D2 r 1,2-. Palsied man brought.
s -2. Forgiveness declared.
t 3. Scribes. Evil thought entertained.
t 4. Scribes. Evil thoughts challenged.
s 5,6. Forgiveness. Power claimed.
r 7,8. Palsied man healed.
27 A.D.
Matthew 9)
1 And He entered into the boat (the one already mentioned in ch.8), and passed over, and came into His own (see note on "private" [2 Pet.1:20]) city. (Capernaum 4:13)
2 And, behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on a couch: and Jesus on seeing their faith (including of course the paralytic) said to the sick of the palsy;
"Child, be of good cheer; your sins have been and are forgiven you." (Marking the Lord's authority. Not the ambiguous "be forgiven")
3 And, behold, certain of the scribes (i.e. Kenites) said among themselves, "This man blasphemes."
4 And Jesus perceiving their thoughts said, "Wherefore think you mischief among [you] in your hearts?
5 For whether is easier, to say, 'Your sins be forgiven you;' or to say, 'Arise, and walk?'
6 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on the earth to forgive sins," (then He said to the sick of the palsy,) "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
7 And he arose, and departed to his house.
8 But when the crowds saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power to humans.
9 And as Jesus passed along from there, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting over the custom-house: and He said to him, "Follow me." And he arose, and followed Him.
X2 t 10,11. Question of Pharisees to His disciples.
u 12. Proverb. Answer.
v 13. Application. "
t 14. Question of John's disciples to Him.
u 15. Proverb. Answer.
v 16,17. Application. "
10 And it came to pass, as Jesus was reclining in his house (i.e. Matthews house), behold, many tax-gatherers and sinners (especially in a religious sense. Common people) came and sat down with Him and His disciples.
1. The word PHARISEE is the Hebrew for one who was separated by special beliefs and practices, which were very strict as to tithing and eating, &c. (see Matt. 23:23. Luke 18:12). It was for this reason that the Lord was upbraided by the Pharisees (Matt. 9:9-11; 11:19. Mark 2:16. Luke 5:30; 7:34).
Doctrinally, they held that the oral law was necessary to complete and explain the written law; hence, the strong denunciations of the Lord. Moreover, they held the natural immortality of man; and, JOSEPHUS says the transmigration of souls.
[The ESSENES cultivated an intensified form of Pharisaism.]
2. The word SADDUCEE is the Greek form of the Heb. zaddukim, which is derived form one Zadok, said to be the founder of the sect, who was a disciple of ANTIGONUS of SOCOH (200-170 B.C.). They were the aristocratic and conservative party politically; and, doctrinally (generally speaking) they negatived the teaching of the Pharisees, even denying the doctrine of the resurrection.
Neither of these sects had any existence, as such, till the return from Babylon.
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher (this was implied by them) eat with publicans and sinners?"
12 But when Jesus heard that, He said to them, "They that be strong need not a physician, but they that are sick do.
13 But (this is the application. Hos.6:6 is quoted with evident reference to Hos. 6:1; 5:13 and 7:1) you go (to your teachers) and learn what that is (teach sinners what they should repent for), 'I require compassion, and not sacrifice:' for I came not to call just ones, but sinners to repentance."
14 Then come to Him the disciples of John, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often (cp. Luke 18:12), but Your disciples fast not?
15 And Jesus said to them, "Can the sons of the bride-chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
A3 w 18,19. The Ruler's daughter.
x 20,21. The Woman's faith. Exercised.
x 22. The Woman's faith. Rewarded.
w 23-26. The Ruler's daughter. Raised.
16 No one puts a piece of new flannel (i.e. undressed. In this condition it is less supple and will tear away) upon an old garment, for that which is put in (i.e. the patch put on) to fill it up tears away from the garment, and a worse tear takes place.
17 Neither do men put freshly made wine into dried skins: otherwise the wine skins burst, and the wine runs out, and the wine skins are ruined: but they put new wine into fresh wine skins, and both are preserved together."
Discrepancies, so called, are manufactured when similar miracles are regarded as identical. One such example is seen in the case of the two demoniacs of Matt. 8:28 and the one demoniac of Mark 5:1-20. (See note on Matt. 8:28).
