Marco 2:3 Commento

In this chapter, we have, I. Christ's healing a man that was sick of a palsy (Mar 2:1-12). II. His calling of Matthew from the receipt of custom, and his eating, upon that occasion, with publicans and sinners, and justifying himself in so doing (Mar 2:13-17). III. His justifying his disciples in not fasting so much as those plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath day (Mar 2:23-28). All which passages we had before, Mt. 9 and 12.

And again he entered into Capernaum after some days,.... After he had been preaching in the synagogues throughout Galilee, and after he had spent some days in prayer, and private retirement in desert places: and it was noised that he was in, the house; a report was spread throughout the city that he was in the house of Simon and Andrew, where he was before, and where he used to be when in Capernaum. And again he entered into Capernaum after some days,.... After he had been preaching in the synagogues throughout Galilee, and after he had spent some days in prayer, and private retirement in desert places: and it was noised that he was in, the house; a report was spread throughout the city that he was in the house of Simon and Andrew, where he was before, and where he used to be when in Capernaum. Mark 2:2 mar 2:2 mar 2:2 mar 2:2And straightway many were gathered together,.... From all parts of the city, insomuch that there was no room to receive them; in the house: by which it should seem to be a large one, though not large enough to hold such a numerous company as were got together: no, not so much as about the door; or the places before the door, the porch, the court, or courtyard. The crowd was so great, that neither the house, nor the out places before, could hold them, nor could they come even near the door; and he preached the word unto them. The Ethiopic version renders it, "he spake his own word to them that came to him"; he preached the Gospel, the word of grace and truth, of life and salvation, to as many as could come near him, and were within the hearing of him. To me it seems, that our Lord went up into an upper room, and out of the window preached to the people, that were, in great numbers, without doors; and the following narrative seems to confirm this conjecture.

And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press,.... To the room where Jesus was, nor into the house, nor even to the door, the crowd about it was so great, they uncovered the roof where he was. The Arabic version reads it, "they went up to the roof"; and the Persic thus, "they carried him up upon the roof". The place where Christ was, seems to be an upper room; for in such an one the Jewish doctors used to meet, and discourse together about religious matters; see Act 1:13. Though some think this was a mean house in which Christ was, and had no upper room, but the ground floor was open to the roof, through which the man, sick of the palsy, was let down on his bed to Christ; and the rather, because the people crowded about the door to get in, and there was no room to receive them, no not about it: but even from this circumstance it seems most reasonable, that there was an upper room in which Christ was, and at a window in which he might preach to the people, with much more convenience, than at, or about the door, where they were pressing: for, certain it is, that he did preach the word to them, Mar 2:2, and many instances may be given of the above mentioned doctors, whose usages, when indifferent, and not sinful, might be complied with by Christ, as these were, of their meeting and conversing together in upper rooms. Instead of many, take the few following (a): "It happened to Rabban Gamaliel, and the elders, who were sitting "in an upper room in Jericho", that they brought them dates, and they did eat, &c,'' Again (b), "these are some of the traditions which they taught, "in the upper chamber" of Hananiah ben Hezekiah, ben Garon.'' So it is likewise said (c), that "R. Tarphon, or Tryphon, and the elders, were sitting "in the chamber" of the house of Nithzah, in Lydda, and this question was asked before them, is doctrine greatest, or practice greatest?'' Once more (d), "the elders of the house of Shammai, and the elders of the house of Hillell, went up, "to the upper chamber" of Jochanan ben Bethira, and said, that the Tzitzith, or fringes, had no measure, &c.'' Now, over this upper room, was a flat roof, with battlements about it; for so the Jews were obliged to build their houses, Deu 22:8, to which they had a way of going to and from, both within and without side their houses; See Gill on Mat 24:17. Hence we so often read (e) of , "the way of the roofs", in distinction from "the way of the doors"; by which they entered into their houses, and by which means, things might be carried from a court to a roof, and from a roof to a court; about which the doctors dispute, saying, that on a sabbath day (f), "it is forbidden to ascend and descend from the roofs to the court, and from the court to the roofs; and the vessels, whose abode is in the court, it is lawful to move them in the court, and which are in the roofs, it is lawful to move them in the roofs.--Says Rabbi, when we were learning the law with R. Simeon at Tekoah, we brought up oil, and a confection of old wine, water, and balsam, from roof to roof, and from roof to court, and from court to court, and from the court to a close, and from one close to another, till we came to the fountains, in which they washed. Says R. Judah, it happened in a time of danger, and we brought the book of the law from court to roof, and from roof to court, and from court to a close, to read in it.'' Now, in these roofs, there was a door, which they call, , "the door of the roofs" (g); now when they had brought up the sick man to the roof of the house, by a ladder fastened on the outside, which was common (h); they took up this door, and let him down in his bed into the room where Jesus was: and because they wrenched the roof door open with violence, therefore it is said, and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay: opening the door, and perhaps taking up the frame of it, and removing some tiles about it, to make the way wider, they let down with ropes, the bed, and the man on it, together. The Persic version thus renders it, "and the paralytic man being put upon a bed, at the four corners of the bed so many ropes being fastened, they let him down through a window to Jesus, into the place where he was sitting"; which is rather a paraphrase, or exposition of the words, than a translation. (a) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 37. 1. (b) T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 12. 1. & Misn. Sabbat, c. 1. sect. 4, (c) T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 40. 2. Vid. T. Hieros. Pesachim, fol. 30. 2. & T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 74. 1. (d) T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 41. 2. Vid. Targum in Cant. iii. 4. (e) T. Pesach. fol. 92. 1. Moed. Katon, fol. 25. 1. Cetubot, fol. 10. 2. Gittin, fol. 81. 1. Bava Metzia, fol. 88. 1, in 117. 1. (f) T. Bab. Erubin, fol. 91. 1. & Hieros. ib. fol. 25. 3. (g) T. Hieros. Erubin, fol. 26. 2. (h) Gloss. in T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 117. 1.

