independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecontentconditionaldashed = verbless / suspended
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The paralytic through the roof — authority to forgive sins 2:1–12
vv. 1–5 — the packed house, the four bearers, and the word of forgiveness
1
Καὶ εἰσελθὼν πάλιν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ δι' ἡμερῶνparticipial — preposed circumstantial — πάλιν recalls 1:21; leans on ἠκούσθη
ἠκούσθηindependent — impersonal passive — the report goes round on its own
ὅτι ἐν οἴκῳ ἐστίν.content — retained present — 'he is at home,' perhaps Peter's house
2
καὶ συνήχθησαν πολλοὶindependent — the crowd assembles — Mark's Galilee, always thronged
ὥστε μηκέτι χωρεῖν μηδὲ τὰ πρὸς τὴν θύραν,purpose — ὥστε + infinitive — actual result (typed pur; no result key): the obstacle the four must beat
καὶ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον.independent — durative imperfect — 'the word,' Markan shorthand for the message
3
καὶ ἔρχονταιindependent — historic present — the bearers arrive
φέροντες πρὸς αὐτὸν παραλυτικὸν αἰρόμενον ὑπὸ τεσσάρων.participial — manner participle — αἰρόμενον ὑπὸ τεσσάρων, the vivid detail of the four, only Mark
4
καὶ μὴ δυνάμενοι προσενέγκαι αὐτῷ διὰ τὸν ὄχλονparticipial — preposed causal participle — the crowd of v. 2 blocks them; leans on ἀπεστέγασαν
ἀπεστέγασαν τὴν στέγηνindependent — ἀποστεγάζω — they unroof the flat packed-earth roof
ὅπου ἦν,relative — local relative — directly above Jesus
καὶ ἐξορύξαντεςparticipial — preposed aorist participle — gouging the opening; leans on χαλῶσι
χαλῶσι τὸν κράβαττονindependent — historic present — the lowering made vivid; κράβαττος, the poor man's bedroll
ὅπου ὁ παραλυτικὸς κατέκειτο.relative — the man's helpless posture — durative imperfect
5
καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶνparticipial — preposed circumstantial — the faith is visible in the digging; leans on λέγει
λέγει τῷ παραλυτικῷ·independent — historic present — the speech-frame
Τέκνον, ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι.content — divine passive with affectionate τέκνον — pardon before cure; the offense begins
vv. 6–9 — the scribes' silent charge and the easier/harder question
6
ἦσαν δέ τινες τῶν γραμματέων ἐκεῖ καθήμενοιindependent — δέ marks the antagonists — periphrastic imperfect, the settled watchers
καὶ διαλογιζόμενοι ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν·participial — second periphrastic participle — the charge stays unspoken
7
Τί οὗτος οὕτως λαλεῖ;content — the inward question — contemptuous οὗτος, 'this fellow'
βλασφημεῖ·content — asyndetic verdict — the capital charge that returns at the trial (14:64)
τίς δύναται ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός;content — εἷς ὁ θεός — the Shema's premise: sound monotheism, wrong christology
8
καὶ εὐθὺς ἐπιγνοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ πνεύματι αὐτοῦparticipial — preposed circumstantial — εὐθύς, the instant reading of hearts; leans on λέγει
ὅτι οὕτως διαλογίζονται ἐν ἑαυτοῖςcontent — content of the perception — he answers what was never voiced
λέγει αὐτοῖς·independent — historic present — the counter-challenge
Τί ταῦτα διαλογίζεσθε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν;content — καρδίαις echoes v. 6 word for word — their secret quoted back
9
τί ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον,content — the rabbinic dilemma — unverifiable pardon against testable command
εἰπεῖν τῷ παραλυτικῷ·content — first epexegetic infinitive — the easy, invisible word
Ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι,content — v. 5 quoted verbatim inside the question
ἢ εἰπεῖν·content — the second alternative
Ἔγειρε καὶ ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ περιπάτει;content — the hard, testable word — three commands anyone can verify
vv. 10–12 — the Son of Man's authority demonstrated
10
ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτεpurpose — the famous anacoluthon — the purpose clause never gets its governing verb; still Jesus' speech, hung under λέγει (v. 8)
