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King James Version
Matthew 12:12
Bible Study Resources
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A person is worth far more than a sheep;
How much then is a man better then a shepe? Wherfore it is lawfull to doe well on the Sabbath dayes.
Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
"How much more valuable then is a person than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
Surely a human being is more important than a sheep. So it is lawful to do good things on the Sabbath day."
"How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful and permissible to do good on the Sabbath."
How much more then is a man better then a sheepe? therefore, it is lawfull to doe well on a Sabbath day.
"How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
People are worth much more than sheep, and so it is right to do good on the Sabbath."
How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore, what is permitted on Shabbat is to do good."
How much better then is a man than a sheep! So that it is lawful to do well on the sabbath.
Surely a man is more important than a sheep. So it is right to do good on the Sabbath day."
How much more important is a man than a sheep? It is therefore lawful to do good on the sabbath.
And a human being is worth much more than a sheep! So then, our Law does allow us to help someone on the Sabbath."
Then to what degree is a man worth more than a sheep? So then, it is permitted to do good on the Sabbath."
How much more, then, does a man excel a sheep! So that it is lawful to do well on the sabbaths.
How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day.
Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! For this reason it is right to do good on the Sabbath day.
How much, then, is a man of more value than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the day of Shabbat."
How much more is a human being worth than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
How much more precious is a child of man than a sheep ! Wherefore it is lawful on the sabbath-day to do that which is good.
Now, how much better is a human being than a sheep ! Wherefore it is lawful to do what is good, on the sabbath.
Howe much more then is a man better then a sheepe? Wherfore it is lawfull to do a good deede on the Sabbath dayes.
How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day.
How much, then, is a man of more value than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day."
How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath-day.
Is not a man, however, far superior to a sheep? Therefore it is right to do good on the Sabbath."
How myche more is a man better than a scheep? Therfor it is leueful to do good in the sabatis.
How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.
How much then is a man better than a sheep? wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath."
How much better is a man than a sheep! So it is right to do good on the Day of Rest."
How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath."
How much better, then, a man, than, a sheep? So that it is allowable, on the sabbath, nobly, to act.
How much better is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do a good deed on the sabbath days.
Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath."
And how moche is a man better the a shepe? Wherfore it is lefull to do a good dede on the saboth dayes.
How much better, therefore, is a man than a sheep? -- so that it is lawful on the sabbaths to do good.'
And how moch is a man better then a shepe? Therfore it is lefull to do good vpon the Sabbath.
is not a man of much greater consequence than a sheep? how lawful then is it to do good offices on the sabbath-day?
Cowboys mean a lot more to God than calves do! There ain't nothin' wrong with healin' on the day of rest."
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
is a: Matthew 6:26, Luke 12:24
it is: Mark 3:4, Luke 6:9
Reciprocal: Matthew 10:31 - General Matthew 21:45 - they Luke 14:5 - Which
Cross-References
And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord , and called upon the name of the Lord .
And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.
And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
How much then is a man better than a sheep?.... As a rational creature must be better, and more excellent, than an irrational one, more care is to be taken of, and more mercy shown unto, the one, than the other: even the health of a man is preferable to the life of a beast; and if it is lawful to give food to a beast, and make use of means for its relief, and for the lifting it up out of a ditch, when fallen into it on the sabbath day, "wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days", to men; to do acts of beneficence and humanity to them, among which must be reckoned healing of diseases and infirmities: and particularly, if it is lawful to take a sheep out of a ditch on the sabbath day, it must be right to restore to a man the use of his hand on such a day; and especially to one that gets his bread by his hand labour, as it is very likely this man did. This was such a strong way of arguing, that the Jews could not well object to it; and it appears, that they were confounded and put to silence; for, as Mark observes, "they held their peace": and indeed they allow of everything to be done where life is in danger, though not otherwise: they say h,
"they may take care of the preservation of life on the sabbath; and if he is prepared for it, lo! this is praiseworthy, and there is no need to take a licence from the sanhedrim: as when a man sees a child fallen into the sea, he may spread a net, and bring him out; and if he is prepared for it, lo! this is praiseworthy, and there is no need to take a licence from the sanhedrim, though he was fishing: if he sees a child fallen into a ditch, he may rake into the mud and bring him out; and if he is prepared for it, lo! this is praiseworthy, and there is no need to take a licence from the sanhedrim, though he had set a ladder ready.''
