Probably spring, 28 A.D.

³⁵Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there. ³⁶Simon and those who were with him followed after him; ³⁷and they found him, and told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”

³⁸He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.”

⁴²When it was day, he departed and went into an uninhabited place, and the multitudes looked for him, and came to him, and held on to him, so that he wouldn’t go away from them. ⁴³But he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other cities also. For this reason I have been sent.”

²³Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. ²⁴The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. ²⁵Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

³⁹He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.

⁴⁴He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee. ^a

²Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

³Jesus stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴Jesus said to him, “See that you tell nobody, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

⁴⁰A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”

⁴¹Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.” ⁴²When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean. ⁴³He strictly warned him, and immediately sent him out, ⁴⁴and said to him, “See you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”

⁴⁵But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places: and they came to him from everywhere.

¹²It happened, while he was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

¹³He stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.”

Immediately the leprosy left him. ¹⁴He commanded him to tell no one, “But go your way, and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing according to what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.” ¹⁵But the report concerning him spread much more, and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

 ⁴⁵But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places: and they came to him from everywhere.

¹⁶But he withdrew himself into the desert, and prayed.

²Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.”

³Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.”

⁴Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk?’ ⁶But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go up to your house.”

⁷He arose and departed to his house. ⁸But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

¹When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house. ²Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them. ³Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him. ⁴When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on. ⁵Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

⁶But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, ⁷“Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

⁸Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? ⁹Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’ ¹⁰But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—¹¹“I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.”

¹²He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

¹⁷It happened on one of those days, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. ^d The power of the Lord was with him to heal them. ¹⁸Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus. ¹⁹Not finding a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the midst before Jesus. ²⁰Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

²¹The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

²²But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, “Why are you reasoning so in your hearts? ²³Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you;’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’ ²⁴But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (he said to the paralyzed man), “I tell you, arise, and take up your cot, and go to your house.”

²⁵Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying on, and departed to his house, glorifying God. ²⁶Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”

⁹As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him.

¹³He went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them. ¹⁴As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he arose and followed him.

²⁷After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, “Follow me!”

²⁸He left everything, and rose up and followed him.

¹⁰It happened as he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹²When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. ¹³But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’[1] for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.[2]”

[1]9:13 Hosea 6:6

[2]9:13 NU omits “to repentance”.

¹⁵It happened, that he was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him. ¹⁶The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

²⁹Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them. ³⁰Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” ³¹Jesus answered them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. ³²I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

¹⁴Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?”

¹⁵Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

¹⁸John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?”

¹⁹Jesus said to them, “Can the groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can’t fast. ²⁰But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then will they fast in that day.

³³They said to him, “Why do John’s disciples often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?”

³⁴He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast, while the bridegroom is with them? ³⁵But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days.”

¹⁶No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made. ¹⁷Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

²¹No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made. ²²No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine pours out, and the skins will be destroyed; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins.”

³⁶He also told a parable to them. “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old. ³⁷No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. ³⁸But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved. ³⁹No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’” ⁱ

¹At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. ²But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, “Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”

³But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him; ⁴how he entered into the house of God, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?[1] ⁵Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless? ⁶But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. ⁷But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’[2] you would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

[1]12:4 1 Samuel 21:3-6

[2]12:7 Hosea 6:6

²³It happened that he was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields, and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain. ²⁴The Pharisees said to him, “Behold, why do they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?”

²⁵He said to them, “Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry—he, and those who were with him? ²⁶How he entered into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the show bread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him?” ²⁷He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

¹Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first, ^m that he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain, and ate, rubbing them in their hands. ²But some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?”

³Jesus, answering them, said, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, he, and those who were with him; ⁴how he entered into the house of God, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?” ⁵He said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

⁹He departed there, and went into their synagogue. ¹⁰And behold there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” that they might accuse him.

¹¹He said to them, “What man is there among you, who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won’t he grab on to it, and lift it out? ¹²Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.” ¹³Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other. ¹⁴But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him. ^p

¹He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had his hand withered. ²They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. ³He said to the man who had his hand withered, “Stand up.” ⁴He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?” But they were silent. ⁵When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other. ⁶The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians ^q against him, how they might destroy him.

⁶It also happened on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught. There was a man there, and his right hand was withered. ⁷The scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him. ⁸But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Rise up, and stand in the middle.” He arose and stood. ⁹Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you something: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?” ¹⁰He looked around at them all, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored as sound as the other. ¹¹But they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus.

