And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus’ anger here isn't a selfish outburst; it's a righteous indignation mixed with deep sorrow for the people's spiritual blindness. His profound grief over their "hardness of heart"—their stubborn refusal to see God's work right in front of them—fuelled his anger, highlighting a profound love for them even as he confronted their sin.
And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just challenged the Pharisees about the lawfulness of healing on the Sabbath, and they have remained silent, revealing their wicked intentions to accuse him. He then calls the man with the withered hand to stand in their midst, prompting Jesus to feel righteous anger mixed with grief over their hardened hearts and their willingness to condemn good works. In response to their silent hostility, Jesus issues a command that simultaneously tests the man's faith and exposes the Pharisees' hypocrisy.
Jesus looked around with anger, yet he was also grieved. How can these two seemingly opposite emotions exist in the same person, especially in the Savior?
In Mark 3:5, we see a powerful, complex emotional display from Jesus. He's described as looking "around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart." This isn't the uncontrolled rage of sin, but a holy, righteous anger.
A Divine Dilemma
Jesus' anger here stems from a deep love for God and a profound sorrow for humanity's fallen state. He sees the religious leaders fixated on their man-made rules, completely missing the point of God's law and the miraculous healing before them. Their 'hardness of heart' prevents them from recognizing God's power and mercy, and this grieves Him.
Anger Against Sin, Grief for the Sinner
Think of it this way: His anger is directed at the sin – the hypocrisy, the stubbornness, the willful ignorance. His grief, however, is for the people caught in that sin. It's a perfect balance: a passionate defense of God's honor and truth, combined with deep compassion for those who are lost and blind.
This isn't about personal offense, but about God's glory and the well-being of souls being thwarted by sin.
What does it mean for a heart to be 'hard'? It's more than just being stubborn; it's a spiritual condition that affects how we see and respond to God.
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The phrase 'hardness of heart' here describes a state where a person's inner core – their will, emotions, and understanding – has become insensitive and resistant to God's truth and influence. It's like a callus forming over a wound, preventing healing.
Beyond Stubbornness
This isn't just about being disobedient for a moment. It's a progressive state.
Jesus saw this in the religious leaders. Despite witnessing His miracles and hearing His teachings, their hearts were so hardened that they were more concerned with legalistic interpretations of the Sabbath than with the man needing healing right in front of them.
Jesus didn't lay hands on the man or perform a lengthy ritual. With just a word and a command, a miracle occurred. What does this reveal about His authority?
The healing of the man with the withered hand is striking not only because of the man's restoration but also because of how it happened. Jesus simply commands, 'Stretch out your hand,' and it is done.
Divine Authority
This highlights Jesus' absolute authority over physical ailments and even over the very laws of nature and time. He doesn't ask the hand to heal; He commands it to be stretched out, and the power to do so is instantly present.
Faith Responds to Authority
This miracle also requires the man's faith and obedience. He must believe Jesus' command is possible and act on it, stretching out his hand despite its withered state. His willing obedience, prompted by Jesus' authoritative word, is the channel through which the divine power flows.
This is a powerful demonstration that Jesus speaks with the authority of God. His words aren't mere suggestions; they are commands that carry divine power to bring about reality.
Understand the original words
sklērokardia · Greek Noun compound
The inner self, the center of human intellect, will, and emotional life. A 'hard' heart describes a state of moral stubbornness and spiritual insensitivity that refuses to respond to the truth of God.
apokathistēmi · Greek Verb
The act of being made whole, sound, or healthy again. Biblically, this often signifies a return to the state God originally intended before the entrance of sin or infirmity.
c. 27-30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee
Jesus begins his public ministry, teaching, healing, and calling disciples throughout Galilee. His growing fame and controversial teachings attract large crowds but also draw the attention and suspicion of religious leaders.
c. 27-30 AD
Sabbath Controversies
Jesus frequently heals on the Sabbath, directly challenging the strict interpretations of Sabbath law held by the Pharisees and other religious authorities. These incidents become a recurring point of conflict.
c. 27-30 AD
Growing Opposition
As Jesus' popularity and perceived challenges to religious and political norms increase, the opposition from scribes, Pharisees, and Herodians intensifies, leading them to seek ways to discredit or arrest him.
This passage describes Jesus' similar reaction, knowing the thoughts of those who questioned Him, and then commanding the man with the withered hand to stretch it out, highlighting Jesus' awareness of their malicious intent and His power to heal.
Matthew 12:11-13Jesus uses the analogy of rescuing a sheep from a ditch to point out the hypocrisy of those who would judge Him for healing on the Sabbath, showing His frustration with their misplaced priorities and legalism.
Exodus 31:12-17This Old Testament passage defines the Sabbath as a holy day, a sign between God and Israel, underscoring the religious context in which Jesus' actions were questioned and the Pharisees' rigid interpretation of its observance.
Romans 11:25Paul speaks of a hardening that has come upon Israel in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, reflecting the 'hardness of heart' Jesus grieved over, suggesting a spiritual blindness that resisted God's truth.
Ephesians 4:18This verse describes those who are 'darkened in their understanding' and 'alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart,' echoing the spiritual condition Jesus perceived in the Pharisees.
pooleMark 3:5: "And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other."
Ver. 5. See Poole on "Mark 3:1"
vincentMark 3:5: "And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other."
Being grieved (συλλυπούμενος)Why the compound verb, with the preposition σύν, together with? Herodotus (vi., 39) uses the word of condoling with another's misfortune. Plato ("Republic," 4:62) says, "When any one of the citizens experiences good or evil, the whol…
Jesus’ anger here isn't a selfish outburst; it's a righteous indignation mixed with deep sorrow for the people's spiritual blindness. His profound grief over their "hardness of heart"—their stubborn refusal to see God's work right in front of them—fuelled his anger, highlighting a profound love for them even as he confronted their sin.
Jesus has just challenged the Pharisees about the lawfulness of healing on the Sabbath, and they have remained silent, revealing their wicked intentions to accuse him. He then calls the man with the withered hand to stand in their midst, prompting Jesus to feel righteous anger mixed with grief over their hardened hearts and their willingness to condemn good works. In response to their silent hostility, Jesus issues a command that simultaneously tests the man's faith and exposes the Pharisees' hypocrisy.
Jesus has just challenged the Pharisees about the lawfulness of healing on the Sabbath, and they have remained silent, revealing their wicked intentions to accuse him. He then calls the man with the withered hand to stand in their midst, prompting Jesus to feel righteous anger mixed with grief over their hardened hearts and their willingness to condemn good works. In response to their silent hostility, Jesus issues a command that simultaneously tests the man's faith and exposes the Pharisees' hypocrisy.
"And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored." — Jesus’ anger here isn't a selfish outburst; it's a righteous indignation mixed with deep sorrow for the people's spiritual blindness. His profound grief over their "hardness of heart"—their stubborn…
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Last reviewed October 2026