It is said of Hillell i, that
"he sat by a window to hear the words of the living God, from the mouth of Shemaia and Abtalion; and they say that that day was the evening of the sabbath, and the winter solstice, and the snow descended from heaven; and when the pillar of the morning ascended, (when it was daylight,) Shemaia said to Abtalion, brother Abtalion, all other days the house is light, but today it is dark, perhaps it is a cloudy day: they lift up their eyes, and saw the form of a man at the window; they went up, and found upon him snow the height of three cubits; they broke through and delivered him; and they washed him, and anointed him, and set him over against his dwelling, and said, very worthy is this man להלל עליו את שבת, "to profane the sabbath for him".''
And if it was lawful to dig a man out of the snow, and do these several things for him on the sabbath day, why not cure a man of a withered hand, and especially when done by a word speaking, and without any labour?
h T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 84. 2. i T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 35. 2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The account contained in these verses is recorded also in Mark 3:1-5, and Luke 6:6-10.
Matthew 12:10
A man which had his hand withered - This was probably one form of the palsy. See Barnes Mt 4:24.
Mark and Luke have mentioned some circumstances omitted by Matthew. They say that Jesus addressed the man, and told him to stand forth in the midst. He then addressed the people. He asked them if it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath day? This was admitted by all their teachers, and it could not be denied. They were therefore silent. He then appealed to them, and drew an argument from their own conduct. A man that had a sheep that should fall into a pit on the Sabbath day would exercise the common offices of humanity, and draw it out. If a man would save the life of a sheep, was it not proper to save the life of a man ? By a reference to their own conduct, he silenced them. Mark adds, that he looked on them with anger; that is, with strong disapprobation of their conduct. Their envy and malignity excited feelings of holy indignation. See Barnes Mr 3:5.
Matthew 12:12
How much, then, is a man better than a sheep? - Of more consequence or value.
If you would show an act of kindness to a brute beast on the Sabbath, how much more important is it to evince similar kindness to one made in the image of God!
It is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days - This was universally allowed by the Jews in the abstract; and Jesus only showed them that the principle on which they acted in other things applied with more force to the case before him, and that the act which he was about to perform was, by their own confession, lawful.
Matthew 12:13
Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand - This was a remarkable commandment.
The man might have said that he had no strength - that it was a thing which he could not do. Yet, “being commanded,” it was his duty to obey. He did so, and was healed. So the sinner. It is his duty to obey whatever God commands. He will give strength to those who endeavor to do his will. It is not right to plead, when God commands us to do a thing, that we have no strength. He will give us strength, if there is a disposition to obey. At the same time, however, this passage should not be applied to the sinner as if it proved that he has no more strength or ability than the man who had the withered hand. It proves no such thing: it has no reference to any such case. It may be used to prove that man should instantly obey the commands of God, without pausing to examine the question about his ability, and especially without saying “that he can do nothing.” What would the Saviour have said to this man if he had objected that he could not stretch out his hand?
It was restored whole - Christ had before claimed divine authority and power Matthew 12:6-9, he now showed that he possessed it. By his “own power” he healed him, thus evincing by a miracle that his claim of being Lord of the Sabbath was well founded.
These two cases determine what may be done on the Sabbath. The one was a case of “necessity,” the other of “mercy.” The example of the Saviour, and his explanations, show that these are a part of the proper duties of that holy day. Beyond an “honest” and “conscientious” discharge of these two duties, people may not devote the Sabbath to any secular purpose. If they do, they do it at their peril. They go beyond what His authority authorizes them to do. They do what he claimed the special right of doing, as being Lord of the Sabbath. They usurp His place, and act and legislate where God only has a right to act land legislate. People may as well trample down any other law of the Bible as that respecting the Sabbath.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Matthew 12:12. How much then is a man better than a sheep? — Our Lord's argument is what is called argumentum ad hominem; they are taken on their own ground, and confuted on their own maxims and conduct. There are many persons who call themselves Christians, who do more for a beast of burden or pleasure than they do for a man for whom Christ died! Many spend that on coursers, spaniels, and hounds, of which multitudes of the followers of Christ are destitute:-but this also shall come to judgment.
Wherefore, it is lawful to do well, &c.] This was allowed by a multitude of Jewish canons. See Schoettgen.
