Luke 5:19

19 but they could not find a way through the crowd. So they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of 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 Jesus was teaching, and the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. People had come from Jerusalem and from every village of Galilee and Judea, and the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.

18 Just then some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They tried to bring him inside to set him before Jesus,

19 but they could not find a way through the crowd. So they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20 When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

21 But the scribes and Pharisees began thinking to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”