Mark 2:9 BSB — MannaFest

Mark 2:9

“Which is easier: to say to a paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins are forgiven; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

KJV

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?

⋯

Commentary

4 voices

Tertullian

On Modesty (220)

For thus it was that the Lord Jesus Christ showed His power: "Why think ye evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say to the paralytic, Thy sins are remitted thee; or, Rise and walk? Therefore, that ye may know the Son of man to have the power upon earth of remitting sins, I say to thee, paralytic, Rise, and walk."

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy,.... This question was put to them by Christ, in order to prove his deity, and clear himself from the charge of blasphemy; for he that could cure the sick of the palsy, by a word speaking, had power to forgive him his sins: and therefore proposes it to them, which was easiest to say, thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

This was a suitable argument in itself. He could not have cured the disease, which was the effect, if he could not have taken away the sin, which was the cause. And besides, his curing diseases was a figure of his pardoning sin, for sin is the disease of the soul; when it is pardoned, it is healed.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

J.C. Ryle

1816–1900

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)

This passage shows our Lord once more at Capernaum. Once more we find Him doing His accustomed work, preaching the word, and healing those that were sick. We see, in these verses, what great spiritual privileges some people enjoy, and yet make no use of them . This is a truth which is strikingly illustrated by the history of Capernaum. No city in Palestine appears to have enjoyed so much of our Lord's presence, during His earthly ministry, as did this city. It was the place where He dwelt, after He left Nazareth. (Matt. 4:13.)

Voices on this verse

loading…

Original language & word study

20 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
τί	ti	Which	G5101 →
ἐστιν	estin	is	G1510 →
εὐκοπώτερον,	eukopōteron	easier,	G2123 →
εἰπεῖν	eipein	to say	G2036 →
τῷ	tō	to the	G3588 →
παραλυτικῷ·	paralutikō	paralytic;	G3885 →
ἀφίενταί	aphientai	Are forgiven	G863 →
σου	sou	of you	G4771 →
αἱ	hai	the	G3588 →
ἁμαρτίαι,	hamartiai	sins,	G266 →
ἢ	ē	or	G2228 →
εἰπεῖν·	eipein	to say;	G2036 →
ἔγειρε	egeire	do arise	G1453 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
ἆρον	aron	do take up	G142 →
τὸν	ton	the	G3588 →
κράβαττόν	krabatton	mat	G2895 →
σου	sou	of you	G4771 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
περιπάτει;¶	peripatei	do walk?	G4043 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk5

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Matthew 9:5
Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’
leads to
- John 5:8–14
  Then Jesus told him, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.”
- Mark 2:9–12
  “Which is easier: to say to a paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?
- Acts 3:16
  By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know has been made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given him this…
- Luke 5:23–25
  Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’
- Acts 14:8–11
  In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.