A Paralytic Forgiven and Healed
Luke 5:17-26
Luke.5.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Και: CONJ
- εγενετο: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,sg
- εν: PREP
- μια: NUM,nom,sg,f
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- ημερων: NOUN,gen,pl,f
- και: CONJ
- αυτος: PRON,nom,sg,3,m
- ην: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- διδασκων: VERB,pres,act,ptc,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- ησαν: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- καθημενοι: PTCP,pres,mid,nom,pl,m
- Φαρισαιοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- νομοδιδασκαλοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- ησαν: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- εληλυθοτες: VERB,perf,act,part,nom,pl,m
- εκ: PREP
- πασης: ADJ,gen,sg,f
- κωμης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- Γαλιλαιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- Ιουδαιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- Ιερουσαλημ·και: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- δυναμις: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- κυριου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ην: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- εις: PREP
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- ιασθαι: VERB,pres,mid,inf
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Mark 2:1-2 (structural): Synoptic parallel opening to the paralytic pericope: Jesus teaching in a house, large crowds from surrounding towns—sets the same scene that leads to the healing/forgiveness episode.
- Matthew 9:1-2 (structural): Matthew’s parallel account of Jesus returning to his town, teaching, and the bringing of a paralytic; overlapping story structure and outcome (forgiveness and healing).
- Luke 4:14-15 (thematic): Luke’s earlier summary of Jesus’ Galilean ministry: teaching with authority and the power (dunamis) to heal—echoes the present verse’s emphasis on divine power accompanying Jesus’ teaching.
- Acts 10:38 (thematic): Summary statement that God anointed Jesus who went about doing good and healing—theological parallel to ‘the power of the Lord was present to heal’ in Luke 5:17.
- Mark 1:21-28 (verbal): Scene of Jesus teaching in the synagogue with authority and demonstrating power over an unclean spirit; parallels Luke 5:17’s coupling of authoritative teaching and manifest divine power.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it came to pass on one of those days, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord to heal was present.
- And it came to pass on a certain day, while he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting nearby, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord to heal was present with him.
Luke.5.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ιδου: PART
- ανδρες: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- φεροντες: VERB,pres,act,ptcp,nom,m,pl
- επι: PREP
- κλινης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ανθρωπον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- ος: PRON,nom,sg,m
- ην: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- παραλελυμενος: VERB,perf,pass,part,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- εζητουν: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- εισενεγκειν: VERB,pres,act,inf
- και: CONJ
- θειναι: VERB,pres,act,inf
- ενωπιον: PREP
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Mark 2:3-4 (verbal): Synoptic parallel: men bring a paralytic on a bed to Jesus and seek to bring him in—same scene and wording in Mark's account.
- Matthew 9:2 (verbal): Synoptic parallel: Matthew records the same incident of friends bringing a paralytic to Jesus and laying him before him.
- John 5:2-9 (thematic): Another Johannine account of Jesus healing a paralytic (at Bethesda); parallels the motif of a man unable to walk and Jesus' restorative power, with added Sabbath controversy.
- Acts 3:2-8 (thematic): Peter and John heal a man lame from birth at the temple gate—themewise connection in apostolic/Jesus-era miracles restoring mobility and prompting public witness.
- Isaiah 35:6 (allusion): Prophetic background: the messianic age will heal the lame ("the lame shall leap"), a theological motif that frames Gospel healings like the paralytic's restoration.
Alternative generated candidates
- And behold, men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they sought to bring him in and set him before him.
- And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they sought to bring him in and to lay him before him.
Luke.5.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- μη: PART
- ευροντες: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,pl,m
- ποιας: ADJ,acc,pl,f
- εισενεγκωσιν: VERB,aor,act,subj,3,pl
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- δια: PREP
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- οχλον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- αναβαντες: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,pl,m
- επι: PREP
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- δωμα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- δια: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- κεραμων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- καθηκαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- συν: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- κλινιδιω: NOUN,dat,sg,n
- εις: PREP
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- μεσον: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- εμπροσθεν: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- Ιησου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Mark 2:4 (verbal): Direct synoptic parallel; friends remove part of the roof and lower the paralytic into the midst before Jesus with language very similar to Luke 5:19.