¹⁵Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all, ¹⁶and commanded them that they should not make him known: ¹⁷that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

[1]12:21 Isaiah 42:1-4

⁷Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea, ⁸from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and those from around Tyre and Sidon. ^s A great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came to him. ⁹He spoke to his disciples that a little boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they wouldn’t press on him. ¹⁰For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him. ¹¹The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, “You are the Son of God!” ¹²He sternly warned them that they should not make him known.

a) Here follows the miraculous draught of fishes in order of Luke. Luke 5:1-11. See No. 54

b) See previous notes on transpositions. Nos. 54, 56. It seems that Matthew himself does not strictly insist upon placing the healing of the leper immediately after the Sermon on the Mount on account of the notice of the "great multitudes" following Jesus in 8:1 as compared with the command of silence in v. 4. The whole arrangement of this section, from here to parables, successive miracles recorded without regard to the exact order of time, seems to be topical.

c) Transposed. Chronologically this section, Matt. 9:2-17, which includes the call of Matthew, belongs before the Sermon on the Mount of which a full report is given by Matthew.

d) The presence of Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem, the charge of blasphemy, the word to the paralytic 'Arise, take up thy bed, and walk' (cf. John 5:8 No. 49), and the reference to the authority given Him by the Father (cf. John 5:27 No. 49), convince us that this miracle took place after the encounter at the unknown feast rather than as shown in the usual chronological arrangement by which John 5 is placed immediately before the plucking of grain on a Sabbath-day, Matt. 12:1-8 Mark 2:28-28; Luke 6:1-5. (No. 67.)

e) Transposed. If Levi Is the same as Matthew and to be identified with the evangelist St. Matthew, of which there is hardly any doubt, then it seems that the writer of the first Gospel does not insist upon placing his call after the Sermon on the Mount, which he himself has reported at length.

f) Transposed. The feast spoken of in this section may have been given later, after the Gadarene journey and before the healing of Jairus' daughter, No. 87, on account of the words "while He spake these things," Matt. 9:18, but is here related in order to gather into a group

g) Transposed, but in order.

h) Transposed, but in order.

i) At this point many harmonists insert the unnamed feast of John 5:1-47. But it seems to us that this visit to Jerusalem has already taken place. See No. 48. The presence of the Pharisees from Jerusalem, "sitting by" at the healing of the man sick of the palsy, and the ready charge of blasphemy seem to indicate a closer acquaintance with Jesus on the part of the Jerusalem authorities as the result of a well remembered encounter with Jesus. See No. 62.

j) Another Sabbath controversy. See Nos. 48, 67, 68, 140, 164, 174

k) On account of the words "He entered again into the synagogue," Mark 3:1, that is, the synagogue already mentioned in Mark 1:21. Called "their" Synagogue in Matt. 12:9. See No. 68.

l) A new transposition. Chronologically this section, Matt. 12:1-21, Nos. 67-69, must be placed before the Sermon on the Mount the order of which is determined by Luke as compared with Mark.

m) The mysterious "second Sabbath after the first" or "second-first Sabbath" has caused considerable discussion. Evidently the expression was chosen designedly by the Evangelist to indicate something sufficiently understood by his readers. But we do not know what it is. Not much importance is attached to it for chronological purposes because the time of the year is marked by the fact that the grain was ripe. There are a number of proposed explanations. The following two appeal to us most: 1. A Sabbath following a "Sabbath," a New Moon, or some other festival, a sort of second holiday something like the Sunday following the 4th of July in the U. S. 2. A technical expression for the first Sabbath after the second of the chief annual festivals, that to Pentecost. A "first-first Sabbath" would be the first Sabbath after Passover. And a "second-first Sabbath" would be the first Sabbath after Pentecost. In like manner we count Sundays as the First Sunday after Epiphany. and the like. If we regard this "second Sabbath after the first" as the first Sabbath after Pentecost, which in this year, 28 A.D., has been placed on the 19th of May, we can satisfactorily place the event about the end of the month.

n) See Nos. 48, 67, 68, 140, 164, 174

o) Transposed, but in order.

p) The second direct plot against the life of Jesus, the first in Jerusalem, at the unnamed feast, the second in the Prophet's own town. No. 49.

q) This Is the first time that the Herodians are mentioned. While the Pharisees were angry with Jesus on religious grounds, the Herodians who sought to strengthen the dynasty of Herod were afraid of Him for political reasons. Hence the union of opposing parties for the destruction of Jesus.

r) Transposed, but in order.

s) Note the wide territory from which the multitudes came, practically from the whole of the ancient Land of Israel, from Idumea in the south to Phoenicia in the north, from Perea beyond the Jordan to the regions of the Mediterranean Sea.

Bible References taken from:
The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible, based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.