou, wste exestin toiV sabbasin kalwV poiein. 13tote legei tw anqrwpw, Ekteinon sou thn ceira. kai exeteinen kai apekatestaqh ugihV wV h allh. 14ExelqonteV de oi Farisaioi sumboulion elabon kat autou opwV auton apoleswsin.	1Kai eishlqen palin eiV sunagwghn kai hn ekei anqrwpoV exhrammenhn ecwn thn ceira. 2kai parethroun autou ei toiV sabbasin qerapeusei auton. ina kathgorhswsin autou. 3kai legei tw anqrwpw tw thn ceira econti xhran, Egeire eiV to meson. 4Kai legei autoiV, Exestin toiV sabbasin agaqopoihsai h kakopoihsai, yuchn swsai h apokteinai; oi de esiwpwn. 5Kai peribleyamenoV autouV met arghV, sunlupoumenoV epi th pwrwsei thV kardiaV autwn legei tw anqrwpw, Ekteinon thn ceira [sou]. kai exeteinen kai apekatestaqh h ceir autou. 6Kai exelqonteV oi Fareisaioi euquV meta twn Hpwdianwn sumboulion edidoun kat autou opwV auton apoleswsin.	1Kai eishlqen palin eiV sunagwghn kai hn ekei anqrwpoV exhrammenhn ecwn thn ceira. 2kai parethroun autou ei en toiV sabbasin qerapeuei auton. ina kathgorhswsin autou. 3kai legei tw anqrwpw tw thn xhran cira econti, Egeire eiV to meson. 4Kai legei autoiV, Exestin toiV sabbasin agaqon poihsai h kakopoihsai, yuchn swsai h apoktinai; oi de esiwpwn. 5Kai peribleyamenoV autouV met arghV, sunlupoumenoV epi th pwrwsei thV kardi autwn legei tw anqrwpw, Ektinon thn cira sou. kai exetinen kai apekatestaqh h cir autou. 6Kai exelqonteV oi Farisaioi euquV meta twn Hpwdianwn sumboulion epoihsan kat autou opwV auton apoleswsin.	1Kai eishlqen palin eiV thn sunagwghn kai hn ekei anqrwpoV xhran ecwn thn ceira. 2kai parethrounto auton ei en toiV sabbasin qerapeusei. ina kathgorhsousin auton. 3kai legei tw anqrwpw tw econti thn ceira exhramenhn, Egeire kai sthqei en mesw. 4Kai eipen proV autouV, Exestin en toiV sabbasin ti agaqon poihsai h kakopoihsai, yuchn swsai mallon h apokteinai; oi de esiwpwn. 5Kai peribleyamenoV autouV met arghV, sunlupoumenoV epi th nekrwsei thV kardiaV autwn legei tw anqrwpw, Ekteinon thn ceira sou. kai exeteinen kai apekatestaqh h ceir autou euqewV. 6ExelqonteV de oi Farisaioi meta twn Hpwdianwn sumboulion poiounteV kat autou opwV auton apoleswsin.	1Kai eiselqontoV autou eiV thn sunagwghn ercetai anqrwpoV proV auton ecwn xhran thn ceira. 2kai parethrounto auton ei toiV sabbasin qerapeuei. ina kathgorhswsin autou. 3kai legei tw anqrwpw tw econti thn ceira exhran, Egeire ek tou mesou. 4Kai legei autoiV, Exestin toiV sabbasin agaqon poihsai h ou, yuchn swsai h apolesai; oi de esiwpwn. 5Kai peribleyamenoV autouV met arghV, epi th pwrwsei thV kardiaV autwn legei tw anqrwpw, Ekteinon thn ceira sou. kai exeteinen kai apekatestaqh h ceir autou. 6ExelqonteV de oi Farisaioi meta twn Hpwdianwn sumboulion epoiounto kat autou opwV auton apoleswsin.	6 Kai eiselqontoV autou palin eiV thn sunagwghn sabbatw en h hn anqrwpoV xhran ecwn thn ceira. 7parethrounto auton oi grammateiV kai oi Farisaioi ei en tw sabbatw qerapeuei, ina eurwsin kathgorhsai autou. 8autoV de geinwskwn touV dialogismouV autwn, lege (andri) tw thn ceira econti xhran, Egeirou kai sthqi en tw mesw. kai anastaV estaqh. 9Eipen de o IhsouV proV autouV, Eperwthsw umaV ei exestin tw sabbatw agaqopoihsai h kakopoihsai, yuchn swsai h apolesai; oi de esiwpwn. 10Kai peribleyamenoV autouV pantaV en orgh, legei tw anqrwpw, Ekteinon thn ceira sou. kai exeteinen kai apekatestaqh h ceir autou wV kai h allh. 11Autoi de eplhsqhsan anoiaV kai dielogizonto proV allhlouV pwV apoleswsin auton.	6Egeneto de en eterw sabbatw eiselqin auton eiV thn sunagwghn kai didaskin, kai hn anqrwpoV ekei kai h ceir autou h dexia hn xhra. 7parethroun de auton oi grammateiV kai oi Farisaioi ei en tw sabbatw qerapeuei, ina eurwsin kathgorin autou. 8autoV de hdei touV dialogismouV autwn, eipen de tw andri tw thn xhran econti thn ceira, Egeire kai sthqi eiV to meson. kai anastaV esth. 9Eipen de o IhsouV proV autouV, Eperwtw umaV ei exestin tw sabbatw agaqopoihsai h kakopoihsai, yuchn swsai h apolesai; 10Kai peribleyamenoV pantaV autouV eipen tw anqrwpw, Ektinon thn ceira sou. o de exeteinen kai apekatesth h ceir autou. 11Autoi de eplhsqhsan anoiaV kai dielaloun proV allhlouV ti an poihseien tw Ihsou.	6Egeneto de en eterw sabbatw eiselqein auton eiV thn sunagwghn kai didaskein, kai hn anqrwpoV ekei kai h ceir autou h dexia hn xhra. 7parethrounto de auton oi grammateiV kai oi Fareisaioi ei en tw sabbatw qerapeusei, ina eurwsin kathgorein autou. 8autoV de hdei touV dialogismouV autwn, eipen de tw andri tw xhran econti thn ceira, Egeire kai sthqi eiV to meson. kai anastaV esth. 9Eipen de IhsouV proV autouV, Eperwtw umaV ei exestin tw sabbatw agaqopoihsai h kakopoihsai, yuchn swsai h apolesai; 10Kai peribleyamenoV pantaV autouV eipen autw, Ekteinon thn ceira sou. o de epoihsen kai apekatestaqh h ceir autou. 11Autoi de eplhsqhsan anoiaV kai dielaloun proV allhlouV ti an poihsaien tw Ihsou.

