independentparticipialpurposecausecomparativecontentconditionaldashed = verbless / suspended
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The paralytic forgiven and healed 9:1–8
vv. 1–2 — the crossing and the word of forgiveness
1
Καὶ ἐμβὰς εἰς πλοῖονparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on διεπέρασεν; the Gadarene shore left behind
διεπέρασενindependent — the lake recrossed in one verb
καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν.independent — ἡ ἰδία πόλις — Capernaum, Jesus' adopted base (4:13)
2
καὶ ἰδοὺ προσέφερον αὐτῷ παραλυτικὸν ἐπὶ κλίνης βεβλημένον.independent — Hebraic καὶ ἰδού + descriptive imperfect — βεβλημένον, the perfect of helpless prostration
καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶνparticipial — preposed circumstantial — the bearers' faith visible in the bringing; leans on εἶπεν
εἶπεν τῷ παραλυτικῷ·independent — the speech-frame — he answers the deeper need first
θάρσει, τέκνον·content — affectionate τέκνον — the reassurance repeated to the woman at v. 22
ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι.content — performative present, divine passive — the word effects what it announces
vv. 3–8 — blasphemy charged, authority demonstrated
3
καὶ ἰδού τινες τῶν γραμματέων εἶπαν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς·independent — ἰδού marks the antagonists' entrance — the charge stays unspoken
οὗτος βλασφημεῖ.content — contemptuous οὗτος — forgiveness is God's prerogative alone; the capital charge (26:65)
4
καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις αὐτῶνparticipial — preposed circumstantial — ἰδών read against εἰδώς ('knowing'), a noted division; the seeing of hearts is itself the prerogative they deny; leans on εἶπεν
εἶπεν·independent — the counter-challenge
ἱνατί ἐνθυμεῖσθε πονηρὰ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν;content — their inward reasoning quoted back — ἐνθυμεῖσθε echoes ἐνθυμήσεις
5
τί γάρ ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον,content — the rabbinic dilemma — unverifiable pardon against testable command
εἰπεῖν·content — first epexegetic infinitive — the easy, invisible word
ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι,content — v. 2 quoted verbatim inside the question
ἢ εἰπεῖν·content — the second alternative
ἔγειρε καὶ περιπάτει;content — the hard, testable word — anyone can verify a walking man
6
ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτεpurpose — 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)
ὅτι ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίαςcontent — the Danielic title (Dan 7:13) — ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς emphatic: heaven's pardon exercised here and now
—τότε λέγει τῷ παραλυτικῷ·independent — the narrator's resumption at the dash — historic present; τότε picks up the broken sentence, and the healing completes it
ἐγερθεὶς ἆρόν σου τὴν κλίνηνcontent — attendant ἐγερθείς folded into the command — the harder word of v. 5 now spoken
καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου.content — up, out, home — the proof commanded
7
καὶ ἐγερθεὶςparticipial — preposed — the command echoed verbatim; leans on ἀπῆλθεν
ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ.independent — wordless obedience — the visible seal on the invisible pardon
8
ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ ὄχλοιparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἐφοβήθησαν
ἐφοβήθησανindependent — ingressive aorist — numinous awe; the Byzantine tradition smooths to ἐθαύμασαν ('marveled')
καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεὸνindependent — the doxology closing the episode
τὸν δόντα ἐξουσίαν τοιαύτην τοῖς ἀνθρώποις.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
9
Καὶ παράγων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐκεῖθενparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on εἶδεν; the call begins with Jesus' seeing, as at 4:18
εἶδεν ἄνθρωπον καθήμενον ἐπὶ τὸ τελώνιον,independent — caught mid-work at the customs station — like the fishermen at their nets
Μαθθαῖον λεγόμενον,participial — the naming formula — Levi in Mark and Luke; the evangelist's own name here
καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ·independent — historic present — the sovereign summons
ἀκολούθει μοι.content — durative present imperative — the technical verb of discipleship, two words
καὶ ἀναστὰςparticipial — preposed aorist participle — the decisive break with the trade; leans on ἠκολούθησεν
ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ.independent — the instant obedience — the call answered in its own verb
vv. 10–13 — the table, the physician, and the Hosea oracle
10
Καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῦ ἀνακειμένου ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ,independent — Septuagintal καὶ ἐγένετο frame with genitive absolute — the banquet scene staged
καὶ ἰδοὺ πολλοὶ τελῶναι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐλθόντες συνανέκειντο τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ.independent — apodotic καί after ἐγένετο — shared table, shared fellowship; the provocation
11