ὅτι ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς —content — first Son-of-Man saying in Mark — ἐξουσία fronted, the cycle's keyword; Dan 7:13 behind the title
λέγει τῷ παραλυτικῷ·independent — the narrator's resumption at the dash — historic present; the healing completes the broken sentence
11
Σοὶ λέγω,content — emphatic fronted σοί — the harder word of v. 9 now performed
ἔγειρε ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου.content — three commands, asyndetic ἔγειρε ἆρον — up, out, home
12
καὶ ἠγέρθηindependent — instant compliance — ἐγείρω, the resurrection verb in miniature
καὶ εὐθὺς ἄρας τὸν κράβαττονparticipial — preposed aorist participle — what carried him he now carries; leans on ἐξῆλθεν
ἐξῆλθεν ἔμπροσθεν πάντων,independent — the cure is public — ἔμπροσθεν πάντων, every eye a witness
ὥστε ἐξίστασθαι πάντας καὶ δοξάζειν τὸν θεὸν λέγοντας ὅτιpurpose — ὥστε + infinitive — actual result (typed pur; no result key): the Markan choral close, with recitative ὅτι
Οὕτως οὐδέποτε εἴδομεν.content — fronted οὕτως — the crowd's verdict seals the first controversy
The call of Levi and the sinners' table 2:13–17
vv. 13–14 — Levi called from the toll booth
13
Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν πάλιν παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν·independent — πάλιν — the recurring lakeside scene
καὶ πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ἤρχετο πρὸς αὐτόν,independent — iterative imperfect — the stream continues; hyperbolic πᾶς
καὶ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτούς.independent — durative imperfect — teaching as the backdrop for the call
14
καὶ παράγωνparticipial — preposed circumstantial — παράγων as at 1:16; leans on εἶδεν
εἶδεν Λευὶν τὸν τοῦ Ἁλφαίου καθήμενον ἐπὶ τὸ τελώνιον,independent — the seeing that initiates each call — Levi caught mid-trade (Matthew in Matt 9:9)
καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ·independent — historic present — the speech-frame
Ἀκολούθει μοι.content — the two-word call — ἀκολουθέω, the technical verb of discipleship
καὶ ἀναστὰςparticipial — preposed aorist participle — the break from the booth; leans on ἠκολούθησεν
ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ.independent — the call-form of 1:16–20 repeated — one verb answers
vv. 15–17 — tax collectors and sinners at table; the physician proverb
15
Καὶ γίνεται κατακεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ,independent — historic present γίνεται with subject infinitive — αὐτοῦ ambiguous: Levi's house or Jesus'
καὶ πολλοὶ τελῶναι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ συνανέκειντο τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ·independent — συνανάκειμαι — shared table is shared fellowship: the scandal itself
ἦσαν γὰρ πολλοὶcause — narrator's γάρ-aside — the size of the following explained
καὶ ἠκολούθουν αὐτῷ.cause — coordinate within the aside — the outcasts already ἀκολουθοῦντες, Levi's verb
16
καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς τῶν Φαρισαίων ἰδόντεςparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἔλεγον; 'scribes of the Pharisees,' the harder reading kept over 'scribes and Pharisees'
ὅτι ἐσθίει μετὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ τελωνῶνcontent — content of the seeing — the offense observed
ἔλεγον τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ·independent — iterative imperfect — the complaint pressed on the disciples, not on Jesus
Ὅτι μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίει;content — interrogative ὅτι (= 'why?'; some editions read τί) — the reproachful question
17
καὶ ἀκούσας ὁ Ἰησοῦςparticipial — preposed circumstantial — he overhears what was said behind him; leans on λέγει
λέγει αὐτοῖς ὅτιindependent — historic present with recitative ὅτι
Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦcontent — the physician proverb — gnomic present
ἀλλ' οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες·content — elliptical antithesis — the verb supplied from the proverb
οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς.content — the ἦλθον mission-saying — δικαίους with an ironic edge; Byzantine adds 'to repentance'
