Matthew 9
Introduction
Matthew 9 continues the sequence of miracle stories begun in chapter 8, with growing attention to the question of Jesus' authority and the opposition it provokes. The chapter opens with the healing of a paralytic, where Jesus claims the right to forgive sins -- a prerogative that belongs to God alone -- and then demonstrates that claim through physical healing. From there, Jesus calls a tax collector named Matthew, dines with sinners, and defends his unconventional behavior against the objections of the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist. The chapter's second half narrates a cluster of miracles -- raising a dead girl, healing a woman with chronic bleeding, restoring sight to the blind, and casting out a demon from a mute man -- that culminate in the Pharisees' accusation that Jesus works by demonic power.
The chapter ends with a summary of Jesus' ministry and a striking image: Jesus sees the crowds as "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd," and calls his disciples to pray for workers in God's harvest. This sets the stage for the commissioning of the twelve apostles in Matthew 10. Throughout the chapter, the theme of faith runs as a connecting thread -- faith in those who bring the paralytic, in the woman who touches Jesus' cloak, in the blind men who cry out for mercy -- while the religious leaders increasingly harden in unbelief.
Healing the Paralytic (vv. 1-8)
1 Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town. 2 Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven." 3 On seeing this, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming!" 4 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, "Why do you harbor evil in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." Then He said to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your mat, and go home." 7 And the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
1 And getting into a boat, he crossed over and came to his own town. 2 And they brought to him a paralyzed man lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Take heart, child -- your sins are forgiven." 3 And some of the scribes said among themselves, "This man blasphemes!" 4 And Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- then he said to the paralyzed man -- "Rise, pick up your bed, and go to your house." 7 And he rose and went to his house. 8 When the crowds saw this, they were afraid and glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.
Notes
"His own town" is Capernaum, which had become Jesus' base of operations after leaving Nazareth (Matthew 4:13). Matthew's account is more compressed than Mark's (Mark 2:1-12), omitting the vivid detail of the paralytic being lowered through the roof.
The phrase ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ("your sins are forgiven") uses the present tense -- not "will be forgiven" but "are forgiven right now." The scribes' reaction is theologically correct in its premise: only God can forgive sins (Isaiah 43:25, Mark 2:7). Their error is in failing to recognize who is speaking. The word βλασφημεῖ ("blasphemes") carries the charge of claiming divine prerogatives -- a capital offense under Jewish law.
Jesus perceives their ἐνθυμήσεις ("thoughts" or "inner deliberations"), demonstrating a knowledge of the human heart that the Old Testament attributes to God alone (1 Samuel 16:7, Jeremiah 17:10). The argument from lesser to greater is precise: it is "easier" to say "your sins are forgiven" because no one can verify it; saying "rise and walk" is harder because the result is immediately visible. By performing the visible miracle, Jesus validates the invisible one.
The title Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ("Son of Man") appears again with a claim to ἐξουσία ("authority") -- the same word used of Jesus' teaching (Matthew 7:29) and the centurion's chain of command (Matthew 8:9). The crowd's response in verse 8 is striking: they glorified God for giving such authority τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ("to men" or "to human beings"), using the plural. They may not yet grasp the full implications, but they recognize that something unprecedented is happening.
Interpretations
This passage raises a perennial question: is there a direct connection between personal sin and bodily suffering? Some traditions hold that Jesus addresses the man's sins first precisely because his paralysis was their consequence. Most Protestant commentators, however, point to John 9:2-3, where Jesus explicitly rejects that kind of direct causation. Jesus' statement here more likely reflects the broader biblical theology that all sickness flows ultimately from the fallen human condition -- and that the deepest human need, even deeper than physical healing, is forgiveness before God.
The Calling of Matthew (vv. 9-13)
9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. "Follow Me," He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him. 10 Later, as Jesus was dining at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
9 And as Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. 10 And it happened that as he was reclining at table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
Notes
The τελώνιον ("tax booth") was a customs station where tolls were collected on goods passing through the region. Tax collectors (publicans) were despised as collaborators with Rome and were assumed to be dishonest, routinely collecting more than was owed. They were classed with "sinners" (ἁμαρτωλοί) -- a semi-technical term for those who did not observe the Torah as interpreted by the Pharisees. Matthew's willingness to leave everything at a simple command mirrors the call of the first disciples (Matthew 4:18-22).
That Jesus "reclined at table" (ἀνακειμένου) with these people was offensive. Table fellowship in the ancient world signified acceptance and social equality. The Pharisees' objection is not trivial -- by eating with the unclean, Jesus was, in their view, making himself unclean.
Jesus' physician metaphor (ἰατρός) reframes the entire encounter. A doctor does not avoid the sick; he goes to them. The quotation from Hosea 6:6 -- ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν ("I desire mercy and not sacrifice") -- is one of Jesus' favorite texts (he quotes it again at Matthew 12:7). The Hebrew word behind ἔλεος is חֶסֶד, the covenantal love and faithfulness of God. Jesus is saying that God's deepest desire is not ritual compliance but compassionate engagement with broken people.
The final statement -- "I did not come to call the righteous but sinners" -- contains a note of irony. The δίκαιοι ("righteous") may refer to those who are genuinely righteous, or more likely to those who consider themselves righteous and therefore feel no need of Jesus' ministry.
The Question about Fasting (vv. 14-17)
14 Then John's disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast so often, but Your disciples do not fast?" 15 Jesus replied, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast."
16 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result. 17 Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will spill, and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" 15 And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16 No one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch pulls away from the garment and a worse tear results. 17 Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."
Notes
John the Baptist's disciples ask a legitimate question: fasting was a regular practice for devout Jews (the Pharisees fasted twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays). Jesus' response uses the image of a wedding feast. The υἱοὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος (literally "sons of the bridal chamber") are the bridegroom's closest friends and attendants. In the Old Testament, God is frequently depicted as Israel's bridegroom (Isaiah 62:5, Hosea 2:19-20); Jesus applies this image to himself, implicitly claiming a divine role. That the bridegroom will be ἀπαρθῇ ("taken away") is one of the earliest hints of the passion -- the verb suggests violent removal.
The twin parables of the patch and the wineskins make the same point from different angles. ῥάκος ἀγνάφου ("unshrunk cloth") -- literally "uncarded" or "unfulled" -- will shrink when washed and tear away from the old garment. New wine, still fermenting, will burst rigid old wineskins that have lost their elasticity. Jesus is not patching up the old system of religious observance but inaugurating something genuinely new. The kingdom he brings cannot be contained within the existing structures of Pharisaic Judaism -- it requires new forms to hold its new reality.
A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman (vv. 18-26)
18 While Jesus was saying these things, a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him. "My daughter has just died," he said. "But come and place Your hand on her, and she will live." 19 So Jesus got up and went with him, along with His disciples.
20 Suddenly a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak. 21 She said to herself, "If only I touch His cloak, I will be healed." 22 Jesus turned and saw her. "Take courage, daughter," He said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that very hour.
23 When Jesus entered the house of the synagogue leader, He saw the flute players and the noisy crowd. 24 "Go away," He told them. "The girl is not dead, but asleep." And they laughed at Him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26 And the news about this spread throughout that region.
18 While he was saying these things to them, a ruler came and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just now died. But come and lay your hand on her and she will live." 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, along with his disciples.
20 And a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment. 21 For she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be healed." 22 But Jesus turned and saw her and said, "Take heart, daughter -- your faith has saved you." And the woman was healed from that hour.
23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, "Go away, for the girl has not died but is sleeping." And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took hold of her hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that region.
Notes
Matthew identifies the man simply as ἄρχων ("a ruler"), while Mark (Mark 5:22) gives his name as Jairus and identifies him as a synagogue leader. Matthew's account is considerably compressed: in Mark, the girl is "at the point of death" when Jairus first approaches; in Matthew, she "has just now died." This compression likely reflects Matthew's more streamlined narrative style rather than a contradiction -- he moves directly to the climax.
The woman's condition -- a chronic flow of blood (αἱμορροοῦσα) lasting twelve years -- made her perpetually ritually unclean under Levitical law (Leviticus 15:25-27). Anyone she touched would also become unclean. Her approach from behind and her touching of the κράσπεδον ("fringe" or "tassel") of Jesus' garment reflects both desperation and reverence. The tassels were the ritual fringes worn in obedience to Numbers 15:38-39, representing devotion to God's commands.
Jesus' words ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε are literally "your faith has saved you." The verb σῴζω means both "to heal" and "to save" -- Matthew allows both meanings to resonate. Her faith is not a magical power; it is the means by which she receives what Jesus freely gives.
The professional mourners -- flute players and a wailing crowd -- would have been hired immediately upon death, even by poor families. Their quick presence confirms that the girl was genuinely dead. Jesus' statement that she is "sleeping" (καθεύδει) does not deny her death but redefines it in light of his power: for Jesus, death is no more permanent than sleep. The crowd's laughter shows they understood he was making an extraordinary claim, not offering a medical opinion.
Two Blind Men Healed (vv. 27-31)
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" 28 After Jesus had entered the house, the blind men came to Him. "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" He asked. "Yes, Lord," they answered. 29 Then He touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you." 30 And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one finds out about this!" 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout the land.
27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying out and saying, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" 28 And when he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, "Let it be done to you according to your faith." 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows about this." 31 But they went out and spread the news about him throughout all that land.
Notes
The title υἱὸς Δαυίδ ("Son of David") is a messianic title rooted in God's promise to David of an eternal dynasty (2 Samuel 7:12-16). That blind men use this title is ironic: those who cannot see physically perceive Jesus' identity more clearly than the sighted religious leaders. The cry ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς ("have mercy on us") echoes the Psalms' appeals for divine compassion (see Psalm 51:1).
Jesus' question -- "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" -- makes faith an explicit prerequisite. The word πιστεύετε ("do you believe?") is in the present tense, asking about their current, active trust. Jesus responds κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν γενηθήτω ὑμῖν ("let it be done to you according to your faith"), which does not mean their faith is the cause of healing but the channel through which Jesus' power operates.
The stern warning (ἐνεβριμήθη -- a word expressing strong emotion, even indignation) to keep the healing secret reflects what scholars call the "messianic secret." Jesus resists premature public acclaim because popular expectations of the Messiah were heavily political and military. The blind men's disobedience, while understandable, works against Jesus' purposes.
The Mute Demoniac (vv. 32-34)
32 As they were leaving, a demon-possessed man who was mute was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon had been driven out, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!" 34 But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that He drives out demons."
32 As they were going out, a mute man who was demon-possessed was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds were amazed, saying, "Never has anything like this been seen in Israel!" 34 But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons."
Notes
This brief episode serves as a hinge between the miracle stories and the growing opposition. The crowd's response -- οὐδέποτε ἐφάνη οὕτως ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ ("never has anything like this appeared in Israel") -- is the climax of the wonder that has been building since chapter 8. But the Pharisees offer an alternative explanation: Jesus works by the power of τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῶν δαιμονίων ("the ruler of the demons"). This accusation, mentioned here in passing, will be developed and answered at length in Matthew 12:22-32, where Jesus calls it blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
The contrast between the crowds and the Pharisees is stark: the same evidence produces wonder in one group and hardened hostility in the other. Matthew is preparing the reader for the escalating conflict that will dominate the middle chapters of his Gospel.
The Harvest Is Plentiful (vv. 35-38)
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest."
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest."
Notes
Verse 35 closely echoes Matthew 4:23, forming a literary frame (inclusio) around the entire section of chapters 5-9. Jesus' ministry is summarized in three activities: teaching, preaching, and healing -- word and deed held together.
The verb ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ("he had compassion") is a visceral word. It derives from σπλάγχνα ("intestines" or "bowels"), which the Greeks regarded as the seat of deep emotion -- the feeling is literally in the gut. In the Gospels, this word is used almost exclusively of Jesus (see also Matthew 14:14, Matthew 15:32, Matthew 20:34).
The description of the crowds as ἐσκυλμένοι καὶ ἐρριμμένοι ("harassed and helpless" or "weary and scattered") uses two participles that paint a picture of exhaustion and neglect. The first means "flayed" or "mangled"; the second means "thrown down" or "cast aside." The image of sheep without a shepherd echoes Numbers 27:17, 1 Kings 22:17, and Ezekiel 34:5 -- passages where Israel's leaders have failed to care for God's people.
The harvest metaphor shifts the register from pastoral to agricultural. θερισμός ("harvest") suggests that the fields are ripe -- the opportunity is urgent and time-sensitive. The word ἐκβάλῃ ("send out") is stronger than expected -- literally "thrust out" or "cast out," the same verb used for casting out demons. God must forcefully propel workers into the harvest field. The prayer Jesus commands here is answered immediately in Matthew 10:1, where he commissions the twelve.