Comentários bíblicos

1. a ship] As ch. Matthew 8:23, the boat.

his own city] Capernaum.

Chap. Matthew 9:1-8. Cure of a Man afflicted with Paralysis

Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:18-26Both St Mark and St Luke notice the crowding of the people to hear Jesus, and narrate the means by which the sufferer was brought into His presence.

2. sick of the palsy] not “grievously tormented” (see ch. Matthew 8:6), therefore suffering from a less severe type of paralysis.

lying] The same word and tense translated “laid,” ch. Matthew 8:6, where see note.

their faith] The faith of those who brought him, as well as his own. Cp. Mark 9:23-24.

Son, be of good cheer] Bengel infers from this that the sufferer was a young man.

thy sins be forgiven thee] Translate, have been forgiven thee. Christ assigns sin as the cause of this paralytic seizure. Paralysis is not uncommonly the result of sinful indulgence.

2–6. When Jesus said “Thy sins have been forgiven thee” the young man did not immediately rise (see Matthew 9:7). Instantly the scribes thought with a sneer “this fellow blasphemes,” i. e. pretends to a divine power which he does not possess. They said in their hearts it is easy to say, “Thy sins have been forgiven,” let him say, “Arise, and walk,” then we shall discover his blasphemy. Jesus answers their thoughts. His words are not “whether,” as in E. V., but “why is it easier to say, Thy sins have been forgiven thee, than to say, Arise, and walk?” In truth it was not easier to say “Thy sins have been forgiven” as Jesus says those words, for to say them implied the cure of soul and of body too; but in order to convince the Scribes of His power He adds the words, “Arise, and walk;” and implicitly bids them infer that the inner work of forgiveness had as surely followed the first words as the outward and visible result followed the command to rise and walk.

6. take up thy bed] The Oriental frequently spreads a mat upon the ground and sleeps in the open air, in the morning he rolls up his mat and carries it away.

9. The Call of St Matthew. Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27-28St Mark has “Levi, the son of Alphæus,” St Luke “a publican named Levi.” The identification of Matthew with Levi can scarcely be seriously disputed. The circumstances of the call are precisely similar as narrated by the Synoptists; and it was too usual for a Jew to have more than one name for this difference to be a difficulty. Probably the name Matthew, “Gift of God,” was adopted by the Apostle when he became a follower of Jesus.

the receipt of custom] Rather, the toll- or custom-house. For a longer notice of the call of St Matthew, see Introduction.

10–13. A Meal in the Evangelist’s House. Mark 2:15-17; Luke 5:29-3210. in the house] St Luke says “and Levi made him a great feast,” which makes it clear that the meal was in Levi’s house.

11. when the Pharisees saw it] The Pharisees were not guests, but came into the house,—a custom still prevalent in the East. A traveller writes from Damietta, “In the room where we were received, besides the divan on which we sat, there were seats all round the walls. Many came in and took their place on those side-seats, uninvited and yet unchallenged. They spoke to those at table on business, or the news of the day, and our host spoke freely to them. We afterwards saw this custom at Jerusalem … first one and then another stranger opened the door and came in, taking seats by the wall. They leaned forward and spoke to those at table.” Scripture Manners and Customs, p. 185.

12. They that be whole, &c.] There is a touch of irony in the words. They that are “whole” are they who think themselves whole. So below, the “righteous” are those who are righteous in their own eyes.

13. I will have mercy] i. e. I desire mercy. I require mercy rather than sacrifice, Hosea 6:6. It is a protest by the prophet against the unloving, insincere formalist of his day. It is closely parallel to our Lord’s injunction, ch. Matthew 5:23-24. Sacrifice without mercy is no acceptable sacrifice. To love sinners is a better fulfilling of the law than to stand aloof from them. See note ch. Matthew 12:7, where our Lord again quotes these words.

The words “to repentance” are omitted in the leading MSS.