Mark 2:5-8

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Mark 2:5 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
2. Mark 2:5 sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
3. Mark 2:6 tn Or “some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
4. Mark 2:6 tn Grk “Reasoning within their hearts.”
5. Mark 2:7 sn Blaspheming in the NT has a somewhat broader meaning than mere utterances. It could mean to say something that dishonored God, but it could also involve claims to divine prerogatives (in this case, to forgive sins on God’s behalf). Such claims were viewed as usurping God’s majesty or honor. The remark here raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry, and even more importantly, the identity of Jesus himself as God’s representative.
6. Mark 2:8 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the shift from the thoughts of the experts in the law to Jesus’ response.
7. Mark 2:8 tn Grk “they were thus reasoning within themselves.”
8. Mark 2:8 tn Grk “Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts?”