Notes:

1. The setting of this pericope is Jesus entering a synagogue and healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. In À / B Mark 3:1, Jesus again entered a synagogue and a man was there having a withered hand. This is the same Sabbath as the pericope of Plucking Grain on the Sabbath in Mk 2:23-28, Mt12:1-8, whereas À / B Luke 6:6 states explicitly that this is another Sabbath. In D / W Mk 3:1, Mt 12:9 and Lk 6:6, Jesus entered the synagogue, presumably the same synagogue he entered previously to cast out a demon in Mk 1:21, Lk 4:31-37. This is a minor agreement between Matthew and Luke against Alexandrian Mark, although Matthew has Jesus entering their synagogue. The action in W Mark and D Luke is in the present tense kai eiselqontoV autou eiV thn sunagwghn (and entering him into the synagogue) and W Mark further adds ercetai anqrwpoV proV auton (comes a man to him). The present tense is probably original and the sense is different - the man comes to him in W Mark rather than just happening to be there. The great variation in word order of the expression xhran ecwn thn ceira (withered having the hand) is striking. D Mark and D Luke have the same version, whereas À / B Lk 6:6 adds the additional detail that it is the right hand that is withered. Having a withered right hand is a Hebrew idiom for being in a permanent state of sin. This is an example of a type of Semitism that is often found in Luke.

