Focused Passage

Matthew 9:1-8

Authority to Forgive, Mercy for Sinners, and Compassion for the Harvest

Matthew moves from Jesus’ authority to forgive sins, to his mercy toward sinners, to his teaching on newness, to his authority over death, uncleanness, blindness, muteness, and demons, concluding with compassion for the shepherdless crowds and prayer for harvest workers.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

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

2 Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”

3 On seeing this, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”

4 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why do you harbor evil in your hearts?

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

6 But 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, pick up your mat, and go home.”

7 And the man got up and went home.

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

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

- Καὶ G2532 Conjunction [Jesus] got into ἐμβὰς G1684 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular . . . εἰς G1519 Preposition a boat πλοῖον G4143 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular crossed over διεπέρασεν G1276 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction came ἦλθεν G2064 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular to εἰς G1519 Preposition [His] τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular own ἰδίαν G2398 Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular town πόλιν G4172 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 2

Original words

Just then Καὶ G2532 Conjunction . . . ἰδοὺ G2400 Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular [some men] brought προσέφερον G4374 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural to Him αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular a paralytic παραλυτικὸν G3885 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular lying βεβλημένον G906 Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Singular on ἐπὶ G1909 Preposition a mat κλίνης G2825 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular When καὶ G2532 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Jesus Ἰησοῦς G2424 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular saw ἰδὼν G3708 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular their αὐτῶν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural faith πίστιν G4102 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular He said εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular to the τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular paralytic παραλυτικῷ G3885 Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular Take courage Θάρσει G2293 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular son τέκνον G5043 Noun - Vocative Neuter Singular your σου G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular - αἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Plural sins ἁμαρτίαι G266 Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural are forgiven ἀφίενταί G863 Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural

BSB notes

  • Literally And behold, they brought
Verse 3

Original words

On seeing this Καὶ G2532 Conjunction . . . ἰδού G2400 Interjection some τινες G5100 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural of the τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural scribes γραμματέων G1122 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural said εἶπαν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural to ἐν G1722 Preposition themselves ἑαυτοῖς G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural This [man] Οὗτος G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular is blaspheming βλασφημεῖ G987 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 4

Original words

But Καὶ G2532 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Jesus Ἰησοῦς G2424 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular knew εἰδὼς G1492 Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular what τὰς G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Plural they αὐτῶν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural were thinking ἐνθυμήσεις G1761 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural [and] said εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Why Ἵνα‿ G2443 Conjunction . . . τί G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular do you harbor ἐνθυμεῖσθε G1760 Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural evil πονηρὰ G4190 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural in ἐν G1722 Preposition - ταῖς G3588 Article - Dative Feminine Plural your ὑμῶν G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural hearts καρδίαις G2588 Noun - Dative Feminine Plural

BSB notes

  • NA, BYZ, and TR saw
Verse 5

Original words

- γάρ G1063 Conjunction Which τί G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular is ἐστιν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular easier εὐκοπώτερον G2123 Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular - Comparative to say εἰπεῖν G2036 Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active Your σου G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular - αἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Plural sins ἁμαρτίαι G266 Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural are forgiven Ἀφίενταί G863 Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural or G2228 Conjunction to say εἰπεῖν G2036 Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active Get up Ἔγειρε G1453 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction walk περιπάτει G4043 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Verse 6

Original words

But δὲ G1161 Conjunction so that ἵνα G2443 Conjunction you may know εἰδῆτε G1492 Verb - Perfect Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural that ὅτι G3754 Conjunction the G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Son Υἱὸς G5207 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular of Man ἀνθρώπου G444 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular has ἔχει G2192 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular authority ἐξουσίαν G1849 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular on ἐπὶ G1909 Preposition - τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular earth γῆς G1093 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular to forgive ἀφιέναι G863 Verb - Present Infinitive Active sins ἁμαρτίας G266 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural Then τότε G5119 Adverb He said λέγει G3004 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular to the τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular paralytic παραλυτικῷ G3885 Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular Get up Ἐγερθεὶς* G1453 Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular pick up ἆρόν G142 Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular your σου G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular mat κλίνην G2825 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction go ὕπαγε G5217 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular vvv εἰς G1519 Preposition vvv τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular vvv σου G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular home οἶκόν G3624 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 7

Original words

And καὶ G2532 Conjunction [the man] got up ἐγερθεὶς G1453 Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular and went ἀπῆλθεν G565 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular vvv εἰς G1519 Preposition vvv τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular vvv αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular home οἶκον G3624 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 8

Original words

When δὲ G1161 Conjunction the οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural crowds ὄχλοι G3793 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural saw this Ἰδόντες G3708 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural they were filled with awe ἐφοβήθησαν G5399 Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction glorified ἐδόξασαν G1392 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural - τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular God Θεὸν G2316 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular - τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular who had given δόντα G1325 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular such τοιαύτην G5108 Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular authority ἐξουσίαν G1849 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular - τοῖς G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Plural to men ἀνθρώποις G444 Noun - Dative Masculine Plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.