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 9:8 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 9:8 describes the reaction of the crowd to a miraculous event performed by Jesus. In the preceding verses, Jesus heals a paralyzed man by first forgiving his sins and then telling him to get up and walk.

The verse captures the awe and reverence of the people upon witnessing this sign of divine authority and power being exercised by Jesus.

Literally, the crowd is amazed and gives glory to God for granting such authority to humans, indicating that they recognized Jesus' actions as an extension of God’s power on earth.

The deeper meaning here revolves around the recognition of Jesus' divine authority, the connection between physical healing and spiritual forgiveness, and the unfolding of God's plan through Jesus' ministry.

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Historical Context

This event occurs in the context of Jesus' early ministry in Galilee, as recorded by the Gospel of Matthew.

The first-century Jewish society, in which this was set, was heavily influenced by Mosaic Law and awaited a Messiah who would liberate them from Roman rule.

But Jesus' miracles and teachings pointed to a different kind of liberation, one that was spiritual.

Miracles, like healing the paralyzed man, demonstrated Jesus' authority and served to validate his ministry and identity as the Messiah - not as a political revolutionary, but as the Son of God bringing God's kingdom to earth.

Theological Insights

From a Christian theological perspective, this verse illustrates Jesus' dual nature as both fully divine and fully human, emphasizing his authority to forgive sins, which traditionally is a divine prerogative.

Some theologians also view this as a piece of evidence for the doctrine of the Trinity, as it portrays Jesus doing what only God can do, yet the crowd glorifies God the Father for empowering a man.

The verse underlines the concept of Jesus as the mediator between God and humanity, showing that God's power can be manifested through Christ to accomplish divine purposes.

Practical Applications

The response of the crowd serves as a model for Christian behavior, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging God’s work in the world and responding with amazement and worship.

This can be applied in daily life by recognizing the hand of God in various situations and giving credit where it is due, leading to humility and a worshipful attitude.

It also encourages believers to look for and affirm God's presence and action in the world around them.

Cross-References

Matthew 28:18: "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
Mark 2:9-12: The parallel account of Jesus healing the paralyzed man and the resulting amazement of the crowd.
Luke 5:25-26: Another parallel account detailing the crowd’s reaction to Jesus’ miracle of healing.
Acts 3:10-12: The people respond with amazement to the healing performed by Peter, echoing the reaction to Jesus’ miracles.

Language Study

Within the original Greek text, significant words to analyze include:

"ἐθαύμασαν" (ethaumasan), which is usually translated as "they marvelled" or "they were amazed," suggesting a profound impact on the viewers.
"ἐδόξασαν" (edoxasan) means "they glorified" or "they gave glory," indicating an act of worship or giving honor.
"ἐξουσίαν" (exousian) translates as "power" or "authority," and it has a legal connotation of the power to act, or authority that is granted or recognized.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In other ancient religions and myths, the theme of gods or demigods performing miraculous acts is common.

However, in the context of Jewish culture, the authority to forgive sins was unique to God. The transfer of this authority to a human figure like Jesus was unexpected and groundbreaking.

This verse distinguishes Jesus from other mythological figures by attributing the true power and authority for such acts to the God of Israel and presenting Jesus as the divine intermediary.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern scientific understandings may lend insights into the phenomena of collective human response to perceived miraculous events or encounters.

While science does not typically confirm miraculous events in the way the Bible describes them, it does examine psychological and sociological dynamics such as mass amazement, the impact of powerful figures on collective human consciousness, and the effects of faith and belief on human well-being.

commentaries

Notable Biblical scholars and commentators offer various insights on this verse:

John Calvin emphasized Jesus' conformity to God's will and the crowd's correct response in recognizing God's hand at works as essential keys to understanding the passage.
Matthew Henry noted the connection between this miracle and the establishment of faith in the authority and deity of Jesus Christ.
William Barclay highlighted the novelty of Jesus' approach to healing and forgiveness, and how it expanded the peoples' understanding of God's reach.
R.T.

France discussed the kingdom of God in action through Jesus' deeds, suggesting a direct challenge to the Jewish religious establishment's authority.

Craig S.

Keener, in his Bible background commentary, places particular emphasis on the cultural shock the Jewish audience would have experienced seeing a man claiming to forgive sins and performing miracles to back up such claims.

Matthew 9

Matthew 9

What does Matthew 9:8 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 9:8 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?