John Gill Commentary Matthew 9

And he entered into a ship
Or "the ship", the selfsame ship he came over in, with his disciples. The Gergesenes, or Gadarenes, or both, having desired him to depart their coasts, showing an unwillingness to receive him, and an uneasiness at his company, he immediately turned his back upon them, as an ungrateful people, being no better than their swine; and who, by their conduct, judged themselves unworthy of his presence, ministry, and miracles: he returned to the sea side, took shipping, and

passed over
the sea of Tiberias again,

and came into his own city ;
not Bethlehem, where he was born, nor Nazareth, as Jerom thought, where he was educated, but Capernaum, as is clear from (Mark 2:1) where he much dwelt, frequently conversed, and his disciples: here he paid tribute as an inhabitant, or citizen of the place, which he was entitled to by only dwelling in it twelve months, according to the Jewish canons; where it is asked ^F4, how long shall a man be in a city before he is as the men of the city? It is answered, "twelve months"; but if he purchases a dwelling house, he is as the men of the city immediately;'' that is, he is a citizen, and obliged to all charges and offices, as they are:

though they seem to make a distinction between an inhabitant and a citizen ^F5. ``A man is not reckoned (ryeh ynbk) , "as the children of the city", or as one of the citizens, in less than twelve months, but he may be called, or accounted, (ryeh ybvwym) , "as one of the inhabitants" of the city, if he stays there thirty days.'' One or other of these Christ had done, which denominated this city to be his, and he to be either an inhabitant, or a citizen of it.

FOOTNOTES:

• F4: Misn. Bava Bathra, c. 1. sect. 5.
• F5: Gloss. in T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 112. 1.

And behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy ,
&c.] That is, some of the inhabitants of Capernaum, four men of that city particularly; for Mark says, (Mark 2:3) he "was borne of four": these brought him to Jesus,

lying on a bed ,
or couch, he being so enfeebled by the disease upon him, his nerves so weak, and the members of his body in such a tremor, that he was not able to walk himself, nor even to be carried by others in any other way than this.

And Jesus seeing their faith ;
the faith of the bearers of him, his friends, who brought out a man to be healed, who was otherwise incurable; and though they could not, for the multitude, bring him directly to Christ, they were not discouraged, but took the pains to carry him to the top of the house, and there let him down through the roof, or tiling; as both Mark and Luke say; and then set him down before him, believing he was able to cure him:

said unto the sick of the palsy, son, be of good cheer, your sins are
forgiven you .
He calls him son, either meaning by it no more than "man"; see (Luke 5:20) or using it as a kind, tender, and endearing appellation; or as considering him in the grace of adoption, as one that God had put among the children, had given to him as such, and whom he should bring to glory. He bids him "be of good cheer", whose animal spirits were fainting through the disease that was upon him, and the fatigue he had undergone in being brought to him;

and his soul more distressed and dejected, under a sense of his sins and transgressions; which Jesus knowing, very pertinently says, "your sins are forgiven you"; than which, nothing could be more cheering and reviving to him:

or Christ says this to show, that sin was the cause of the disease and affliction that were upon him, for (Nwe alb) (Nyrwoy Nya) , "there are no chastisements without sin", as the Jews say ^F6 ; and that the cause being removed, the effects would cease; of both which he might be assured, and therefore had good reason to cheer up, and be of good heart. This was a wonderful instance of the grace of Christ, to bestow a blessing unasked, and that of the greatest moment and importance.

FOOTNOTES:

• F6: T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 55. 1. Midrash Hohelet, fol. 70. 4. Tzeror. Hammor, fol. 99. 1.

And behold, certain of the Scribes said within themselves ,
&c.] And of the Pharisees also, as Luke says; for there were at this time Pharisees and doctors of the law, who had come out of every town of Galilee and Judea, and out of Jerusalem, sitting and hearing him teach, and observing what he said, and did; who upon hearing him pronounce the sentence of pardon, upon this "paralytic" man, reasoned and concluded in their own minds, though they did not care to speak it out, that

this man blasphemes :
the reason was, because they thought he ascribed that to himself, which was peculiar to God: and so he did, and yet did not blaspheme; because he himself was God, of which he quickly gave convincing proofs.

And Jesus knowing their thoughts
Which was a clear evidence, and full demonstration of his deity; for none knows the thoughts of the heart but God; and since he knew the thoughts of men's hearts, it could be no blasphemy in him to take that to himself which belonged to God, even to forgive sins. And this, one would think, would have been sufficient to have approved himself to them as the true Messiah; since this is one of the ways of knowing the Messiah, according to the Jews, and which they made use of to discover a false one.

``Bar Coziba, (they say ^F7,) reigned two years and a half: he said to the Rabbins, I am the Messiah; they replied to him, it is written of the Messiah, that he is "of quick understanding, and judges", (referring to (Isaiah 11:3)) let us see whether this man is of quick understanding, and can make judgment, i.e. whether a man is wicked, or not, without any external proof; and when they saw he was not of quick understanding, and could not judge in this manner, they slew him.'' But now Christ needed not any testimony of men; he knew what was in the hearts of men, of which this instance is a glaring proof: hence he said,

wherefore think you evil in your hearts ?
it was no evil in them to think that God only could forgive sin; but the evil was, that they thought Christ was a mere man, and ought not to have taken so much upon him; and that, for so doing, he was a wicked man, and a blasphemer.

FOOTNOTES:

• F7: T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 93. 2.

For whether is easier to say
. Christ proceeds to clear himself of the charge of blasphemy, and to prove his power to forgive sins, by putting a case to them, of which he makes themselves Judges, and is this: which is easiest to be said,

thy sins are forgiven thee? or to say, arise and walk?
Neither of them were easy to a mere creature, but both of them easy to God; and he that could say the one with power and efficacy going along with his word, could say the other as effectually: and whereas it was a plain case, and out of all question, that he could bid this "paralytic" man, though in this weak condition, arise from his bed, stand upon his feet, and go home of himself; and since he had already healed many that were sick of the palsy, and particularly the "centurion's" servant, by a word speaking, he must have equal power to forgive sin.

For to heal the diseases of the body in such a wonderful manner, was a very sensible proof of his power to heal the maladies of the soul; and though these are greater than those of the body, yet since both require divine power, he that is able to do the one, is able to do the other.

And that it might appear he did not say this in a boasting manner, he adds,