The question about fasting — bridegroom, patch, and wineskins 2:18–22
vv. 18–20 — the bridegroom question and the days that will come
18
Καὶ ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ Ἰωάννου καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι νηστεύοντες.independent — periphrastic imperfect — the backdrop of pious practice
καὶ ἔρχονταιindependent — historic present — the questioners arrive
καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ·independent — historic present — the speech-frame
Διὰ τί οἱ μαθηταὶ Ἰωάννου καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ τῶν Φαρισαίων νηστεύουσιν,content — the conspicuous contrast — two pious camps on one side
οἱ δὲ σοὶ μαθηταὶ οὐ νηστεύουσιν;content — emphatic σοί — 'your own disciples'; the master answers for them
19
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς·independent — the reply — aorist frame for the extended answer
Μὴ δύνανται οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἐν ᾧ ὁ νυμφίος μετ' αὐτῶν ἐστιν νηστεύειν;content — μή expects 'no' — 'sons of the bridechamber,' Semitic idiom; the embedded ἐν ᾧ temporal kept in line
ὅσον χρόνον ἔχουσιν τὸν νυμφίον μετ' αὐτῶνconditional — temporal ὅσον χρόνον (typed cnd; no temporal key) — leans forward on the refusal below
οὐ δύνανται νηστεύειν.content — the answer restated flatly — feast, not fast, while he is present
20
ἐλεύσονται δὲ ἡμέραιcontent — prophetic-sounding formula — the turn toward the passion
ὅταν ἀπαρθῇ ἀπ' αὐτῶν ὁ νυμφίος,conditional — temporal ὅταν (typed cnd; no temporal key) — ἀπαρθῇ, the ominous passive: Mark's first veiled passion-hint
καὶ τότε νηστεύσουσιν ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ.content — τότε answering ὅταν — mourning will fit the bridegroom's absence
vv. 21–22 — the οὐδείς-pair: unshrunk cloth and new wine
21
οὐδεὶς ἐπίβλημα ῥάκους ἀγνάφου ἐπιράπτει ἐπὶ ἱμάτιον παλαιόν·content — first οὐδείς-parable — asyndeton opens the paired images; gnomic present
εἰ δὲ μή,conditional — elliptical protasis ('but if not') — leans forward on αἴρει
αἴρει τὸ πλήρωμα ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τὸ καινὸν τοῦ παλαιοῦ,content — the unshrunk piece shrinks and pulls — τὸ καινὸν τοῦ παλαιοῦ, new from old
καὶ χεῖρον σχίσμα γίνεται.content — σχίσμα — the mend worsens the rent
22
καὶ οὐδεὶς βάλλει οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιούς·content — the companion οὐδείς-parable — fermenting νέος wine, brittle old skins
εἰ δὲ μή,conditional — elliptical protasis again — leans forward on ῥήξει
ῥήξει ὁ οἶνος τοὺς ἀσκούς,content — predictive future — fermentation pressure against stiff leather
καὶ ὁ οἶνος ἀπόλλυται καὶ οἱ ἀσκοί·content — the double loss — wine and vessel perish together
ἀλλὰ οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς καινούς.content — verbless close — 'must be put' supplied (some witnesses add βλητέον); καινός, the new vessel for the new age
Grainfields on the sabbath — lord even of the sabbath 2:23–28
vv. 23–24 — the plucking and the charge
23
Καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς σάββασιν παραπορεύεσθαι διὰ τῶν σπορίμων,independent — Semitic ἐγένετο-frame with subject infinitive — the final controversy opens
καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἤρξαντο ὁδὸν ποιεῖνindependent — ὁδὸν ποιεῖν — the idiom of journeying along
τίλλοντες τοὺς στάχυας.participial — manner participle, following its verb — permitted gleaning (Deut 23:25), but 'reaping' by strict sabbath halakhah
24
καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον αὐτῷ·independent — inceptive imperfect — the watchers speak
Ἴδε τί ποιοῦσιν τοῖς σάββασινcontent — Ἴδε, the frozen imperative — the charge aimed at the master through his disciples
ὃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν;relative — ἔξεστιν — the legal keyword of the dispute, answered by the same word in v. 26
vv. 25–26 — David's precedent: the showbread at Nob
25
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς·independent — historic present — the counter-question begins
Οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτεcontent — the rabbinic riposte — their own Scripture turned on them
