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2:1 Et iterum intravit Capharnaum post dies,
And again he entered into Capharnaum after some days.
A.D. 31.
2:2 et auditum est quod in domo esset, et convenerunt multi, ita ut non caperet neque ad januam, et loquebatur eis verbum.
*H And it was heard that he was in the house. And many came together, so that there was no room: no, not even at the door. And he spoke to them the word.


Ver. 2. Some Greek and Latin copies have, after eight days.

2:3 Et venerunt ad eum ferentes paralyticum, qui a quatuor portabatur.
And they came to him, bringing one sick of the palsy, who was carried by four.
* Footnote * Matthew 9 : 1 And entering into a boat, he passed over the water and came into his own city.
* Footnote * Luke 5 : 18 And behold, men brought in a bed a man who had the palsy: and they sought means to bring him in and to lay him before him.
2:4 Et cum non possent offerre eum illi prae turba, nudaverunt tectum ubi erat : et patefacientes submiserunt grabatum in quo paralyticus jacebat.
*H And when they could not offer him unto him for the multitude, they uncovered the roof where he was: and opening it, they let down the bed wherein the man sick of the palsy lay.


Ver. 4. Such diligence ought to be used to bring sinners to Christ, by means of the sacraments, as was used to procure for this man, through Christ, the health of his body. B.

2:5 Cum autem vidisset Jesus fidem illorum, ait paralytico : Fili, dimittuntur tibi peccata tua.
*H And when Jesus had seen their faith, he saith to the sick of the palsy: Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.


Ver. 5. When Jesus saw their faith. Our Lord is moved to shew mercy to sinners, by the faith and desires, and prayers of others; for this man was not more helpless in his limbs, than in his soul. From this example, we are taught that in sickness the sacraments and helps of the Church, which are the medicines of the soul, should be called for in the first instance; for Christ first healed the sick man's soul, before he removed his bodily infirmity. We also learn that many diseases originate in sin, and that we are to remove the effect by removing the cause.

2:6 Erant autem illic quidam de scribis sedentes, et cogitantes in cordibus suis :
And there were some of the scribes sitting there and thinking in their hearts:
2:7 Quid hic sic loquitur ? blasphemat. Quis potest dimittere peccata, nisi solus Deus ?
Why doth this man speak thus? He blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins, but God only?
* Footnote * Job 14 : 4 Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?
* Footnote * Isaias 43 : 25 I am, I am he that blot out thy iniquities for my own sake, and I will not remember thy sins.
2:8 Quo statim cognito Jesus spiritu suo, quia sic cogitarent intra se, dicit illis : Quid ista cogitatis in cordibus vestris ?
Which Jesus presently knowing in his spirit that they so thought within themselves, saith to them: Why think you these things in your hearts?
2:9 Quid est facilius dicere paralytico : Dimittuntur tibi peccata : an dicere : Surge, tolle grabatum tuum, et ambula ?
Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say: Arise, take up thy bed and walk?
2:10 Ut autem sciatis quia Filius hominis habet potestatem in terra dimittendi peccata (ait paralytico),
*H But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (he saith to the sick of the palsy):


Ver. 10. The Son of man. Jesus Christ here proveth that himself as man, and not as God only, hath power to forgive sins; by this, that he was able to do miracles, and make the sick man suddenly rise; so the apostles and their successors, though they be not God, may in like manner have authority from God to remit sins, not as God, but as God's ministers, and acting in his name, and vested with his delegated authority. — On earth. This power which the Son of man hath to remit sins on earth, was never taken from him, but is perpetuated in his sacraments and ministers, by whom he still remitteth sins in the Church, and not in heaven only. Relative to sin, there is one court of conscience on earth, and another in heaven, and the judgment of heaven followeth and approveth this on earth; as is plain by the words of our Saviour, to Peter first, and then to all the apostles: Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall by bound also in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. See Matt. xvi. 19. and xviii. 18. Whereupon S. Jerom sayeth: that priests having the keys of the kingdom of heaven, judge in some manner before the day of judgment. Ep. v. ad Heliod; and S. Chrys. more at large, l. iii. de Sacerd.

