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…

And 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…

And they came unto him A considerable body of people, townsmen, friends, and relations of the person after mentioned: bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four; carried by four men upon their shoulders, as if he was a dead carcass; so weak and enfeebled was he by his disease, that he…

And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, &c.] 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.

When Jesus saw their faith The faith of the sick man, and his friends, who seemed confident, that could they get at Christ, a cure would be wrought: the faith of the one appears in suffering himself to be brought in such a manner, under so much weakness; and with so much trouble; and of the other…

But there were certain of the Scribes sitting there In the upper room where Jesus was, to watch and observe what he said:, and did: and reasoning in their hearts; upon the above words of Christ, in the following manner.

Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? &c.] They took Christ to be a mere man, and reasoned with themselves, that he must be a blasphemer, in assuming that to himself, which was peculiar to God: they seem astonished at his words, and wonder at his arrogance, and to be filled with indignation and…

And immediately, when Jesus perceived in his Spirit “His own Spirit”, as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read; not his human soul, nor the holy Spirit of God, though both may be said to be his Spirit; but his divine nature, in and by which he knew all things, even the most…

Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy This question was put to them by Christ, in order to prove his deity, and clear himself from the charge of blasphemy; for he that could cure the sick of the palsy, by a word speaking, had power to forgive him his sins: and therefore proposes it…

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 , and though by reason of his outward form; and mean appearance, he might be thought by them to be but a mere man,…

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…

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…

And he went forth again by the sea side The sea of Galilee, where he had met with, and called Peter and Andrew, James and John; and not far from which were the solitary place, and the desert places, where he was before he entered into Capernaum: and all the multitude resorted unto him; who had been…

And as he passed by As he went from Simon’s house, and from the city of Capernaum, to go to the sea side: he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus; the same with Matthew, , and son to the same Alphaeus as James was, , Beza’s most ancient copy reads “James”, instead of “Levi”, very wrongly; but he was the…

And it came to pass, that as Jesus sat at meat in his house In the house of Levi; not in the custom house, or toll booth, for that he left; but in his house in the city of Capernaum, where he had him, and made an entertainment for him, in token of gratitude, for the high favour bestowed on him:…

And when the Scribes and Pharisees saw him eat They were offended at his eating and drinking, though it was in moderation; because he did not fast as they, and their disciples did; and especially, that he eat with publicans and sinners; men of very infamous characters, and bad lives, with whom the…

When Jesus heard it, he saith to them Christ either overheard what they said to his disciples, or he heard it from the relation of the disciples; and when he did, he turned to the Scribes and Pharisees, and spoke to them the following words: they that are whole, have no need of the physician, but…

And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast Or “were fasting”; perhaps that very day, and so were the more displeased at this entertainment, Matthew had made for Christ and his disciples, and at their being at it; or fasting was usual with them: they fasted often, both John’s…

And Jesus said unto them Both to John’s disciples and the Pharisees, can the children of the bride chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? Suggesting that he was the bridegroom, as John their master had called him, , and that his disciples were the children of the bride chamber; and that…

But the days will come As they were in some sense now come to the disciples of John, their master being taken up by Herod, and confined in prison, and so it was a mourning time with them: when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days: referring to the…

No man also seweth a piece of new cloth, The traditions of the elders are meant, particularly concerning eating and drinking, and fasting, things before spoken of; and which occasioned this parable, and which were new things in comparison of the commands of God: some of them were of very short…

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles By “old bottles” are meant, the Scribes and Pharisees, the whole, which needed not a physician, and the righteous, Christ came not to call; and by new wine, either the love of God, which is not shed abroad in the hearts of such persons; or the blessings…

And it came to pass The Vulgate Latin adds, “again”; and so Beza says it was read in one of his copies: that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day, and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn, and to rub them, and get the grain out of them, and eat them; (See Gill…

And the Pharisees said unto him To Christ, the same they said to his disciples, . Behold, why do they on the sabbath day, that which is not lawful? see how they pluck the ears of corn and rub them, and eat things, which by the law, especially by the traditions of the elders, were not lawful to be…

And he said unto them By way of answer to their question, and which was a full one, and enough to silence them: have ye never read what David did; referring to the history in .

How he went into the house of God The tabernacle; for the temple was not yet built: thither David went to get bread for himself and his men, being hungry: so in a spiritual sense, where should such go, who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, but into the house of God? Here is bread…

And he said unto them Continuing his answer to them, and adding, in confirmation of what he had said, and for the further vindication of his disciples, the sabbath was made for man; for his good, and not for his hurt; both for the good of his soul, that he might have an opportunity of attending…

Therefore the son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. ] Meaning himself, who had a power not only to dispense with it, but to abrogate it as he did, with the rest of the rituals of the ceremonial law; (See Gill on Matt. 12:8).