Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 9:3

"And behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth." — Matthew 9:3 (ASV)

Some teachers of the law muttered among themselves that Jesus was blaspheming. It is God alone who can forgive sin (Isaiah 43:25; Isaiah 44:22), since it is against him only that people commit sin (Psalms 51:4). Though in Jesus’ day the precise definition of blasphemy was hotly disputed, the consensus seems to be that using the divine name was an essential element. Here the teachers of the law, in their whispered consultation, expanded blasphemy to include Jesus’ claim to do something only God could do.