Matthew 9

And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.

And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

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.

And he arose, and departed to his house.

But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.

And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.

And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,

He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.

And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.

And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.

And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.

But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

What does Matthew 9:4 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 9:4 is part of a narrative where Jesus performs a miracle, healing a man who was paralyzed. When Jesus sees the faith of those bringing the paralyzed man to Him, He says to the man, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee" (Matthew 9:2).

Some of the scribes (Jewish religious teachers) who were present thought to themselves that Jesus was blaspheming, because they believed that only God could forgive sins.

Jesus, aware of their thoughts, directly addresses the unspoken criticisms of the scribes by asking, "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" This challenges the scribes' assumption that He is committing blasphemy and demonstrates Jesus’ divine knowledge of their inner thoughts, further asserting His authority as having the power to forgive sins.

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Historical Context

Matthew 9:4 is situated in a time when Jesus was actively teaching and performing miracles in the region of Galilee.

The Jewish society of that time had strict religious and social structures, and religious authority was largely in the hands of groups like the Pharisees and scribes.

These groups were concerned with interpreting and upholding the Law of Moses and often clashed with Jesus over His teachings and actions, which they sometimes saw as radical or blasphemous.

Theological Insights

From a Christian theological perspective, this verse emphasizes Jesus' divinity, as He exhibits the ability to know the inner thoughts of individuals, a characteristic attributed to God.

It also speaks to Jesus' authority to forgive sins, which is central to Christian doctrine regarding salvation and redemption.

Different Christian denominations may have various interpretations regarding the nature of forgiveness and the role of Jesus as the forgiver of sins, but many agree on the significance of His authority and divine knowledge.

Practical Applications

This verse can be used to reflect on personal integrity and the transparency of one’s thoughts before God.

It highlights the importance of aligning one's internal thoughts with one's external actions and reminds believers that nothing is hidden from God.

In daily life, individuals can apply the teachings of this verse by practicing sincerity, honesty in self-reflection, and maintaining a pure heart.

Cross-References

Mark 2:8: "And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?"
Psalm 139:2: "Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off."
Luke 5:22: "But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?"

Language Study

The key phrase in the original Greek text is "ἵνα τί ἐνθυμεῖσθε κακὰ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν" (hina ti enthymeisthe kaka en tais kardiais humon). "ἐνθυμεῖσθε" (enthymeisthe) comes from "ἐνθυμέομαι" (enthymeomai), which means to think, consider, or ponder.

The word "κακὰ" (kaka) refers to evil or wicked things. "καρδίαις" (kardiais) is the dative plural of "καρδία" (kardia), meaning hearts. This reflects the concept that the thoughts of the scribes were not just misguided but morally wrong.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In many ancient cultures, including the Jewish culture of that era, the heart was considered the center of intellect and will, not just emotion.

The ability to know the thoughts of another person was often attributed to deities in various mythologies.

For instance, in Greek mythology, the god Zeus was often portrayed as all-knowing.

In the religious context of Judaism, only God is perceived as being able to truly know the hearts of people, as seen in the Psalms and the writings of the prophets.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern scientific understandings of thought and cognition recognize that thoughts are private and cannot be directly observed by others.

From a neurological perspective, thought processes occur within the brain, and while technology such as functional MRI can indicate areas of brain activity, the specific content of thoughts cannot be discerned.

This verse intersects with scientific understandings by suggesting a supernatural ability attributed to Jesus that goes beyond natural human capabilities.

Commentaries

Scholars and theologians have interpreted Matthew 9:4 in various ways.

Some focus on the divine nature of Jesus’ knowledge, suggesting that His questions were rhetorical and meant to prompt self-examination in the scribes.

Others emphasize the challenge Jesus poses to religious authorities by claiming the authority to forgive sins, an act that seemed blasphemous from a traditional Jewish viewpoint.

Many commentaries also explore the implication of Jesus' miracles as evidence of His divine authority and identity.

Matthew 9

Matthew 9

What does Matthew 9:4 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 9:4 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?