On seeing this, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”
Parallel translations
- WEB Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.”
- KJV And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
- NKJV And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”
- NASB And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”
- NLT But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The scribes silently accuse Jesus of blasphemy for forgiving sins. They rightly know only God can forgive, but wrongly reject Jesus' identity.
Overview
The scribes reason correctly that forgiving sins is a divine prerogative, so for a man to claim it would be blasphemy. Their error is failing to see that Jesus truly is God in the flesh. Their charge unwittingly testifies to the high claim Jesus is making about himself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Matt 26:65At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.
- Luke 5:21But the scribes and Pharisees began thinking to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
- Lev 24:16Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD must surely be put to death; the whole assembly must surely stone him, whether he is a foreign resident or native; if he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.
- Mark 14:64You have heard the blasphemy. What is your verdict?” And they all condemned Him as deserving of death.
- John 10:33–36“We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, declare Yourself to be God.”
- Mark 2:6–7But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts,
- Luke 7:39–40When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”
- Mark 7:21For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
- Matt 7:29because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
- Acts 6:11–13Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.”
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 9:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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