Luke 5:20

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

Luke 5:20 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 5:20

And when he saw their faith
That is, Jesus, as the Syriac and Persic versions express it; when he saw the faith both of the paralytic man, and of the men that brought him, which was shown in the pains they took, and trouble they were at, in getting him to him;

he said unto him.
The Vulgate Latin only reads, "he said"; but the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, still more fully express the sense, rendering it, "he said to the paralytic man"; and the Ethiopic version, "he said to the infirm man"; as follows:

man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
The other evangelists say, he said "son"; perhaps he used both words: however, all agree that he pronounced the forgiveness of sins, which were the cause of his disease; and which being removed, the effect must cease; so that he had healing both for soul and body; (See Gill on Matthew 9:2).

Luke 5:20 In-Context

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?”

22 Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus replied, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?