Matthew 9 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialpurposecausecomparativecontentconditionaldashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The paralytic forgiven and healed 9:1–8

vv. 1–2 — the crossing and the word of forgiveness

And getting into a boat,participial — preposed circumstantial — leans on διεπέρασεν; the Gadarene shore left behind

he crossed overindependent — the lake recrossed in one verb

and came to his own town.independent — ἡ ἰδία πόλις — Capernaum, Jesus' adopted base (4:13)

And behold, they were bringing to him a paralytic laid on a bed.independent — Hebraic καὶ ἰδού + descriptive imperfect — βεβλημένον, the perfect of helpless prostration

And Jesus, seeing their faith,participial — preposed circumstantial — the bearers' faith visible in the bringing; leans on εἶπεν

said to the paralytic:independent — the speech-frame — he answers the deeper need first

'Take heart, child;content — affectionate τέκνον — the reassurance repeated to the woman at v. 22

your sins are forgiven.'content — performative present, divine passive — the word effects what it announces

vv. 3–8 — blasphemy charged, authority demonstrated

And behold, some of the scribes said within themselves:independent — ἰδού marks the antagonists' entrance — the charge stays unspoken

'This man blasphemes.'content — contemptuous οὗτος — forgiveness is God's prerogative alone; the capital charge (26:65)

And Jesus, seeing their thoughts,participial — preposed circumstantial — ἰδών read against εἰδώς ('knowing'), a noted division; the seeing of hearts is itself the prerogative they deny; leans on εἶπεν

said:independent — the counter-challenge

'Why do you think evil in your hearts?content — their inward reasoning quoted back — ἐνθυμεῖσθε echoes ἐνθυμήσεις

For which is easier —content — the rabbinic dilemma — unverifiable pardon against testable command

to say,content — first epexegetic infinitive — the easy, invisible word

'Your sins are forgiven,'content — v. 2 quoted verbatim inside the question

or to say,content — the second alternative

'Rise and walk'?content — the hard, testable word — anyone can verify a walking man

'But so that you may knowpurpose — the mid-speech pivot (as at Mark 2:10) — the purpose clause suspended, never reaching its verb; still Jesus' speech, hung under εἶπεν (v. 4)

that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins' —content — the Danielic title (Dan 7:13) — ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς emphatic: heaven's pardon exercised here and now

— then he says to the paralytic:independent — the narrator's resumption at the dash — historic present; τότε picks up the broken sentence, and the healing completes it

'Rise, take up your bedcontent — attendant ἐγερθείς folded into the command — the harder word of v. 5 now spoken

and go to your house.'content — up, out, home — the proof commanded

And rising,participial — preposed — the command echoed verbatim; leans on ἀπῆλθεν

he went away to his house.independent — wordless obedience — the visible seal on the invisible pardon

And when the crowds saw it,participial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἐφοβήθησαν

they were afraidindependent — ingressive aorist — numinous awe; the Byzantine tradition smooths to ἐθαύμασαν ('marveled')

and glorified God,independent — the doxology closing the episode

who had given such authority to men.participial — attributive participle — τοῖς ἀνθρώποις plural, Matthew's distinctive touch: the gift reaches beyond the one man

The call of Matthew — eating with sinners 9:9–13

v. 9 — the call at the tax-booth

And Jesus, passing on from there,participial — preposed circumstantial — leans on εἶδεν; the call begins with Jesus' seeing, as at 4:18

saw a man sitting at the tax-booth,independent — caught mid-work at the customs station — like the fishermen at their nets

called Matthew,participial — the naming formula — Levi in Mark and Luke; the evangelist's own name here

and he says to him:independent — historic present — the sovereign summons

'Follow me.'content — durative present imperative — the technical verb of discipleship, two words

And rising,participial — preposed aorist participle — the decisive break with the trade; leans on ἠκολούθησεν

he followed him.independent — the instant obedience — the call answered in its own verb

vv. 10–13 — the table, the physician, and the Hosea oracle

And it happened, as he was reclining at table in the house,independent — Septuagintal καὶ ἐγένετο frame with genitive absolute — the banquet scene staged

that behold, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.independent — apodotic καί after ἐγένετο — shared table, shared fellowship; the provocation

And seeing it, the Phariseesparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἔλεγον

said to his disciples:independent — imperfect of repeated muttering — the challenge put to the disciples, not to Jesus

