Mark 2 9

Mark 2:9 kjv

Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

Mark 2:9 nkjv

Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?

Mark 2:9 niv

Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'?

Mark 2:9 esv

Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'?

Mark 2:9 nlt

Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk'?

Mark 2 verses

Mark 2 9 Meaning

Mark 2:9 presents a rhetorical question posed by Jesus to the scribes, who silently accused Him of blasphemy. The question, "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed, and walk’?" highlights the challenge of validating spiritual authority versus physical authority. Jesus connects His power over sin (invisible) with His power over sickness (visible), asserting His unique divine authority on earth. By demonstrating His ability to heal physically, He implicitly validates His greater power to forgive sins, which only God can do.

Mark 2 9 Context

This verse is part of an impactful encounter early in Mark's Gospel where Jesus heals a paralytic. The event takes place in a crowded house in Capernaum. Four men demonstrate extraordinary faith by lowering their paralyzed friend through the roof to Jesus (Mk 2:1-4). When Jesus sees the paralytic, He declares, "Son, your sins are forgiven" (Mk 2:5), instead of healing his physical ailment immediately. This immediately prompts the scribes present—religious experts and teachers of the Law—to accuse Jesus silently of blasphemy, thinking, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (Mk 2:7). Knowing their thoughts (Mk 2:8), Jesus poses the rhetorical question of Mark 2:9, which sets the stage for Him to overtly demonstrate His divine authority through a visible miracle (healing the paralytic in Mk 2:10-12). This incident marks a clear confrontation between Jesus' divine claims and the established religious authority of His day. Historically, Jewish tradition held that only God could forgive sins, and significant illnesses were often associated with divine punishment for sin, though Jesus later challenged a direct one-to-one correlation in all cases (Jn 9:3).

Mark 2 9 Word analysis

• Which: (Greek: tis - τίς). A pronoun inviting a choice or comparison, implying a clear distinction to be made between two options. It sets up a direct challenge.
• is easier: (Greek: eukopoteron - εὐκοπώτερον). The comparative form of "easy." This doesn't refer to the inherent difficulty for God, as both acts (forgiving sins and physical healing) require divine power. Rather, it refers to the ease of claiming without evidence versus the ease of proving the claim. It's easier to say sins are forgiven because it's invisible and unverifiable by human senses; it's harder to prove physical healing because its success or failure is immediately evident.
• to say: (Greek: eipein - εἰπεῖν). To utter, declare. Emphasizes the verbal act of commanding or pronouncing.
• to the paralytic: (Greek: tō paralytikō - τῷ παραλυτικῷ). Direct address to the one suffering. Highlights the recipient of Jesus' pronouncement.
• Your sins are forgiven: (Greek: Apheōntai sou hai hamartiai - Ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι). Passive voice ("are forgiven") indicates that God is the one doing the forgiving. This statement itself is a direct claim to a divine prerogative. Hamartiai (sins) refers to deviations from God's law or standard, moral failings. This phrase would have shocked the scribes, as only God possessed this authority.
• or to say: (Greek: ē eipein - ἢ εἰπεῖν). Offers the alternative, forming the other side of Jesus' comparison.
• Rise: (Greek: Egeire - Ἔγειρε). An imperative verb, a direct command to get up. Conveys authority and power over the physical body.
• take up your bed: (Greek: aron ton krabbaton sou - ἆρον τὸν κράββατόν σου). An imperative. Krabbaton refers to a small mat or pallet, suggesting humility and the sudden complete restoration that allows him to carry it. This action serves as undeniable physical proof of complete healing, not just ability to move but strength to carry his mat.
• and walk: (Greek: kai peripatei - καὶ περιπάτει). Another imperative, commanding activity. The full restoration to mobility is the visible evidence needed to silence the scribes' internal accusations and confirm Jesus' power.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Which is easier... to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed, and walk’?": This entire question functions as a shrewd rhetorical device. Jesus knows that forgiving sins is the more profound act, but it lacks visible proof. Healing is also a profound act but provides irrefutable evidence. By doing the second (healing), Jesus proves His authority to do the first (forgive sins). He performs the externally verifiable miracle to validate the internally invisible one. The ease spoken of is for a mere human claimant: it's easy to claim invisible authority without proof, but not easy to prove physical restoration. Jesus links His power over the spiritual disease of sin to His power over physical sickness, presenting a unified divine authority.

Mark 2 9 Bonus section

• Omniscience of Jesus: Mark 2:8, just before this verse, highlights Jesus' divine attribute of omniscience: "Immediately Jesus, perceiving in His spirit that they were thus questioning within themselves, said to them..." This demonstrates His divine nature, as only God truly knows the secret thoughts and intentions of the heart (1 Sam 16:7, Jer 17:10). This attribute underpins His accurate challenge to the scribes.
• The Son of Man: Though mentioned in Mark 2:10, this context explains why Jesus used this title. It links Him to the divine figure of Daniel's prophecy (Dan 7:13-14), who receives dominion, glory, and a kingdom, implying a unique human yet divinely powerful figure. This title became Jesus' favorite self-designation, combining His true humanity with His profound divine authority.
• Sin as the Deeper Sickness: Jesus addresses sin first because He knows it is humanity's ultimate illness, the root of all spiritual and often physical suffering. The physical healing serves as a tangible object lesson, a lesser miracle that points to the greater, eternal healing of sin. Forgiveness addresses the soul's deepest need and separation from God.
• Implications for Blasphemy: The scribes considered Jesus' claim to forgive sins to be blasphemy, equating Him with God. Jesus' actions, in response, validated precisely what they feared: that He was God, exercising a divine prerogative. This confrontation escalated the tension between Jesus and the religious establishment, setting a trajectory of conflict.

Mark 2 9 Commentary

Mark 2:9 is the pivotal verse that unveils the true depth of Jesus' authority. When the scribes accuse Jesus of blasphemy for forgiving sins, they correctly identify that only God can forgive sins (Mk 2:7). Jesus, knowing their thoughts, doesn't refute their premise that forgiveness belongs to God. Instead, He implicitly confirms it and then uses a powerful rhetorical question to expose the very core of their challenge to His authority. The question of "easier" is not about the effort involved for the divine, but the verifiability of the outcome. To declare sins forgiven is something any charlatan could claim, as there is no immediate, observable proof. To command a paralytic to "Rise, take up your bed, and walk" is a claim instantly put to the test. If the paralytic doesn't move, the claim is empty. If he does, it is undeniable proof of supernatural power. Jesus’ subsequent action (in Mk 2:11) — commanding the man to walk — serves as the visible, empirical evidence for His claim to forgive sins, the invisible act. He validates His authority in the spiritual realm by demonstrating it in the physical realm. This miracle is therefore not merely an act of compassion, but a clear assertion of His divine identity and authority, revealing Him as more than a prophet: He is the Son of Man who has authority on earth to forgive sins (Mk 2:10). This establishes the core truth that Jesus' power to heal the body is a powerful sign of His even greater power to heal the soul from the blight of sin.

Example: Imagine a doctor claiming to cure an invisible disease versus claiming to fix a broken leg. The broken leg, once mended, provides undeniable proof that the doctor has power over physical ailments, thereby lending credibility to the claim of curing the invisible disease, though the "invisible" aspect for Jesus is of an infinitely higher order.