I say unto thee, arise, and take up thy bed ,.... He bid him, in an authoritative way to arise from his bed, in which he was brought, and on which he lay before him, and take it up upon his shoulders, directly, and in the face of all the people, carry it away: and go thy way into thine house ; to show himself whole to his family and friends, and go about his business; See Gill on Matthew 9:6 , read more
And immediately he arose ,.... Power going along with the words of Christ, he found himself perfectly well; and at once sprung up from off his bed, and took up his bed , upon his shoulders, with all the ease imaginable: and went forth before them all : the Scribes and Pharisees, and the whole multitude of the people, who were eyewitnesses of this wonderful cure: or "against them all"; for being strong and robust, he made his way through the crowd, with his bed on his back; ... read more
One sick of the palsy - A paralytic person. See on Matthew 9:2 ; (note), etc. Borne of four - Four men, one at each corner of the sofa or couch on which he lay: this sick man appears to have been too feeble to come himself, and too weak to be carried in any other way. read more
They uncovered the roof - The houses in the east are generally made flat-roofed, that the inhabitants may have the benefit of taking the air on them; they are also furnished with battlements round about, Deuteronomy 22:8 ; Judges 16:27 ; and 2 Samuel 11:2 , to prevent persons from falling off; and have a trap door by which they descend into the house. This door, it appears, was too narrow to let down the sick man and his couch; so they uncovered the roof, removed a part of the tiles;... read more
Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? - See this explained Matthew 9:3 ; (note), etc. read more
He - took up the bed - The words of Prosper, on this place, are worthy of notice: - "What is sin but a deplorable fall, a grovelling on the earth, a repose in the creature, often followed by a universal palsy of the soul; namely, an utter inability to help itself, to break off its evil habits, to walk in the ways of God, to rise or to take one good step towards him? Grace can repair all in a moment: because it is nothing but the almighty will of God, who commands and does whatever he... read more
Christ's authority to pardon. Our Lord's miracles of healing were, upon the surface and obviously, designed to relieve from suffering and to restore to health. They, at the same time, directed the attention of both those benefited, and of spectators, to the supernatural power and to the benevolence of the Divine Physician. But no Christian can fail to see in them a moral significance. Disorders of the body were symbolical of spiritual disease. And the great Healer, who pitied and relieved... read more
Cure of the paralytic. I. DIFFICULTIES ARE READILY OVERCOME WHERE THERE IS FAITH . The house was probably a poor one, roofed with mud and shingle. It would be easy, therefore, to dig a hole and obtain entrance in that way. But doing it required a certain amount of ingenuity and effort, which proved that the man and his friends were resolved to get to Jesus and obtain the cure. All this trouble and thoughtfulness was the outcome of faith in Christ. Their boldness was the... read more
The paralytic. I. THE PARALYTIC A TYPE OF HELPLESSNESS IN GENERAL . In this case both physical and moral. No malady is serious but that which attacks the freedom of the soul in its seat. II. DIFFICULTIES ARE FOR THE TRIAL OF FAITH . The physical difficulty of getting to Christ's presence we may view as a parable or allegory of deeper moral difficulties. How hard to be a Christian—to reach the truth and live in the light of it! Argument breaks down; many gaps... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Mark 2:10
But that ye may know that the son of man ,.... Meaning himself, who was really man, and the true Messiah, in which sense this phrase had been used in the writings of the Old Testament; see Psalm 80:17 , and though by reason of his outward form; and mean appearance, he might be thought by them to be but a mere man, and had no right, nor authority, to say what he had; in order to convince them; he affirms, that he hath power on earth to forgive sins . As there is an emphasis lies on the... read more