Another is that of the two storms on the lake of Matt. 8:24 (Mark 4:37-41) and Luke 8:22-25.
Another is that of the lepers of Matt. 8:2 (Mark 1:40) and Luke 5:12. See the notes
Why should not words be repeated at different times and under other circumstances? And as there were many people suffering in various places from similar diseases, why should we not expect to find similar miracles?
Why assume that two miracles, which are apparently alike in general character, are identical, and then talk about the two accounts being contradictory?
Two examples are furnished, not only in the case of two separate miracles, but in the case of pairs of double miracles.
1. There were two females raised from the dead.
The first (Matt. 9:18) was to korasion (a little girl), whose father was probably a civil magistrate (archon).
The second (Mark 5:22. Luke 8:41) was to paidion, a girl of about twelve years (see Ap. 108. v), whose father was one of the rulers of the Synagogue (archisunagogos), by name Jairus. She was not dead. No mourning had commenced, but as the Lord approaches news of her death was brought.
Other antecedents and consequents of time and place and circumstances are all different.
2. There were two women suffering from the same disease. And why not? It is not surprising that there were two, but surprising there were not more -- as probably there were among the many unrecorded. (Matt. 14:36. Mark 3:10; 6:56. Luke 6:19).
The first (Matt. 9:20) was evidently watching her opportunity, and had probably heard the report of the Lord's "touch". She came behind Him; and there is no mention of a crowd as in the case of the other woman.
The first spoke "within herself" of what she would do; the second had spoken to her friends.
The Lord saw the first woman, and spoke before the healing was effected. He did not see the second, and inquired after the healing was accomplished.
In the first the disciples said nothing, but in the second, they reasoned with the Lord as to the crowds.
In the first there is no mention of physicians or of spiritual blessing received. In the second case, both are mentioned.
It appears, therefore, that in these cases we have two pairs of double miracles, with differences so great that they cannot be combined and treated as being identical.
She died before her father started to see the Lord, and so no messengers were dispatched with the news.
18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, there came one civil ruler (not the same miracle as that in Mark 5:22, and Luke 8:41), and began doing homage to Him, saying, "My daughter has just now died: but come and lay Your hand upon her, and she shall come to life again." (Especially to live again in resurrection.)
19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did His disciples.
20 And, behold, a woman (not the same miracle as in Mark 5:25. and Luke 8:43.), which was diseased with a hemorrhage twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem (the tassel at 1 of the 4 corners, to touch was a mark of profound respect. Cp. Num. 15:37-41) of His garment:
21 For she kept saying within herself (the 2nd woman seems to have spoken to others), "If I may but touch His garment, I shall be saved." (i.e. healed. A Hebraism. The conditions are quite hypothetical)
22 But Jesus turned Himself about, and when He saw her, He said, "Daughter, be of good courage; your faith has saved you." (as in v.21) And the woman was made whole from that hour.
23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd loudly wailing,
24 He said to them, "Go out [of the room]: for the damsel is not dead, but sleeps." And they laughed Him to scorn.
25 But when the people were put forth, He went in, and took her by the hand, and the damsel arose.
26 And this report went abroad into all that land.
B3 y 27. Blind men. Their prayer.
z 28-30-. The Lord. Compliance.
z -30. The Lord. Command.
y 31. Blind men. Their disobedience.
27 And when Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying, and saying, "You son of David (see 1:1), have mercy on us."
28 And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him: and Jesus said to them, "Believe you that I am able to do this?" They say to him, "Yes, Lord."
29 Then touched He their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it unto you."
30 And their eyes were opened;
and Jesus straightly charged them, saying, "See that no one know it."
31 But they, when they had gone out, made him known in all that country.
32 But as they were leaving, behold, they brought to Him a dumb man possessed with a demon.
33 And when the demon was cast out, the dumb spoke: and the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never so seen in Israel."
34 But the Pharisees said, "He casts out the demons by the prince of the demons."
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, heralding in their synagogues, and preaching the glad tidings (good news) concerning the kingdom, and healing every kind of sickness and every disease among the People. all texts omit these words
36 But when He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion on them, because they were wearied (all the texts read "were harassed"), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having feeling as if they had no shepherd.
37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few;
38 Pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.