- Matthew 9:2 (verbal): Synoptic parallel describing the men lowering the paralytic through the roof because of the crowd; parallels Luke in sequence and motif.
- Luke 5:18 (structural): Immediate Lukan context that introduces the men who bring the paralytic—this verse sets up the roof‑lowering in 5:19 and is part of the same narrative unit.
- Acts 9:25 (thematic): Paul is lowered in a basket through an opening in the city wall to evade a crowd/guards; thematically parallels the use of an unconventional opening to bypass obstacles and bring someone out/in.
Alternative generated candidates
- And when they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up upon the roof and let him down through the tiles with his bed into the midst before Jesus.
- And not finding by what way they might bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his bed into the midst, before Jesus.
Luke.5.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ιδων: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,sg,m
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- πιστιν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- αυτων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- ειπεν·Ανθρωπε: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg;NOUN,voc,sg,m
- αφεωνται: VERB,perf,pass,ind,3,pl
- σοι: PRON,dat,sg,2
- αι: ART,nom,pl,f
- αμαρτιαι: NOUN,nom,pl,f
- σου: PRON,gen,sg,2
Parallels
- Mark 2:5 (verbal): Near-identical parallel account of the paralytic: 'Seeing their faith, he said, "Son, your sins are forgiven."' (verbal correspondence with Luke 5:20).
- Matthew 9:2 (verbal): Matthew's version of the same episode: Jesus declares the paralytic's sins forgiven after seeing the faith of those who brought him (verbal and situational parallel).
- Mark 2:10 (structural): In the parallel narrative Jesus asserts the Son of Man's authority to forgive sins ('that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'), which frames why he pronounces forgiveness in Luke 5:20.
- Luke 7:48-50 (thematic): Another Lukan scene where forgiveness is pronounced in relation to a person's faith: Jesus tells the forgiven woman 'Your sins are forgiven' and links forgiveness to faith/salvation ('Your faith has saved you; go in peace').
Alternative generated candidates
- And when he saw their faith, he said, 'Man, your sins are forgiven you.'
- And when he saw their faith, he said to him, 'Man, your sins are forgiven you.'
Luke.5.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ηρξαντο: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,pl
- διαλογιζεσθαι: VERB,pres,mid,inf
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- γραμματεις: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- Φαρισαιοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- λεγοντες·Τις: PARTIC,pres,act,nom,pl,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ουτος: PRON,nom,sg,m
- ος: PRON,nom,sg,m
- λαλει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- βλασφημιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,?
- δυναται: VERB,pres,mid,ind,3,sg
- αμαρτιας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- αφειναι: VERB,aor,act,inf
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- μη: PART
- μονος: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- θεος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
Parallels
- Mark 2:7 (verbal): Direct parallel account of the same incident; scribes ask, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” challenging Jesus’ words as blasphemy.
- Matthew 9:3 (verbal): Matthew’s parallel records the scribes’ charge of blasphemy—same objection that only God can forgive sins.
- Mark 2:10-11 (structural): Jesus’ response in Mark—declaring the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins and then healing the paralytic—corresponds to Luke’s narrative context and Jesus’ claim to authority.
- John 10:33 (thematic): The Jewish leaders accuse Jesus of making himself God (a form of blasphemy); thematically parallels the charge of blasphemy in Luke 5:21.
- Isaiah 43:25 (allusion): OT affirmation that God alone blots out/transgressions and pardons sins provides the theological background for the claim “who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Alternative generated candidates
- And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, 'Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'
- And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, 'Who is this who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'
Luke.5.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- επιγνους: PART,aor,act,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- διαλογισμους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- αυτων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- αποκριθεις: VERB,aor,pass,ptc,nom,sg,m
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- προς: PREP
- αυτους·Τι: PRON,acc,pl,m
- διαλογιζεσθε: VERB,pres,mid,ind,2,pl
- εν: PREP
- ταις: ART,dat,pl,f
- καρδιαις: NOUN,dat,pl,f
- υμων: PRON,gen,pl,2
Parallels
- Mark 2:8 (verbal): Direct Gospel parallel; Mark recounts Jesus 'perceiving in his spirit' their reasoning and asking why they think such things—same incident and similar wording.
