Mark 2:9

2:9-11 It is easier to say . . . your sins are forgiven because this claim cannot be directly proved or disproved, while the claim to heal can be. Jesus showed his ability to heal in order to show his authority to forgive.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mar 2:9-10 , vide notes on Mt.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee--or "are forgiven thee";

or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed and walk?--"Is it easier to command away disease than to bid away sin? If, then, I do the one which you can see, know thus that I have done the other, which you cannot see."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

9. Whether is it easier] Observe what is here contrasted, Not, “Which is easier, to forgive sin or to raise a paralytic?” but “Which is easier, to claim this power or claim that; to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, Arise and walk”? as He had already said to the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda (Joh_5:8).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But that ye may know that the son of man,.... Meaning himself, who was really man, and the true Messiah, in which sense this phrase had been used in the writings of the Old Testament; see Psa 80:17, and though by reason of his outward form; and mean appearance, he might be thought by them to be but a mere man, and had no right, nor authority, to say what he had; in order to convince them; he affirms, that he

hath power on earth to forgive sins. As there is an emphasis lies on the phrase, "the son of man", suggesting, that his being so was no contradiction to his deity, nor any hindrance to the exertion of his power; so there is another on those words, "upon earth"; intimating, that though he was upon earth, in a very low estate, in a state of humiliation, yet he had the same power to forgive sin as in heaven; his humbling himself in human nature did not strip him of his perfections, power, and prerogative as God: and if he had power on earth to forgive sin, there can be no room to doubt of it now he is in heaven; since as mediator, he is "exalted to be a prince, and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins", Act 5:31, And that it might appear he had such a power on earth,

he saith to the sick of the palsy; turning to, and addressing him in the following words, with great majesty, authority, and power; See Gill on Mat 9:6.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

Ver. 9. {See Trapp on "Mat 9:5"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

sins

Sin. (See Scofield "Rom 3:23")

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9. ἐγείρον ([264][265] may be original, but it looks like a correction of the intrans. ἔγειρε. Mt. and Lk. have ἔγειρε here, and all three have ἔγειρε at Mar 2:11.

[264] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[265] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mar 1:1 to Mar 10:15; Mar 10:30 to Mar 15:1; Mar 15:20 to Mar 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mar 16:8 and Mar 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

9. τί ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον; See on Mar 10:25. Here Christ gives them a test by which they can see whether their adverse judgment is just. It was easy to say “Thy sins are forgiven,” because no one could prove that the claim to work this invisible miracle was baseless. But the claim to have power to heal with a word could be tested at once; and if it proved to be true, it was a guarantee that the other claim was true also. His healing the body was evidence that He could heal the soul. But Christ healed the man in answer, not to the unbelief of the Scribes, but to the belief of the man and his bearers. He would have healed him, if the Scribes had not been there. As they were there, He made the healing serve a double purpose.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9. Τί ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον; Which is easier?1 Jesus does not make the contrast here between healing and forgiving, but between saying be forgiven and be healed. The two things would be themselves coincident, and the difference therefore would be only between two ways of saying the same thing. The disease being a consequence of the man’s sin, the cure would be a remission of penalty. Ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι—Thy sins are forgiven.

Ἀφίενται, instead of Ἀφέωνται, Tisch. Treg. WH. א B 28, mss. of Lat. Vet. Vulg. Pesh. Harcl. σου instead of σοι, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א BEFGHKL, etc. ὕπαγε, instead of περιπάτει, Tisch. א LWc Δ, and ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, D 33, mss. of Lat. Vet. A difficult case to decide, as περιπάτει may be taken from Mt. and Lk., and ὕπαγε from v. 11.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Walk [περιπατει] . Lit., walk about.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.