MarkChapter 2

+ Secondary text Original text ← Previous Next →Contribute

Parallel texts1 parallels in this chapter

The paralyzed man healedMML

Friends lower the paralyzed man through the roof.

1Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own town.

2And some men brought him a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."

3At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming."

4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you harbor evil in your hearts?

5Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?

6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your bed, and go home."

7And the man got up and went home.

8When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Mark(du leser)

1When he came back to Capernaum a few days later, word spread that he was at home.

2So many people gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he was speaking the word to them.

3Then some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man carried by four of them.

4Since they could not bring the man to Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him, dug through it, and lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.

5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

6Some of the scribes were sitting there, reasoning in their hearts,

7"Why does this man talk like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

8At once Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking, and he said to them, "Why are you turning these things over in your hearts?

9Which is easier: to say to the paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'?

10But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the paralyzed man,

11"I say to you: get up, take your mat, and go home."

12The man got up, and immediately took his mat and walked out in front of them all. Everyone was astounded and praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

LukeLuke 5:17-26

17One day, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.

18Just then some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a bed, trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus.

19When they could find no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles, right into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus.

20Seeing their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

21The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason among themselves, "Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

22Jesus knew what they were thinking and answered them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?

23Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?

24But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home."

25At once the man stood up in front of them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home praising God.

26Amazement gripped them all, and they glorified God. Filled with awe, they said, "We have seen incredible things today."

When he came back to Capernaum a few days later, word spread that he was at home.

So many people gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he was speaking the word to them.

Then some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man carried by four of them.

Since they could not bring the man to Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him, dug through it, and lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Some of the scribes were sitting there, reasoning in their hearts,

"Why does this man talk like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

At once Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking, and he said to them, "Why are you turning these things over in your hearts?

Which is easier: to say to the paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'?

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the paralyzed man,

"I say to you: get up, take your mat, and go home."

The man got up, and immediately took his mat and walked out in front of them all. Everyone was astounded and praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them.

As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.

Later, as Jesus was reclining at table in Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with him and his disciples—for there were many who followed him.

When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?"

Jesus answered, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and on that day they will fast.

No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch pulls away from it—new from old—and the tear becomes worse.

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. No, new wine goes into fresh wineskins."

One Sabbath he was passing through the grainfields, and his disciples began to make their way along, picking heads of grain.

The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath?"

He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him?

He entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence, which only the priests are permitted to eat, and he gave some to those who were with him."

Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Historical and Cultural Context for Mark 2

People

Levi, son of Alphaeus (v. 14) is the tax collector whom Jesus calls to follow him. He is traditionally identified with Matthew (cf. Matt 9:9). As a tax collector (τελώνης), he worked at the tax booth (τελώνιον) in Capernaum, likely collecting tolls on goods passing along the trade route Via Maris or fishing taxes by the Sea of Galilee. Tax collectors were despised by Jews because they collaborated with the Roman occupying power and often collected more than was required.

Scribes (γραμματεῖς) are mentioned several times in the chapter (vv. 6, 16). These were professional interpreters of the Mosaic Law and oral tradition. The expression "scribes of the Pharisees" (v. 16) indicates that there were scribes associated with various groups. They functioned as religious authorities and guardians of traditional law interpretation.

Places

Capernaum (Καφαρναούμ, v. 1) was Jesus' base in Galilee. The houses in the town were typically built from local basalt stone with flat roofs made of branches, straw, and clay laid over wooden beams—explaining how men could "dig through" (ἐξορύξαντες) the roof to lower the paralyzed man (v. 4).

Events and Customs

Roofs and Architecture (v. 4): Mark uses the verbs ἀποστεγάζω (to uncover a roof) and ἐξορύσσω (to dig out). This fits Galilean houses where roofs consisted of wooden beams covered with branches, reed mats, and a layer of hard clay. Such a roof could be broken through relatively easily, unlike the tiled roofs more common in Greco-Roman architecture.

Meal Fellowship (vv. 15–16): In antiquity, eating together (συνανάκειμαι – to recline at table with) was an act of deep social and religious significance. One entered into fellowship with those with whom one ate. That Jesus ate with "tax collectors and sinners" was scandalous because it signaled acceptance and equality. The Pharisees practiced strict table fellowship (חברותא) and avoided meals with those who did not observe purity laws.

Fasting (vv. 18–20): The Mosaic Law required fasting only on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:29), but the Pharisees fasted voluntarily twice a week (Monday and Thursday, cf. Luke 18:12). John's disciples likely followed strict ascetic practices. Jesus' use of the wedding imagery (νυμφίος/νυμφών) alludes to messianic expectations where God's salvation was portrayed as a wedding feast.

Sabbath Law (vv. 23–28): Picking grain on the Sabbath was regarded by the Pharisees as "reaping"—one of the thirty-nine categories of forbidden work defined in later rabbinic tradition (Mishnah, Shabbat 7:2). The Pharisees developed detailed rules (halakha) to "build a fence around the law." Jesus refers to 1 Sam 21:1–6 where David ate the showbread—an event showing that human needs can take precedence over ritual regulations.

Key Terms

Son of Man (ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, vv. 10, 28) is a title with background in Dan 7:13–14, where "one like a son of man" receives eternal dominion from God. The title carries overtones of both divine authority and messianic identity. Jesus uses the title to claim divine authority—both to forgive sins and over the Sabbath.

Blasphemy (βλασφημέω, v. 7) in Jewish understanding meant to insult God's honor or usurp God's rights. Forgiveness of sins belonged to God alone (Isa 43:25; Ps 103:3). The scribes' reaction shows that they understood Jesus' words as a divine claim.

Showbread (ἄρτοι τῆς προθέσεως, v. 26) were twelve loaves placed in the sanctuary every Sabbath (Lev 24:5–9). Only priests were allowed to eat them. Jesus' reference to Abiathar is disputed, since 1 Sam 21 mentions Ahimelech as priest. Several solutions have been proposed: that the expression ἐπὶ Ἀβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως means "in Abiathar's [later] time as high priest," that Abiathar was present as son of Ahimelech, or that it reflects a textual tradition.

MarkChapter 2

Chapter 2

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Mark 2

People

Places

Events and Customs

Key Terms

Mark

The Old Testament

The New Testament

Study aids