Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.”
Parallel translations
- KJV And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
- BSB On seeing this, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”
- 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 26:65Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy.
- Luke 5:21The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”
- Lev 24:16He who blasphemes Yahweh’s name, he shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him. The foreigner as well as the native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
- Mark 14:64You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” They all condemned him to be worthy of death.
- John 10:33–36The Jews answered him, “We don’t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
- Mark 2:6–7But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
- Luke 7:39–40Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.”
- Mark 7:21For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts,
- Matt 7:29for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.
- Acts 6:11–13Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and 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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