After this, they introduce the paralytic, of whom Matthew and Luke speak; wherefore there follows: And they came unto him bearing one sick of the palsy, who was carried by four. Finding the door blocked up by the crowd, they could not by any means enter that way. Those who carried him, however, hoping that he could merit the grace of being healed, raising the bed with their burden, and uncovering the roof, lay him with his bed before the face of the Saviour. And this is that which is added: And when they could not lay him before him, &c.

Or else, because there are four virtues, by which a man is through an assured heart exalted so that he merits safety; which virtues some call prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice. Again, they desire to bring the palsied man to Christ, but they are impeded on every side by the crowd which is between them, because often the soul desires to be renewed by the medicine of Divine grace, but through the sluggishness of the grovelling body is held back by the hindrance of old custom. Oftentimes amidst the very sweetnesses of secret prayer, and, as it may be called, the pleasant converse with God, a crowd of thoughts, cutting off the clear vision of the mind, shuts out Christ from its sight. Let us not then remain in the lowest ground, where the crowds are bustling, but aim at the roof of the house, that is, the sublimity of the Holy Scripture, and meditate on the law of the Lord.

Upon the Lord's entrance into Capernaum, many, having heard that He was in a house, gathered in hope of convenient access to Him. At this, the faith of the men who brought the paralytic was so great that they broke through the roof of the house and lowered him down. Therefore the Lord also grants him healing, seeing the faith of those who brought him or the faith of the paralytic himself. For he himself would not have allowed them to take him if he did not believe that he would be healed. However, the Lord often healed on account of the faith of the one bringing, even though the one being brought was not a believer, and conversely, He often healed on account of the faith of the one being brought, even though those bringing him did not believe. First He forgives the sins of the sick man, and then heals the illness, because the most difficult diseases for the most part arise from sins, just as in the Gospel of John the Lord also traces the illness of a certain paralytic to sins. This paralytic mentioned in John is not the same as the one mentioned now; on the contrary, these are two different people. For the one mentioned in John had no one to help him, while this one has four; the first was at the Sheep Pool, while this one is in a house; that one was in Jerusalem, while this one is in Capernaum. One can find other differences between them as well. But it must be said that the one mentioned in Matthew (Matt. 9:2-7) and here in Mark is one and the same.

This is not however the paralytic, whose cure is related by John, (John 5) for he had no man with him, this one had four; he is cured in the pool of the sheep market, but this one in a house. It is the same man, however, whose cure is related by Matthew (Matt. 9) and Mark. But mystically, Christ is still in Capernaum, in the house of consolation.

Again, the palsy is a type of the torpor, in which man lies slothful in the softness of the flesh, though desiring health.

Christ preaches in Capernaum, Mar 2:1, Mar 2:2. A paralytic person is brought to him, whose sins are pronounced forgiven, Mar 2:3-5. The scribes accuse him of blasphemy, Mar 2:6, Mar 2:7. He vindicates himself, and proves his power to forgive sins, by healing the man's disease, Mar 2:8-11. The people are astonished and edified, Mar 2:12. He calls Levi from the receipt of custom, Mar 2:13, Mar 2:14. Eats in his house with publicans and sinners, at which the Pharisees murmur, Mar 2:15, Mar 2:16. He vindicates his conduct, Mar 2:17. Vindicates his disciples, who are accused of not fasting, Mar 2:18-22; and for plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath day, Mar 2:23-26; and teaches the right use of the Sabbath, Mar 2:27, Mar 2:28.

One sick of the palsy - A paralytic person. See on Mat 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.

HEALING OF A PARALYTIC. ( = Mat 9:1-8; Luk 5:17-26). (Mar 2:1-12) And again he entered into Capernaum--"His own city" (Mat 9:1). and it was noised that he was in the house--no doubt of Simon Peter (Mar 1:29).

And they come unto him--that is, towards the house where He was. bringing one sick of the palsy--"lying on a bed" (Mat 9:2). which was borne of four--a graphic particular of Mark only.