Matthew 9:5

“…in the case of the daughter of Abraham; and from His remitting sins, saying to the paralytic, and to the woman who washed His feet, ‘Thy sins be forgiven thee;’ and from His both raising the dead, and repairing the first nature of the blind, granting to him to see.” — editor's note: Vid. ib. xiii. 16; Matt. ix. 5; Luke vii. 48.

“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, then saith He to the sick of the palsy: Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.”” — editor's note: S. Matt. ix. 2–6.

“And, behold, they brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed;” and so on down to where it is said, “But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled; and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.”” — editor's note: Matt. ix. 1–8.

““For whether is easier,” saith He, “to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee? or to say, Take up thy bed, and go unto thine house?”” — editor's note: Matt. ix. 5, 6.

“For not only if I should say, “Arise, and walk;”neither if I should say, “Tabitha, arise,”then only do I speak Christ’s words, but much more if being reviled I bless, if being despitefully used I pray for him that doeth despite to me.” — editor's note: Matt. ix. 5.

“Of old one lay upon his bed sick of the palsy, so powerless in all his joints that he could neither move his feet to walk nor his hands to pray; yet when he was carried to our Lord by others, he was by Him so completely restored to health as to carry the bed which a little before had carried him.” — editor's note: Matt. ix. 1–7.

Christ had above shewn His excellent power by teaching, when “he taught them as one having authority;” in the leper, when He said, “I will, be thou clean;” by the centurion, who said to Him, “Speak the word, and my…

The Creator of all things, the Lord of the world, when He had for our sakes straitened Himself in the bonds of our flesh, began to have His own country as a man, began to be a citizen of Judaea, and to have parents,…

By “his own city” is here meant Capharnaum. For one town, to wit, Bethlehem, had received Him to be born there; another had brought Him up, to wit, Nazareth; and a third received Him to dwell there continually,…

That Matthew here speaks of “his own city,” and Mark calls it Capharnaum, would be more difficult to be reconciled if Matthew had expressed it Nazareth. But as it is, all Galilee might be called Christ’s city,…

Or; This city may be no other than Nazareth, whence He was called a Nazarene.

And if we adopt this supposition, we must say that Matthew has omitted all that was done from the time that Jesus entered into His own city till He came to Capharnaum, and has proceeded on at once to the healing of…

This paralytic is not the same as he in John. For he lay by the pool, this in Capharnaum; he had none to assist him, this was borne “on a bed.”

“On a bed,” because he could not walk.

He does not universally demand faith of the sick, as, for example, when they are mad, or from any other sore sickness are not in possession of their minds; as it is here, “seeing their faith;”

not the sick man’s, but theirs that bare him.

Seeing then that they shewed so great faith, He also shews His excellent power; with full power forgiving sin, as it follows, “he said to the paralytic, Be of good courage, son, thy sins are forgiven thee.”

Of how great power with God must a man’s own faith be, when that of others here availed to heal a man both within and without. The paralytic hears his pardon pronounced, in silence uttering no thanks, for he was more…

Or, we may suppose even the sick man to have had faith; otherwise he would not have suffered himself to be let down through the roof as the other Evangelist relates.

O wonderful humility! This man feeble and despised, crippled in every limb, He addresses as “son.” The Jewish Priests did not deign to touch him. Even therefore His “son,” because his sins were forgiven him. Hence we…

The Scribes in their desire to spread an ill report of Him, against their will made that which was done be more widely known; Christ using their envy to make known the miracle. For this is of His surpassing wisdom to…

We read in prophecy, “I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions;” [Isa 43:25] so the Scribes regarding Him as a man, and not understanding the words of God, charged Him with blasphemy. But He seeing their thoughts…

He did not indeed contradict their suspicions so far as they had supposed Him to have spoken as God. For had He not been equal to God the Father, it would have behoved Him to say, I am far from this power, that of…

Whether or no his sins were forgiven He alone could know who forgave; but whether he could rise and walk, not only himself but they that looked on could judge of; but the power that heals, whether soul or body, is…

Above, He said to the paralytic, “Thy sins are forgiven thee,” not, I forgive thee thy sins; but now when the Scribes made resistance, He shews the greatness of His power by saying, “The Son of Man hath power on…

These words “That ye may know,” may be either Christ’s words, or the Evangelist’s words. As though the Evangelist had said, They doubted whether He could remit sins, “But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath the…

That which had been proof of his sickness, should now become proof of his recovered health. “And go to thy house,” that having been healed by Christian faith, you may not die in the faithlessness of the Jews.

This command He added, that it might be seen there was no delusion in the miracle; so it follows to establish the reality of the cure, “And he arose, and went away to his own house.” But they that stood by yet grovel…

Mystically; When driven out of Judaea, He returns into His own city; the city of God is the people of the faithful; into this He entered by a boat, that is, the Church.

Christ has no need of the vessel, but the vessel of Christ; for without heavenly pilotage the bark of the Church cannot pass over the sea of the world to the heavenly harbour.

In this paralytic the whole Gentile world is offered for healing, he is therefore brought by the ministration of Angels; he is called Son, because he is God’s work; the sins of his soul which the Law could not remit…

Figuratively, the soul sick in the body, its powers palsied, is brought by the perfect doctor to the Lord to be healed. For every one when sick, ought to engage some to pray for his recovery, through whom the halting…

The Lord requires not in this world the will of those who are without understanding, but looks to the faith of others; as the physician does not consult the wishes of the patient when his malady requires other things.

His rising up is the drawing off the soul from carnal lusts; his taking up his bed is the raising the flesh from earthly desires to spiritual pleasures; his going to his house is his returning to Paradise, or to…

Or by the bed is denoted the pleasure of the body. He is commanded now he is made whole to bear that on which he had lain when sick, because every man who still takes pleasure in vice is laid as sick in carnal…

It is a very fearful thing to be seized by death while the sins are yet unforgiven by Christ; for there is no way to the heavenly house for him whose sins have not been forgiven. But when this fear is removed, honour…

Matthew 9:5 and Mark 2:9 share the same wording (11 words).

Matthew 9:5 and Luke 5:23 share the same wording (9 words).

Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.16.

Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.16.

Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.16.

Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.16.

Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.16.

Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.16.

Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.16.

Cited together in Jerome on Matthew 9:1–8 (5) (Catena Aurea).