Luke 5:20

20 And when Jesus saw the faith of them, he said, Man, thy sins be forgiven to thee.

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 And lo! men bare in a bed a man that was sick in the palsy [that was sick in palsy], and they sought to bear him in, and set before him [and to put before him].

19 And they found not in what part they should bear him in, for the people, and they went upon the roof [And they not finding in what part they should bear him in, for the company of people, ascended up on the roof], and by the slates they let him down with the bed, into the midst, before Jesus.

20 And when Jesus saw the faith of them, he said, Man, thy sins be forgiven to thee.

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to think, saying, Who is this, that speaketh blasphemies? who may forgive sins, but God alone?

22 And as Jesus knew the thoughts of them, he answered, and said to them [he answering said to them], What think ye evil things in your hearts?