- Matthew 9:4 (verbal): Parallel account in Matthew: Jesus 'knowing their thoughts' asks why they think evil in their hearts, echoing Luke's notice of inner reasoning.
- Luke 6:8 (verbal): Another Lukan instance where Jesus 'knew their thoughts' (in the Sabbath-healing episode), showing the recurring motif of Jesus perceiving inner motives.
- John 2:25 (thematic): John explicitly says Jesus 'knew what was in man,' a theological statement that parallels Luke's depiction of Jesus' insight into human thoughts.
- Hebrews 4:12-13 (thematic): The author stresses that nothing is hidden from God's sight and that thoughts/intentions are exposed—a theological correlate to Jesus' ability to perceive hearts in Luke 5:22.
Alternative generated candidates
- But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered and said to them, 'Why do you think these things in your hearts?
- But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, 'Why do you reason these things in your hearts?'
Luke.5.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- τι: PRON,int,nom,sg,n
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ευκοπωτερον: ADJ,comp,nom,sg,n
- ειπειν·Αφεωνται: VERB,aor,act,inf
- σοι: PRON,dat,sg,2
- αι: ART,nom,pl,f
- αμαρτιαι: NOUN,nom,pl,f
- σου: PRON,gen,sg,2
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- ειπειν·Εγειρε: VERB,aor,act,inf + VERB,aor,act,imp,2,sg
- και: CONJ
- περιπατει: VERB,pres,act,imp,2,sg
Parallels
- Matthew 9:5 (verbal): Near-identical wording and context—Matthew's parallel account records the same rhetorical question contrasting forgiving sins with healing the paralytic.
- Mark 2:9 (verbal): Mark parallels Luke here with the same contrast, emphasizing Jesus' challenge about authority to forgive versus to heal.
- Luke 5:24 (structural): Immediate continuation in Luke: Jesus asserts his authority to forgive sins, explaining why he healed the paralytic—direct theological link to 5:23.
- Psalm 103:3 (thematic): Links forgiveness and healing—'who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases'—echoes the coupling of sin-forgiveness and physical restoration in Luke 5:23–24.
- Isaiah 53:4-5 (thematic): The Suffering Servant text connects bearing sin with healing ('by his wounds we are healed'), thematically anticipating the nexus of sin, atonement, and restoration manifested in Jesus' acts.
Alternative generated candidates
- Which is easier: to say, "Your sins are forgiven you," or to say, "Rise up and walk"?'
- 'Which is easier: to say, "Your sins are forgiven you," or to say, "Get up and walk"?'
Luke.5.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ινα: CONJ
- δε: CONJ
- ειδητε: VERB,aor,act,sub,2,pl
- οτι: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- υιος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- ανθρωπου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- εξουσιαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- εχει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- επι: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- γης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- αφιεναι: VERB,pres,act,inf
- αμαρτιας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- παραλελυμενω·Σοι: PART,perf,pass,dat,sg,m+PRO,dat,2,sg
- λεγω: VERB,pres,act,ind,1,sg
- εγειρε: VERB,pres,act,imp,2,sg
- και: CONJ
- αρας: VERB,part,aor,act,nom,m,sg
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- κλινιδιον: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- σου: PRON,gen,sg,2
- πορευου: VERB,pres,mid,imp,2,sg
- εις: PREP
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- οικον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- σου: PRON,gen,sg,2
Parallels
- Mark 2:10-12 (verbal): Parallel account of the healing of the paralytic; contains the same claim that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins and the same command to rise, pick up the mat, and go.
- Matthew 9:6-7 (verbal): Matthew's version of the episode: Jesus declares authority to forgive sins and immediately heals the paralytic, demonstrating the link between forgiveness and authoritative action.
