Lukas 5:23

23 Which is easier: to say, Your chatta’im have been granted selicha, or to say, Get up and walk?

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 And the Sofrim began to raise kashes (questions), and also the Perushim, saying, Who is this who is speaking Chillul Hashem gidduf? Who is able to grant selicha to chatta’im but Hashem alone?

22 But he having had daas of their machshavot (thoughts), said to them in reply, Why are you reasoning in your levavot?

23 Which is easier: to say, Your chatta’im have been granted selicha, or to say, Get up and walk?

24 But in order that you may have da’as that the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach, DANIEL 7:13] has samchut on HaAretz to grant selicha to chatta’im, Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach said to the one having been paralyzed, To you I say, Get up, pick up your mat, and go to your bais (house, home).

25 And at once the man arose in front of them, picked up the mat upon which he was lying, and departed to his bais, shouting, Baruch Hashem!