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Mark 2:6

in Mark 2

But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts,

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

KJV

But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

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This verse in Mark 2

Commentary

8 notes on this verse

A commentator

Bede

On the Gospel of Mark · Written before 735.

Now there were some of the scribes sitting there, thinking in their hearts, etc. The scribes speak truly, that no one can forgive sins but God alone, who through them also forgives, to whom He has granted the power to forgive. And therefore Christ is …

This site's exposition

some of the scribes were sitting there

on Mark 2:6-7

The scribes reason silently, thinking in their hearts, and their logic holds as far as it goes, Who can forgive sins but God alone, since the Hebrew Scriptures give that right to God. Their charge, He is blaspheming, is the charge that condemns Jesus at His trial in 14:64, so this early scene already shows the crime He will die for. Jesus then answers a question no one spoke aloud.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

(non occ.) Further, He first healed by the remission of sins that which He had come to seek, that is, a soul, so that when they faithlessly doubted, then He might bring forward a work before them, and in this way His word might be confirmed by the work, and a hidden sign be proved by an open one, that is, the health of the soul by the healing of the body.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Mark · Written before 1107.

proposed

The Pharisees accused the Lord of blasphemy because He forgave sins, since this belongs to God alone. But the Lord gave them yet another sign of His Divinity — the knowledge of their hearts, for the heart of each person is known to God alone, …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

But there were certain of the Scribes sitting there,.... In the upper room where Jesus was, to watch and observe what he said:, and did: and reasoning in their hearts; upon the above words of Christ, in the following manner.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

His calling of Matthew from the receipt of custom, and his eating, upon that occasion, with publicans and sinners, and justifying himself in so doing,

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

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.)
1 more voice on this verse

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

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.) It was the place where many of His miracles were worked, and many of His sermons delivered. But nothing that Jesus said or did seems to have had any effect on the hearts of the inhabitants. They crowded to hear Him, as we read in this passage, "until there was no room about the door." They were amazed. They were astonished. They were filled with wonder at His mighty works. But they were not converted. They lived in the full noon-tide blaze of the Sun of Righteousness, and yet their hearts remained hard. And they drew from our Lord the heaviest condemnation that He ever pronounced against any place, except Jerusalem — "And you people of Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in Sodom, it would still be here today. I assure you, Sodom will be better off on the judgment day than you." (Matt. 11:23, 24) It is good for us all to mark well this case of Capernaum. We are all apt to suppose that it needs nothing but the powerful preaching of the Gospel to convert people's souls, and that if the Gospel is only brought into a place everybody must believe. We forget the amazing power of unbelief, and the depth of man's enmity against God.

The words behind it

13 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

7 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.

Luke 5:21–22But the scribes and Pharisees began thinking to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”4 worksMark 9:14When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.4 worksMark 8:17Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts?3 worksPsalms 10:11He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He hides His face and never sees.”2 worksPsalms 35:25Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”2 worksMatthew 16:7–8They discussed this among themselves and concluded, “It is because we did not bring any bread.”1 works
The other 1 cross-references, with their words ▾
2 Corinthians 10:5We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.1 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

    2 Corinthians 10:5

    We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

    it leads to

    • Hebrews 4:12

      For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

    • Isaiah 55:7

      Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely…

    • 1 Peter 1:14–15

      As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance.

    • Romans 7:23

      But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.

    • Matthew 15:19

      For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

  • Through

    Mark 8:17

    Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts?

    it leads to

    • Mark 6:52

      for they had not understood about the loaves, but their hearts had been hardened.

    • Hebrews 5:11–12

      We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing.

    • Mark 2:8

      At once Jesus knew in His spirit that they were thinking this way within themselves. “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?” He asked.

Where this verse is studied

About Mark

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633. Public domain.
Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633. Public domain.
Mark: the study guide →Read Mark 2 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; 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 Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.

Read on in Mark 2 →