τί ἐποίησεν Δαυὶδcontent — indirect question — 1 Sam 21:1–6, the showbread at Nob
ὅτε χρείαν ἔσχεν καὶ ἐπείνασεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ;conditional — temporal ὅτε (typed cnd; no temporal key) — χρεία, the necessity that overrides
26
πῶς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ Ἀβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέωςcontent — ἐπὶ Ἀβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως — the famous crux: 1 Sam 21 names Ahimelech, Abiathar's father; construals vary ('in the days/section of Abiathar'), D W and some Latins omit
καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως ἔφαγεν,content — coordinate indirect question — the showbread (Lev 24:5–9)
οὓς οὐκ ἔξεστιν φαγεῖν εἰ μὴ τοὺς ἱερεῖς,relative — ἔξεστιν again — the Pharisees' own keyword: the law itself yielded to need
καὶ ἔδωκεν καὶ τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ οὖσιν;content — David's men share as the disciples do — the parallel completed
vv. 27–28 — the sabbath maxim and the Son of Man's lordship
27
καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς·independent — imperfect ἔλεγεν — the weighty added word
Τὸ σάββατον διὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐγένετοcontent — the aphorism — the sabbath as creation's gift; only Mark preserves it
καὶ οὐχ ὁ ἄνθρωπος διὰ τὸ σάββατον·content — chiastic reversal — ἐγένετο supplied; verbless second limb
28
ὥστε κύριός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ τοῦ σαββάτου.content — inferential ὥστε + indicative — the christological clinch; some derive a generic 'son of man = humankind' from v. 27, but Mark means the title, as at v. 10, closing the cycle on ἐξουσία
Analysis. Mark 2 gathers the first four Galilean conflict-stories, and the layout shows the cycle's common anatomy: the flush-left καί-column of chapter 1 keeps drumming (historic presents flagged as they land — ἔρχονται and χαλῶσι carrying the paralytic in, λέγει again and again on Jesus' ripostes, γίνεται at Levi's table), while each controversy indents the same way — an objection hanging blue (cnt) under its verb of saying or thinking (the scribes' inward τί οὗτος οὕτως λαλεῖ; under διαλογιζόμενοι, the Ὅτι-question pressed on the disciples under ἔλεγον, the fasting question under λέγουσιν, the Ἴδε-charge under ἔλεγον), answered by a longer blue chain under Jesus' λέγει or εἶπεν that ends in a pronouncement. The preposed circumstantial participles lean forward anchor-less as in chapter 1 (μὴ δυνάμενοι and ἐξορύξαντες before the roof is stripped, ἰδὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν before the absolution, παράγων before Levi's call, ἀναστάς before he follows), and the protasis-like lines inside quoted speech — ὅσον χρόνον in v. 19, the twin elliptical εἰ δὲ μή of the patch and wineskins — lean one step above their apodoses. Cruxes: v. 10 is the chapter's famous anacoluthon — ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε never reaches its governing verb; the narrator breaks in at the dash with λέγει τῷ παραλυτικῷ and the healing itself completes the thought, so the layout hangs the suspended purpose-clause in the quoted speech (marked as broken) and lets the resumption sit flush-left. ἐπὶ Ἀβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως in v. 26 stands where 1 Sam 21 names Ahimelech, Abiathar's father — the construals ('in the days/section of Abiathar') and the omission in D W and some Latins witness the difficulty; the reading is kept and named, not solved. The two Son-of-Man sayings bracket the chapter (vv. 10, 28), and v. 28's inferential ὥστε rides on v. 27's aphorism — if the Sabbath was made for ὁ ἄνθρωπος, an underlying generic 'son of man = humankind' has been argued; the layout reads the title christologically, as Mark does, while the tags leave the tradition-history open. Lesser variants pass in the tags: 'the scribes of the Pharisees' kept at v. 16, the Byzantine εἰς μετάνοιαν declined at v. 17, and the elliptical close of v. 22 (some witnesses supply βλητέον) kept verbless, like the second limb of v. 27.