And behold: see comments on 1.20. The formula here functions to call attention to the man who had a paralyzed hand. Some translators will use a phrase like “And it happened that there…” or “There was a man there” (Barclay). Others will make verse 10 a continuation of the sentence begun in verse 9. Good News Translation is an example, and another possibility is “… he went into their synagogue, and there he saw a man….”

A man with a withered hand: withered (so also New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Barclay) is a literal meaning of the word, as is “dried up.” However, when used of diseased body parts, the meaning is more naturally expressed in English as “paralyzed” or “crippled.” It is possible to say either “a man with a paralyzed hand” or “a man whose hand was paralyzed.”

The word translated hand generally has that meaning, though it may also mean “arm” (New English Bible).

Since the text does not specify who they refers to, instead of “Pharisees” (as in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), some translators use a general term like “Some people” (Good News Translation) or “the people there.”

Is it lawful (Good News Translation “Is it against our Law”) has reference to the Jewish Law. Is it lawful has been rendered as “Is it allowed by our Law” or “Does the Law of Moses permit.”

Heal may require an object, as in “heal people” or “cure people of their diseases.”

And they asked him … so that they might accuse him: Good News Translation both changes the order of the two clauses and alters the dependent clause to an independent clause: “Some people were there who wanted to accuse Jesus of doing wrong, so they asked him.” New English Bible, though retaining the order of the two clauses, does transform the dependent clause to an independent one: “They wanted to frame a charge against him.”

Might accuse (Good News Translation “wanted to accuse … of doing wrong”) translates a legal technical term meaning “bring charges (against someone in court).” As Good News Translation and New English Bible have restructured the verb in English, it requires an object, which will probably be necessary also for other languages. Barclay does noteworthy restructuring: “In an attempt to find something which they could use as a charge against him, they asked him….” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch identifies the unidentified they and translates “The Pharisees had watched Jesus closely and so they questioned him….”

These people, or Pharisees, asked Jesus a question that they hoped would produce an answer from him that would contradict the teachings of the Law. Then they could accuse him of doing or saying something wrong. This is why the purpose clause is used in the text, so that they might accuse him. Good News Translation, New English Bible, and Barclay cited above have all attempted to convey this meaning. Other ways are “Some people were there who wanted to be able to accuse Jesus of breaking the Law (of Moses), so they asked him…” or “Some people there asked Jesus, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ They asked him that because they wanted to have reason to accuse him of doing wrong.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .