2:9
In this verse Jesus asked the teachers of the law a rhetorical question. He asked it because he wanted people to think carefully about his authority. He did not ask it to get information from them. There are two main ways to translate this rhetorical question.
• As a question. For example:
I have said to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven.” Would it be easier to tell him, “Rise, take your mat, and walk?”
• As a statement. For example:
Think about this: I have told the paralytic that his sins are forgiven. Consider whether it would be easier to tell him to get up and walk.
Use a form that will express the meaning most clearly in your language.
2:9a
“Which is easier: to say…?: The phrase Which is easier: to say… introduces a rhetorical question that compares two sayings. These sayings represent two actions: forgiving the paralytic’s sins and healing the paralytic.
Both of these actions require God’s power. Forgiving sins requires great authority, so in that way, it is harder to do. However, the teachers could not see whether Jesus could really pardon the paralytic’s sins against God. They could see that he healed the paralytic if the paralytic really got up from his mat and walked.
Consider the way that people in your language would ask such a question. If they do not use comparatives, you may need to express it in a different way. For example:
Is it easy for me to…? Or is easy for me to…?
-or-
Which is easy and which is hard…?
to say to a paralytic: The Greek words which the Berean Standard Bible translates as to say to a paralytic introduce a quote within a quote. Jesus was telling the teachers of the law what he had said to the paralytic. See the General Comment on 2:9a–b for an example of using indirect speech here.
paralytic: A paralytic is a person who cannot move some or all of his body. This particular paralytic could not walk. See the note on 2:3.
Your sins are forgiven: In 2:5 Jesus had already told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. See the note on 2:5c.
2:9b
or to say: The phrase or to say introduces different words that Jesus could say to the paralytic. See the note on 2:9a.
‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’: This sentence is expressed as a command (or as three commands). If the man obeyed these commands, everyone would be able to see that Jesus had healed him.
mat: The mat refers to the thin mattress or stretcher on which the man was lying. See the note on 2:4c.
General Comment on 2:9a–b
This verse contains two quotes within a quote. Jesus was quoting something that he had said and something that he might say. In some languages it may be more natural to use indirect speech for these quotes. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:
Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and pick up his mat and go on home?
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