Luke 5:19

19 but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

Luke 5:19 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 5:19

And when they could not find by what way
As by the door, or in at a window of the house:

they might bring him in;
to Jesus, in the house:

because of the multitude;
which was about the door, and all the fore part of the house:

they went upon the housetop;
by a ladder, or pair of stairs, which usually were on the outside of houses; (See Gill on Matthew 24:17) the houses of the Jews being flat roofed:

and let him down through the tiling with his couch,
into the midst before Jesus; that is, they untiled the roof, or took away the tiles which were about the trap door, or passage, into the inside of the house; and so making it wider, let down the man upon his couch, or bed, into the middle of the room and of the people, just before Jesus, where he was sitting; (See Gill on Mark 2:4).

Luke 5:19 In-Context

17 One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.

18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus,

19 but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”

21 But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”