Lukas 5:23

23 Wat is lichter te zeggen: Uw zonden zijn u vergeven, of te zeggen: Sta op en wandel?

Lukas 5:23 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 5:23

Whether is it easier to say
Mark adds, "to the sick of the palsy"; to whom Christ had said that his sins were forgiven him, which had given offence to the Scribes and Pharisees, imagining that he had assumed too much to himself: wherefore he proposes the following case to them, which they thought was most easy for man, or more proper and peculiar to God to say,

thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, rise up and walk?
Neither of them could be said by a mere man, with effect, so as that sins would be really remitted on so saying; or that a man sick of a palsy, by such a word speaking, would be able to stand upon his feet and walk; but both of them were equally easy to him, that is truly God; and he that could say the one effectually, could also say the other: or in other words, he that could cure a man of a palsy with a word speaking, ought not to be charged with blasphemy, for taking upon him to forgive sin: our Lord meant, by putting this question, and acting upon it, to prove himself to be God, and to remove the imputation of blasphemy from him; (See Gill on Matthew 9:5). (See Gill on Mark 2:9).

Lukas 5:23 In-Context

21 En de Schriftgeleerden en de Farizeen begonnen te overdenken, zeggende: Wie is Deze, Die gods lastering spreekt? Wie kan de zonden vergeven, dan God alleen?
22 Maar Jezus, hun overdenkingen bekennende, antwoordde en zeide tot hen: Wat overdenkt gij in uw harten?
23 Wat is lichter te zeggen: Uw zonden zijn u vergeven, of te zeggen: Sta op en wandel?
24 Doch opdat gij moogt weten, dat de Zoon des mensen macht heeft op de aarde, de zonde te vergeven (zeide Hij tot den geraakte): Ik zeg u, sta op, en neem uw beddeken op, en ga heen naar uw huis.
25 En hij, terstond voor Hem opstaande, en opgenomen hebbende hetgeen, daar hij op gelegen had, ging heen naar zijn huis, God verheerlijkende.
The Dutch Staten Vertaling translation is in the public domain.