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Mark 2:16

in Mark 2

When the scribes who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with these people, they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and publicans, said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

KJV

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

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This verse in Mark 2

Commentary

13 notes on this verse

A commentator

Gregory of Nazianzus

ORATION 45, ON HOLY EASTER 26 · Written before 390.

When Jesus is attacked for mixing with sinners, and taking as his disciple a despised tax collector, one might ask: What could he possibly gain by doing so? Only the salvation of sinners. To blame Jesus for mingling with sinners would be like blaming a physician for stooping down over suffering and putting up with vile smells in order to heal the sick.

This site's exposition

While Jesus was dining at Levi’s house

on Mark 2:15-17

The scribes who were Pharisees ask why He eats with tax collectors and sinners, since sharing a table in that culture meant approval. Jesus answers, I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.

This site's exposition

Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?

The Pharisees take their complaint to the disciples. Matthew Henry sees in this habit an attempt to sow discord between the Master and His followers. Gregory of Nazianzus asks what Jesus gained at such a table, and answers that He gained only the salvation of sinners.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church4 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Mark · Written before 1107.

proposed

And the Pharisees begin to blame the Lord, presenting themselves, of course, as pure people. But the Lord said to this: "I have come to call not the righteous," that is, you who justify yourselves (He says this by way of mocking them), "but sinners," …

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 1107.

proposed

But the Pharisees blame this, making themselves pure. Whence there follows: And when the Scribes and Pharisees saw him eat, &c. Not indeed that they should continue sinners, but be converted to that repentance.

A commentator

Bede

On the Gospel of Mark · Written before 735.

proposed

And the scribes and Pharisees seeing that he was eating with sinners, etc. If through Matthew's choosing and calling the faith of the publicans is expressed of the gentiles, who first coveted the gain of the world, but now are refreshed with the Lord at …

A commentator

Bede

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 735.

proposed

(ubi sup.) If by the election of Matthew and calling of the publicans, the faith of the Gentiles is expressed, who formerly were intent on the gains of this world; certainly the haughtiness of the Scribes and Pharisees intimates the envy of the Jewish people, who are vexed at the salvation of the Gentiles. It goes on: When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole need not the physician, but they that are sick. He aims at the Scribes and Pharisees, who, thinking themselves righteous, refused to keep company with sinners. He calls Himself the physician, Who, by a strange mode of healing, was wounded on account of our iniquities, and by His wound we are healed. And He calls those whole and righteous, who, wishing to establish their own righteousness, are not subject to the righteousness of God. Moreover He calls those rich and sinners, who, overcome by the consciousness of their own frailty, and seeing that they cannot be justified by the Law, submit their necks to the grace of Christ by repentance. Wherefore it is added, For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, &c.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And when the Scribes and Pharisees saw him eat,.... They were offended at his eating and drinking, though it was in moderation; because he did not fast as they, and their disciples did; and especially, that he eat with publicans and sinners; men of very infamous characters, and bad lives, with whom the Pharisees disdained to keep company: they said unto his disciples, how is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? The Vulgate Latin, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, "your master"; see Gill on Mat 9:11; so some Greek copies here.
5 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

); and now when they thought the disciples did amiss, they spoke to Christ, as make-bates, that did what they could to sow discord between Christ and his disciples, and make a breach in the family. How Christ defended them in what they did. They had a good precedent for it in David's eating the show-bread, when he was hungry, and there was no other bread to be had (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

How is it, that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? Note, It is no new thing for that which is both well- done, and well- designed, to be misrepresented, and turned to the reproach of the wisest and best of men. Christ's justification of himself in it,

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Sinners - By ἁμαρτωλοι, the Gentiles or heathens are generally to be understood in the Gospels, for this was a term the Jews never applied to any of themselves, See the note on Mat 9:10. How is it that he eateth - Some very good MSS., several versions, with Chrysostom and Augustin, read, Why doth Your Master eat?
The person who is called Levi, at the beginning of this passage, is the same person who is called Matthew in the first of the four Gospels. Let us not forget this. It is no less than an apostle and an evangelist, whose early history is now before our eyes. We learn from these verses the power of Christ to call men out from the world, and make them His disciples . We read that he said to Levi, when "sitting at the receipt of custom, Follow me." And at once "he arose and followed him." From a tax-collector he became an apostle, and a writer of the first book in the New Testament, which is now known all over the world. This is a truth of deep importance. Without a divine call no one can be saved. We are all so sunk in sin, and so wedded to the world, that we would never turn to God and seek salvation, unless He first called us by His grace. God must speak to our hearts by His Spirit, before we shall ever speak to Him. Those who are sons of God, says the 17th Article, are "called according to God's purpose by His Spirit working in due season." Now how blessed is the thought that this calling of sinners is committed to so gracious a Savior as Christ! When the Lord Jesus calls a sinner to be His servant, He acts as a Sovereign ; but He acts with infinite mercy . He often chooses those who seem most unlikely to do His will, and furthest off from His kingdom. He draws them to Himself with almighty power, breaks the chains of old habits and customs, and makes them new creatures. As the magnet attracts the iron, and the south wind softens the frozen ground, so does Christ's calling draw sinners out from the world, and melt the hardest heart. "The voice of the Lord is mighty in operation." Blessed are they, who, when they hear it, harden not their hearts! We ought never to despair entirely of any one's salvation, when we read this passage of Scripture.
The person who is called Levi, at the beginning of this passage, is the same person who is called Matthew in the first of the four Gospels. Let us not forget this. It is no less than an apostle and an evangelist, whose early history is now before our eyes. We learn from these verses the power of Christ to call men out from the world, and make them His disciples . We read that he said to Levi, when "sitting at the receipt of custom, Follow me." And at once "he arose and followed him."

The words behind it

24 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

13 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Matthew 9:11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”7 worksMark 8:11Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, testing Him by demanding from Him a sign from heaven.5 worksLuke 18:11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.4 worksLuke 19:7And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!”4 worksLuke 19:10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”4 worksActs 23:9A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”3 works
The other 7 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Corinthians 2:15The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.3 worksIsaiah 65:5They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long.3 worksLuke 15:2–7So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”2 worksMatthew 18:17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.2 worksMark 2:7“Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”2 worksHebrews 12:3Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.2 worksMark 2:24So the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Luke 19:10

    For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

    it leads to

    • Ezekiel 34:16

      I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.’

    • Matthew 1:21

      She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

    • 1 Timothy 1:13–16

      I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.

    • Luke 5:31–32

      Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

    • Luke 15:4–7

      “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds…

  • Through

    Luke 18:11

    The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

    it leads to

    • Matthew 6:5

      And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they…

  • Through

    Luke 19:7

    And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!”

    it leads to

    • Luke 7:39

      When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she…

    • Luke 7:34

      The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

Where this verse is studied

About Mark

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Public domain.
Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Public domain.
Mark: the study guide →Read Mark 2 →
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Gregory of Nazianzus, ORATION 45, ON HOLY EASTER 26; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.

Read on in Mark 2 →