'Why does your teacher eat with the tax-collectors and sinners?'content — table-fellowship as the offense — purity breached by proximity

But he, hearing it,participial — preposed — the indirect challenge answered directly; leans on εἶπεν

said:independent — the reply

'Those who are strong have no need of a physician,content — the physician proverb — gnomic present; association is diagnosis, not contamination

but those who are sick.'content — elliptical second limb — the verb carried over from the first

But go and learncontent — the rabbinic idiom ṣē ûlmad ('go and study') — the scholars sent back to school

what this means:content — indirect question — the lesson set

'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.'content — Hos 6:6 LXX — ḥesed over cult; Semitic comparative negation ('mercy rather than sacrifice'); cited again at 12:7

For I did not comecause — the 'I came' mission-saying — grounding the table in his very purpose

to call the righteous, but sinners.purpose — purpose infinitive — καλέω both summons and banquet invitation; δικαίους with an ironic edge

The question about fasting — new wine, new skins 9:14–17

vv. 14–15 — the bridegroom and his guests

Then the disciples of John come to him,independent — historic present with Matthean τότε — a third challenge, now from the ascetics

saying:participial — the speech-frame

'Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,content — John's circle aligned with the Pharisees in rigor — πολλά adverbial

but your disciples do not fast?'content — the contrast pressed — Jesus' circle looks lax

And Jesus said to them:independent — the reply — a wedding image, then twin parables

'Can the sons of the bridal hall mourncontent — μή expects 'no' — the Semitism 'sons of the bridal hall' = the wedding guests; Jesus claims the bridegroom's place

as long as the bridegroom is with them?conditional — temporal ἐφ’ ὅσον (typed cnd; no temporal key) — backward, on πενθεῖν; feasting while he is present

But days will comecontent — the prophetic idiom — the first shadow of the passion in the chapter

when the bridegroom is taken away from them,conditional — temporal ὅταν (typed cnd) — ἀπαρθῇ, the passive veiling the violent removal of the cross

and then they will fast.'content — fasting given its proper time — the bridegroom's absence

vv. 16–17 — unshrunk cloth and old wineskins

No one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment;content — first parable — gnomic present; the new cannot be stitched onto the old

for the patch tears away from the garment,cause — the γάρ grounds — the shrinking patch pulls the fabric with it

and a worse tear results.cause — coordinate with the γάρ clause — the mismatch only widens the rift

Neither do they put new wine into old wineskins;content — second parable — νέος, new in time: wine still fermenting

otherwise,conditional — elliptical protasis ('but if they do') — leans forward on the three results below

the skins burst,content — the first result — brittle skins against fermenting wine

and the wine is spilled,content — the second — the new lost

and the skins are ruined;content — the third — the old destroyed with it; ἀπόλλυνται read against ἀπολοῦνται

but they put new wine into fresh skins,content — καινός against νέος — new in kind, not merely in time: the new-covenant vessel

and both are preserved.'content — ἀμφότεροι read (a noted variant) — Matthew's irenic close: wine and skins kept together

The ruler's daughter raised — the hemorrhaging woman 9:18–26

vv. 18–19 — the ruler's plea and the setting out

While he was saying these things to them,participial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning hinge into the twin healings; leans on προσεκύνει

behold, a ruler came and was kneeling before him,independent — inceptive imperfect προσεκύνει — εἷς as indefinite 'a'; Mark names him Jairus

saying:participial — speech-participle with recitative ὅτι

'My daughter has just now died;content — Matthew compresses Mark's two stages — she is already dead when the plea is made

but come and lay your hand on her,content — the laying-on of the healing hand asked across the line of death

and she will live.'content — the καί of assured result — audacious faith: a touch can reverse death

And rising, Jesusparticipial — preposed — leans on ἠκολούθησεν

followed him, and so did his disciples.independent — for once Jesus is the follower — the momentum the woman will interrupt

vv. 20–22 — the woman with the twelve-year hemorrhage

And behold, a woman hemorrhaging for twelve years, coming up behind,participial — preposed — the ritually unclean approach by stealth (Lev 15); leans on ἥψατο

touched the fringe of his garment;independent — κράσπεδον — the ṣîṣîṯ tassel of Num 15:38–39; the least possible contact

for she was saying to herself:cause — narrator's γάρ aside — imperfect of her repeated inner resolve