2:11 tibi dico : Surge, tolle grabatum tuum, et vade in domum tuam.
I say to thee: Arise. Take up thy bed and go into thy house.
2:12 Et statim surrexit ille : et, sublato grabato, abiit coram omnibus, ita ut mirarentur omnes, et honorificent Deum, dicentes : Quia numquam sic vidimus.
*H And immediately he arose and, taking up his bed, went his way in the sight of all: so that all wondered and glorified God, saying: We never saw the like.


Ver. 12. This paralytic is not the same as that mentioned in S. John; for that distressed man had no one to assist him, whereas this person had four; the former was by the side of the Probatica, but the latter in a house at Capharnaum. Theophy.

2:13 Et egressus est rursus ad mare, omnisque turba veniebat ad eum, et docebat eos.
And he went forth again to the sea side: and all the multitude came to him. And he taught them.
2:14 Et cum praeteriret, vidit Levi Alphaei sedentem ad telonium, et ait illi : Sequere me. Et surgens secutus est eum.
*H And when he was passing by, he saw Levi, the son of Alpheus, sitting at the receipt of custom; and he saith to him: Follow me. And rising up, he followed him.


Ver. 14. To follow Christ, is to imitate him; wherefore this apostle, that he might be able to follow Christ, the model of poverty, not so much by his bodily steps, as by the inward affections of his soul, forsook all; he not only forsook his present goods, but despised all danger, which he incurred by leaving his business abruptly, and without rendering any account of it to his employers or governors. Ven. Bede. — The person to whom Christ addresses the words, follow me, was Matthew: see infra ix. 9.

* Footnote * Matthew 9 : 9 And when Jesus passed on from thence, he saw a man sitting in the custom house, named Matthew; and he saith to him: Follow me. And he arose up and followed him.
* Footnote * Luke 5 : 27 And after these things, he went forth and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said to him: Follow me.
2:15 Et factum est, cum accumberet in domo illius, multi publicani et peccatores simul discumbebant cum Jesu et discipulis ejus : erant enim multi, qui et sequebantur eum.
And it came to pass as he sat at meat in his house, many Publicans and sinners sat down together with Jesus and his disciples. For they, with Jesus who also followed him. For they were many, who also followed him.
2:16 Et scribae et pharisaei videntes quia manducaret cum publicanis et peccatoribus, dicebant discipulis ejus : Quare cum publicanis et peccatoribus manducat et bibit Magister vester ?
And the scribes and the Pharisees, seeing that he ate with publicans and sinners, said to his disciples: Why doth your master eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
2:17 Hoc audito Jesus ait illis : Non necesse habent sani medico, sed qui male habent : non enim veni vocare justos, sed peccatores.
*H Jesus hearing this, saith to them: They that are well have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For I came not to call the just, but sinners.


Ver. 17. The Greek printed copies, and some MSS. add to penance, as we read in Luke v. 33.

* Footnote * 1_Timothy 1 : 15 A faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief.
2:18 Et erant discipuli Joannis et pharisaei jejunantes : et veniunt, et dicunt illi : Quare discipuli Joannis et pharisaeorum jejunant, tui autem discipuli non jejunant ?
*H And the disciples of John and the Pharisees used to fast. And they come and say to him: Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast; but thy disciples do not fast?


Ver. 18. See Matt. ix. 14, and Luke v. 33.

2:19 Et ait illis Jesus : Numquid possunt filii nuptiarum, quamdiu sponsus cum illis est, jejunare ? Quanto tempore habent secum sponsum, non possunt jejunare.
And Jesus saith to them: Can the children of the marriage fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
2:20 Venient autem dies cum auferetur ab eis sponsus : et tunc jejunabunt in illis diebus.
*H But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them: and then they shall fast in those days.


