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Matthew 12:13
Stretch forth your hand.
Pharisees attack, the Sabbath
Matthew 12:13 Stretch forth thy hand.
Matthew 12:13 Stretch out your hand.
Stretch out yours, that hand.
Greek
Greek Word Order
We must reach out our hands.
Lost in Translation
This phrase has a simple meaning when addressed to the crippled man, but it also means to go beyond your abilities in extending help. A common meaning for the verb translated as "stretch out" is "to offer food. In terms of the larger discussion about religion and the Sabbath, Christ answers his own question about the priority of doing good in the context of religious tradition. He has said clearly that religious tradition is our servant not our master. It is meant to give us power and ability not to take it away. The parallel verses in Luke 6:10 and Luke 6:10 are identical except for the position of the pronoun, "your."
Vocabulary (Greek word by word)
Ἔκτεινόν [4 verses](2nd sg aor imperat act) "Stretch forth" is ekteinô, which means "to stretch out," "to offer food," "to prostrate yourself," "to straighten," "spread out," to extend," "spin out, "prolong," "put forth" and, in the passive, "be unfolded," "be smoothed."
σου (pron 2nd sg gen) "Thy" is from sou which means "you" and "your."
τὴν (article sg fem acc) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the")
χεῖρα (noun sg fem acc) "Hand" is from cheir which means "the hand and arm," and "with the help of agency of another." Like "hand" in English, it has a lot of meanings including "an act or deed," "a body of people," and the measurement "handful."
KJV — word by word
Stretch - "Stretch " is a verb that means "to stretch out," but also means "to offer food," "to prostrate yourself," and "to extend." The Greek word for "stretch" has the same meaning as the word in English with all its related ideas of extending yourself and your abilities. This extension of abilities has the same sense of being work and a struggle.
forth -- This is from the prefix that means "from" and "out of" of the previous verb.
thy -- The word translated as "thy" is the genitive form of the singular, second-person pronoun, which is most commonly the possessive form. This pronoun usually follows the noun but here it is before it.
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
hand. -- "Hand" is a noun "the hand" but has a host of meanings in Greek beyond a simple body part. It means "helping another" (like the English "lending a hand") and it means "an act or deed," especially in the sense of going beyond words. Christ used the hand, both in his actions and words, as symbolic of an individual's personal power. Every time he used the word (or used his hands), they were an expression of power. Being "in someone's hands" means being in their power (Matthew 17:22). He said that we are better off losing our abilities as symbolized by our hands (Matthew 5:30) than misusing them.
NIV — word by word
Stretch out your hand.
Stretch - "Stretch " is a verb that means "to stretch out," but also means "to offer food," "to prostrate yourself," and "to extend." The Greek word for "stretch" has the same meaning as the word in English with all its related ideas of extending yourself and your abilities. This extension of abilities has the same sense of being work and a struggle.
out -- This is from the prefix that means "from" and "out of" of the previous verb.
your -- The word translated as "your " is the genitive form of the singular, second-person pronoun, which is most commonly the possessive form. This pronoun usually follows the noun but here it is before it.
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
hand. -- "Hand" is a noun "the hand" but has a host of meanings in Greek beyond a simple body part. It means "helping another" (like the English "lending a hand") and it means "an act or deed," especially in the sense of going beyond words. Christ used the hand, both in his actions and words, as symbolic of an individual's personal power. Every time he used the word (or used his hands), they were an expression of power. Being "in someone's hands" means being in their power (Matthew 17:22). He said that we are better off losing our abilities as symbolized by our hands (Matthew 5:30) than misusing them.