'If I only touch his garment,conditional — protasis inside quoted thought — leans forward on σωθήσομαι; μόνον, even the slightest contact

I will be saved.'content — σῴζω spanning cure and salvation — the double sense left open

But Jesus, turning and seeing her,participial — preposed pair — the secret touch made an open encounter; leans on εἶπεν

said:independent — the pronouncement

'Take heart, daughter;content — θάρσει echoing v. 2 — θύγατερ names her into the family of faith

your faith has saved you.'content — consummative perfect — faith, not magic contact, the channel

And the woman was healed from that hour.independent — ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης — the instantaneous cure, a Matthean formula

vv. 23–26 — the mourners dismissed, the girl raised

And Jesus, coming into the ruler's houseparticipial — preposed circumstantial — the interrupted journey resumed; leans on ἔλεγεν

and seeing the flute-players and the crowd in commotion,participial — second preposed participle — hired pipers and ritual wailing: the funeral already under way

said:independent — inceptive imperfect — the counter-claim against the funeral

'Go away,content — the mourners dismissed — the death-verdict overruled

for the girl has not diedcause — the γάρ grounds the dismissal — death redefined from Jesus' vantage

but is sleeping.'cause — καθεύδει — sleep as the euphemism that is, for him, the truth: death is not final

And they were laughing at him.independent — descriptive imperfect — derision, the foil that certifies she was truly dead

But when the crowd had been put out,conditional — temporal ὅτε (typed cnd; no temporal key) — ἐξεβλήθη, the expulsion verb turned on the mourners

going in,participial — preposed — leans on ἐκράτησεν

he took hold of her hand,independent — the corpse-touch that should defile instead imparts life

and the girl arose.independent — ἠγέρθη — the resurrection verb; the ruler's ζήσεται answered

And the report of this went out into all that region.independent — the spreading fame — echoed, disobediently, at v. 31

Two blind men — a mute demoniac 9:27–34

vv. 27–31 — the Son of David petitioned, the eyes opened

And as Jesus passed on from there,participial — dative participle agreeing with τῷ Ἰησοῦ — the παράγων of v. 9 repeated; leans on ἠκολούθησαν

two blind men followed him,independent — Matthew's doubling — two witnesses (Deut 19:15) where Mark has one

crying out and saying:participial — the double participle of clamor

'Have mercy on us, Son of David!'content — the Gospel's first Son-of-David cry — nominative for vocative; the sightless see who he is

And when he had come into the house,participial — dative participle — the cure moved indoors, away from the crowd; leans on προσῆλθον

the blind men came to him,independent — the persistence rewarded with a test

and Jesus says to them:independent — historic present — the examination of faith

'Do you believecontent — the one question the chapter keeps asking

that I am able to do this?'content — content of the belief — his power, put directly

They say to him:independent — historic present — the confession

'Yes, Lord.'content — verbless assent — κύριε at least respectful, likely confessional

Then he touched their eyes,independent — touch and word together — τότε again the hinge

saying:participial — the speech-participle

'According to your faith let it be done to you.'content — the cure measured to faith — γενηθήτω, a creative word of command

And their eyes were opened.independent — divine passive — sight restored, the messianic sign (Isa 35:5)

And Jesus sternly charged them,independent — ἐμβριμάομαι — the snorting-stern verb (cf. Mark 1:43); the tone turns abruptly

saying:participial — the frame for the silence-command

'Seecontent — the warning imperative governing the prohibition

that no one knows.'content — third-person imperative — the secret commanded

But they, going out,participial — preposed — they exit to disobey; leans on διεφήμισαν

spread the news about him in all that region.independent — the charge disobeyed — διαφημίζω echoing the φήμη of v. 26

vv. 32–34 — the mute speaks, the verdicts divide

And as they were going out,participial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning hinge; leans on προσήνεγκαν

behold, they brought to him a mute, demon-possessed man.independent — the muteness demonic in cause — the last of the cycle's ten miracles

And when the demon had been cast out,participial — genitive absolute — the exorcism itself passed over in a participle; leans on ἐλάλησεν

the mute man spoke.independent — ingressive aorist — the bound tongue loosed (cf. Isa 35:6)