Ver. 20. Jesus Christ here foretelleth that fasting shall be used in his Church, no less than in the old law, or in the time of John the Baptist. See Matt. ix. 15. — When first we begin to be converted to God, the spiritual consolations which God infuses into our souls, cause in us an overflowing of spiritual delights, so that we then feast, and are in the midst of delight; but when the Bridegroom shall be taken away, when these spiritual consolations cease, then we fast, and find the commandments difficult. It is then we must prepare ourselves for tribulation. Ven. Bede.

* Footnote * Luke 5 : 35 But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them: then shall they fast in those days.
2:21 Nemo assumentum panni rudis assuit vestimento veteri : alioquin aufert supplementum novum a veteri, et major scissura fit.
No man seweth a piece of raw cloth to an old garment: otherwise the new piecing taketh away from the old, and there is made a greater rent.
2:22 Et nemo mittit vinum novum in utres veteres : alioquin dirumpet vinum utres, et vinum effundetur, et utres peribunt : sed vinum novum in utres novos mitti debet.
And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: otherwise the wine will burst the bottles, and both the wine will be spilled and the bottles will be lost. But new wine must be put into new bottles.
2:23 Et factum est iterum cum Dominus sabbatis ambularet per sata, et discipuli ejus coeperunt progredi, et vellere spicas.
And it came to pass again, as the Lord walked through the corn fields on the sabbath, that his disciples began to go forward and to pluck the ears of corn.
* Footnote * Matthew 12 : 1 At that time Jesus went through the corn on the sabbath: and his disciples being hungry, began to pluck the ears, and to eat.
* Footnote * Luke 6 : 1 And it came to pass on the second first sabbath that, as he went through the corn fields, his disciples plucked the ears and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2:24 Pharisaei autem dicebant ei : Ecce, quid faciunt sabbatis quod non licet ?
And the Pharisees said to him: Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
2:25 Et ait illis : Numquam legistis quid fecerit David, quando necessitatem habuit, et esuriit ipse, et qui cum eo erant ?
*H And he said to them: Have you never read what David did when he had need and was hungry, himself and they that were with him?


Ver. 25. When he had need. In necessity many things are done without sin, which in other circumstances it would be unlawful to do. B.

* Footnote * 1_Kings 21 : 6 The priest therefore gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there, but only the loaves of proposition, which had been taken away from before the face of the Lord, that hot loaves might be set up.
2:26 quomodo introivit in domum Dei sub Abiathar principe sacerdotum, et panes propositionis manducavit, quos non licebat manducare, nisi sacerdotibus, et dedit eis qui cum eo erant ?
*H How he went into the house of God, under Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which was not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave to them who were with him?


Ver. 26. Under Abiathar. The priest from whom David had these loaves, is called Achimelech, 1 K. xxi. The most probable answer to this difficulty is, that the priest had both these names of Achimelech and of Abiathar, as also his father had before him. For he that (1 K. xxii.) is called Abiathar, the son of Achimelech, is called 2 K. viii. 17, Achimelech, the son of Abiathar. See also 1 Par. xviii. 16. Wi. — Others say that Abiathar, son of Achimelech, was present, and sanctioned the deed of his father, thus making it his own. Dion. Carth.

* Footnote * Leviticus 24 : 9 And they shall be Aaron's and his sons', that they may eat them in the holy place: because it is most holy of the sacrifices of the Lord by a perpetual right.
2:27 Et dicebat eis : Sabbatum propter hominem factum est, et non homo propter sabbatum.
And he said to them: The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.
2:28 Itaque Dominus est Filius hominis, etiam sabbati.
*H Therefore the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath also.


Ver. 28. The maker of the law may abrogate or dispense with it when and where, for just cause, it seemeth good to him: thus the Church can dispense with, change, or abrogate, for just reasons, the discipline of the Church founded upon Church authority. This we prove also from the action of David, (v. 26, supra) which the Scripture notices without blaming it, because the observance of the law, prescribed for the utility of man, must yield to the necessities of man.

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