Mark 2:5-7
New English Translation
5 When Jesus saw their[a] faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”[b] 6 Now some of the experts in the law[c] were sitting there, turning these things over in their minds:[d] 7 “Why does this man speak this way? He is blaspheming![e] Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Mark 2:5 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
- Mark 2:5 sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
- Mark 2:6 tn Or “some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
- Mark 2:6 tn Grk “Reasoning within their hearts.”
- Mark 2:7 sn Blaspheming in the NT has a somewhat broader meaning than mere utterances. It could mean to say something that dishonored God, but it could also involve claims to divine prerogatives (in this case, to forgive sins on God’s behalf). Such claims were viewed as usurping God’s majesty or honor. The remark here raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry, and even more importantly, the identity of Jesus himself as God’s representative.
Mark 2:5-7
New International Version
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”(A)
6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”(B)
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