- John 5:21-23 (thematic): Jesus describes the Son of Man's authority to give life and to be honored, thematically supporting Luke's claim about the Son of Man's authority on earth (here applied to forgiving sins).
- Isaiah 43:25 (allusion): Old Testament assertion that God alone blots out transgressions; Luke's statement that the Son of Man can forgive sins implies a divine prerogative, echoing OT language about divine forgiveness.
- Luke 7:48 (thematic): Another Lucan scene where Jesus directly pronounces forgiveness ('Your sins are forgiven'), illustrating Luke's theme of Jesus exercising the authority to forgive sins in concrete pastoral encounters.
Alternative generated candidates
- But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—he said to the paralytic, 'I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.'
- 'But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'—he said to the paralytic—'I say to you, get up, take up your bed, and go to your house.'
Luke.5.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- παραχρημα: ADV
- αναστας: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,sg,m
- ενωπιον: PREP
- αυτων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- αρας: VERB,part,aor,act,nom,m,sg
- εφ᾽ο: PREP
- κατεκειτο: VERB,impf,mid/pass,ind,3,sg
- απηλθεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εις: PREP
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- οικον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- δοξαζων: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,sg,m
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- θεον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Mark 2:12 (verbal): Direct Synoptic parallel describing the same healing: the paralytic immediately rises, takes up his bed, and goes away glorifying God (very similar wording).
- Matthew 9:7-8 (structural): Matthew's account of the paralytic: he rises and goes home, and the crowd marvels and glorifies God—parallel narrative and similar outcome (praise of God).
- Acts 3:8 (verbal): After Peter and John heal a lame man, he leaps up and praises God—language and motif of a healed person praising God echo Luke 5:25.
- Luke 17:15-16 (thematic): One of the healed lepers returns to Jesus glorifying God—shared Lukean theme of gratitude and public praise following miraculous healing.
- John 9:38 (thematic): The man healed from blindness responds in faith and worships Jesus—another instance where a recipient of healing gives honor to God (or to Jesus) in response.
Alternative generated candidates
- And immediately he rose up before them, and taking up the bed on which he had lain, he went away to his house, glorifying God.
- And immediately he rose up before them, and took up the bed on which he had lain, and went away to his own house, glorifying God.
Luke.5.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- εκστασις: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- ελαβεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- απαντας: ADJ,acc,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- εδοξαζον: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- θεον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- επλησθησαν: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,pl
- φοβου: VERB,pres,act,imp,2,sg
- λεγοντες: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,pl,masc
- οτι: CONJ
- Ειδομεν: VERB,perf,act,ind,1,pl
- παραδοξα: ADJ,acc,pl,n
- σημερον: ADV
Parallels
- Mark 2:12 (verbal): Parallel account of the healing of the paralytic; the crowd's astonishment and glorifying God closely echo Luke 5:26 (same miracle pericope, similar language of amazement and praise).
- Matthew 9:8 (verbal): Matthew's parallel to the paralytic healing: people are amazed and glorify God—language and response (wonder, praise, recognition of God's power) correspond to Luke 5:26.
- Luke 7:16 (thematic): After Jesus raises the widow's son at Nain the crowd 'feared, glorified God...'—a similar reaction (fear, glorifying God, recognition of a remarkable divine act) though in a different pericope.
- Acts 3:9-10 (verbal): Following the healing of the lame man at the Temple the people are seized with amazement and glorify God—verbal and thematic parallels in crowd response (astonishment, praise, recognition of a miraculous event).
Alternative generated candidates
- And they all were amazed, and they glorified God; and they were filled with awe, saying, 'We have seen extraordinary things today.'
- And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, 'We have seen extraordinary things today.'
And it came to pass on one of the days, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present to heal. And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before him. And when they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him through the tiles with his bed into the midst before him. And seeing their faith he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, "Why do you reason in your hearts?
Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the paralytic—"I tell you, rise, take up your bed, and go to your house." And immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had lain on, and went away to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen extraordinary things today."