And the crowds marveled,independent — the acclamation that the Pharisees will answer

saying:participial — the speech-frame

'Never was anything like this seen in Israel.'content — the crowd's verdict — unprecedented within the covenant people's whole story

But the Pharisees said:independent — inceptive imperfect — the verse omitted by a few Western witnesses but firmly read

'By the prince of demons he casts out the demons.'content — the Beelzebul charge — the same works, the opposite verdict; expanded at 12:24

The harvest is plentiful, the laborers few 9:35–38

And Jesus was going about all the towns and the villages,independent — iterative imperfect — the summary echoing 4:23, an inclusio around chapters 5–9

teaching in their synagoguesparticipial — the first of the triple ministry — the word expounded

and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdomparticipial — the second — the kingdom announced

and healing every disease and every affliction.participial — the third — πᾶσαν doubled: the works of chapters 8–9 generalized

And seeing the crowds,participial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἐσπλαγχνίσθη

he was moved with compassion for them,independent — σπλαγχνίζομαι — visceral pity, from σπλάγχνα, the inward parts

because they were harassed and cast down,cause — periphrastic perfects — worn out and thrown aside, the settled state of the flock

like sheep not having a shepherd.comparative — verbless comparison — Num 27:17; Ezek 34: the failed shepherds of Israel behind the image

Then he says to his disciples:independent — historic present — compassion issues in a saying, the saying in a mission (ch. 10)

'The harvest is plentiful,content — verbless μέν-limb — the eschatological ingathering, vast and ripe

but the laborers are few;content — verbless δέ-limb — the shortage is of workers, not of harvest

therefore pray the Lord of the harvestcontent — inferential οὖν — prayer to the harvest's owner is the first assignment

that he may thrust out laborers into his harvest.'purpose — ὅπως purpose — ἐκβάλλω, the chapter's expulsion verb turned to mission; answered at 10:1

Analysis. Matthew 9 strings ten scenes on a flush-left narrative line, and the layout shows how much leaner Matthew's mainline is than Mark's: coordinate purple clauses advancing by καί, δέ, and Matthew's favorite τότε, with the historic presents flagged as they land (λέγει over the paralytic and at Matthew's booth, προσέρχονται with John's disciples, λέγει and λέγουσιν in the house of the blind men, λέγει before the harvest saying). Against that line two things indent, as in Mark: the preposed circumstantial participles and genitive absolutes that lean forward, anchor-less, on the verb below them (Καὶ ἐμβάς, ἰδὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν, Ταῦτα αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος, the hemorrhaging woman's whole stealthy approach, Αὐτῶν δὲ ἐξερχομένων, ἐκβληθέντος τοῦ δαιμονίου); and speech, which always hangs blue (cnt) beneath its verb of saying — the chapter is a chain of short controversies, each an objection under its ἔλεγον or λέγοντες answered by a longer chain under Jesus' εἶπεν or λέγει. The 'which is easier' dilemma steps down through twin epexegetic εἰπεῖν infinitives with the quoted words one deeper; the Hosea oracle hangs under τί ἐστιν (Hos 6:6 LXX, ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν) beneath the rabbinic πορευθέντες δὲ μάθετε; the protases lean one step above their apodoses (the woman's ἐὰν μόνον ἅψωμαι on σωθήσομαι, the elliptical εἰ δὲ μή γε of the wineskins), and the temporal clauses (ἐφ’ ὅσον, ὅταν, ὅτε) are typed cnd and tagged, there being no temporal key. The chapter's structural crux is v. 6: ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε is Jesus' speech suspended mid-sentence (the aposiopesis shared with Mark 2:10), and the layout hangs it, marked broken, under the εἶπεν of v. 4, letting the narrator's resumption —τότε λέγει sit flush-left so that the healing itself completes the thought. Text-critical points named in the tags rather than solved: ἰδών ('seeing' their thoughts, read) against εἰδώς at v. 4; ἐφοβήθησαν ('they were afraid,' read) against Byzantine ἐθαύμασαν at v. 8; ἀμφότεροι at v. 17; v. 34 omitted by a few Western witnesses but firmly read. σωθήσομαι / σέσωκεν / ἐσώθη in vv. 21–22 span 'healed' and 'saved,' glossed but left open, and the blind men's ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, υἱὸς Δαυίδ is the Gospel's first Son-of-David cry.