2. In Mark 3:2, they (presumably still the Pharisees) were watching him to see if he would heal on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. Mark has incorporated this healing miracle as part of a controversy over doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath. The story bookends the Healing of the Paralytic in Mk 2:1-12 and was probably meant to serve as another example of healing being equivalent to the forgiveness of sin. "Watching" occurs in two forms in Mark and Luke, parethroun (they watched) and parethrounto (they were watching) as well as "healing", qerapeusei (he will heal) and qerapeuei (he heals). The two versions of each expression are found in both Alexandrian and Western text-types. parethrounto occurs in Western Mark and Luke and it's presence in B Mark and Luke may point to another example of the tendency of B to harmonize between text-types.

3. In Mark 12:3, Jesus commands the man with the withered hand, Egeire eiV to meson (Rise up into the midst!). Again, there is much variation between texts. W Mark seems the most primitive Egeire ek tou mesou (Rise up in the middle!). D Mark adds the additional detail of standing similar to Luke 6:8 Egeire kai sthqei en mesw (Rise up and stand in the middle!). Luke adds the additional detail that Jesus knew their thoughts. In À / B Lk 6:8, this knowledge is intuitive autoV de hdei touV dialogismouV autwn (but he understood the thoughts of them), whereas in D Luke the knowledge is literal autoV de geinwskwn touV dialogismouV autwn (but he knew the thoughts of them). D has the harder reading and therefore is probably original. Matthew begins the questioning by the onlookers in the synagogue in the previous verse (Mt 12:10), so he omits this verse.

4. Mark 3:4,5a and Luke 6:9,10a are highly similar, but the verses are missing from Matthew. This material appears to have been excised and replaced in Matthew 12:11,12 by a teaching about rescuing a domestic animal from a pit on the Sabbath that takes up the same amount of space. The pericope in Matthew is related to the story about the Man With Dropsy in Luke 14:1-6 and will be considered separately. In Mk 3:4 / Lk 6:9, Jesus asks if it is permitted on the Sabbath to do good or evil, to restore life or destroy it. The observers are silent in Mark and D Luke. In Mk 3:5 / Lk 6:10, Jesus looks around (peribleyamenoV) in anger (met arghV / en orgh) in Mark and D Luke but not Alexandrian Luke. Mark adds the further detail epi th pwrwsei thV kardiaV autwn (for their hearts were hardened). This expression is a characteristic of Mark and is repeated after the miracle of the Feeding of the 5000. The word sunlupoumenoV (being deeply grieved) does not appear in W Mark. This suggests a possible conflation of two versions - a compassionate and an angry Jesus - similar to the Cleansing of the Leper.

5. In Mt 12:13, Mk 3:5b, Lk 6:10b, Jesus tells the man to extend his hand and it is restored. The text is highly conserved between Mark and Matthew. Matthew adds the additional detail that it was restored ugihV wV h allh (healthy as the other). The tradition in Matthew is divided however, with À Mt 12:13 having only ugihV and some Latin witnesses (b,c,ff,g,h) and the Syriac witnesses (Syr-C, Syr-P, Syr-S) having wV h allh. D Luke 6:10b adds the second part of this phrase to the original ending wV kai h allh (as also the other) while W Luke 6:10b has only the first part ugihV. The text of À Lk 6:10 has an intermediate form between B and D (D is identical to Mark except the last clause). À Luke has a tendency to harmonize to Matthew and or Mark in the words of Jesus.

6. The ending in Mt 12:14, Mk 3:6 has the Pharisees (along with the Herodians in Mark) plotting how to destroy Jesus. The verse is almost invariant except for the single word elabon (took) in Matthew, edidoun (held) in B Mark, or epoihsan (made) in À Mark. Luke 6:11 has a different ending in which the scribes and Pharisees are filled with fury and discuss what they might do to Jesus. The ending is similar to Lk 4:28 where the congregants are filled with anger and Jesus is driven out of the synagogue.

7. The pericope of Mark 3:1-6 and parallels concludes Mark's teaching unit about Jesus doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath. The healing of the man with the withered hand apparently violated a prohibition against working on the Sabbath, but this misses the point entirely. Jesus did not heal the man by touching him, so no work was performed. Further, Jesus' rhetorical question about whether it is better to save life or destroy it does not make sense in this context because the man's injury was not life threatening. The story does make sense, however, if the real issue is over Jesus' authority to forgive sin manifested through healing. Thus, the series of confrontation stories ends as it began with the healing of the paralytic and the implication of blasphemy.