καὶ ἰδόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοιparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἔλεγον
ἔλεγον τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ·independent — imperfect of repeated muttering — the challenge put to the disciples, not to Jesus
διὰ τί μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίει ὁ διδάσκαλος ὑμῶν;content — table-fellowship as the offense — purity breached by proximity
12
ὁ δὲ ἀκούσαςparticipial — preposed — the indirect challenge answered directly; leans on εἶπεν
εἶπεν·independent — the reply
οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦcontent — the physician proverb — gnomic present; association is diagnosis, not contamination
ἀλλ’ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες.content — elliptical second limb — the verb carried over from the first
13
πορευθέντες δὲ μάθετεcontent — the rabbinic idiom ṣē ûlmad ('go and study') — the scholars sent back to school
τί ἐστιν·content — indirect question — the lesson set
ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν·content — Hos 6:6 LXX — ḥesed over cult; Semitic comparative negation ('mercy rather than sacrifice'); cited again at 12:7
οὐ γὰρ ἦλθονcause — the 'I came' mission-saying — grounding the table in his very purpose
καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς.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
14
Τότε προσέρχονται αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ Ἰωάννουindependent — historic present with Matthean τότε — a third challenge, now from the ascetics
λέγοντες·participial — the speech-frame
διὰ τί ἡμεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι νηστεύομεν πολλά,content — John's circle aligned with the Pharisees in rigor — πολλά adverbial
οἱ δὲ μαθηταί σου οὐ νηστεύουσιν;content — the contrast pressed — Jesus' circle looks lax
15
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς·independent — the reply — a wedding image, then twin parables
μὴ δύνανται οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος πενθεῖνcontent — μή expects 'no' — the Semitism 'sons of the bridal hall' = the wedding guests; Jesus claims the bridegroom's place
ἐφ’ ὅσον μετ’ αὐτῶν ἐστιν ὁ νυμφίος;conditional — temporal ἐφ’ ὅσον (typed cnd; no temporal key) — backward, on πενθεῖν; feasting while he is present
ἐλεύσονται δὲ ἡμέραιcontent — the prophetic idiom — the first shadow of the passion in the chapter
ὅταν ἀπαρθῇ ἀπ’ αὐτῶν ὁ νυμφίος,conditional — temporal ὅταν (typed cnd) — ἀπαρθῇ, the passive veiling the violent removal of the cross
καὶ τότε νηστεύσουσιν.content — fasting given its proper time — the bridegroom's absence
vv. 16–17 — unshrunk cloth and old wineskins
16
οὐδεὶς δὲ ἐπιβάλλει ἐπίβλημα ῥάκους ἀγνάφου ἐπὶ ἱματίῳ παλαιῷ·content — first parable — gnomic present; the new cannot be stitched onto the old
αἴρει γὰρ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱματίουcause — the γάρ grounds — the shrinking patch pulls the fabric with it
καὶ χεῖρον σχίσμα γίνεται.cause — coordinate with the γάρ clause — the mismatch only widens the rift
17
οὐδὲ βάλλουσιν οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιούς·content — second parable — νέος, new in time: wine still fermenting
εἰ δὲ μή γε,conditional — elliptical protasis ('but if they do') — leans forward on the three results below
ῥήγνυνται οἱ ἀσκοίcontent — the first result — brittle skins against fermenting wine
καὶ ὁ οἶνος ἐκχεῖταιcontent — the second — the new lost
καὶ οἱ ἀσκοὶ ἀπόλλυνται·content — the third — the old destroyed with it; ἀπόλλυνται read against ἀπολοῦνται
ἀλλὰ βάλλουσιν οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς καινούς,content — καινός against νέος — new in kind, not merely in time: the new-covenant vessel
καὶ ἀμφότεροι συντηροῦνται.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
18
Ταῦτα αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος αὐτοῖς,participial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning hinge into the twin healings; leans on προσεκύνει
ἰδοὺ ἄρχων εἷς ἐλθὼν προσεκύνει αὐτῷindependent — inceptive imperfect προσεκύνει — εἷς as indefinite 'a'; Mark names him Jairus
λέγων ὅτιparticipial — speech-participle with recitative ὅτι
ἡ θυγάτηρ μου ἄρτι ἐτελεύτησεν·content — Matthew compresses Mark's two stages — she is already dead when the plea is made
ἀλλὰ ἐλθὼν ἐπίθες τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐπ’ αὐτήν,content — the laying-on of the healing hand asked across the line of death
καὶ ζήσεται.content — the καί of assured result — audacious faith: a touch can reverse death
19
καὶ ἐγερθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦςparticipial — preposed — leans on ἠκολούθησεν
ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ.independent — for once Jesus is the follower — the momentum the woman will interrupt
vv. 20–22 — the woman with the twelve-year hemorrhage
20
Καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ αἱμορροοῦσα δώδεκα ἔτη προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθενparticipial — preposed — the ritually unclean approach by stealth (Lev 15); leans on ἥψατο
ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ·independent — κράσπεδον — the ṣîṣîṯ tassel of Num 15:38–39; the least possible contact
21
ἔλεγεν γὰρ ἐν ἑαυτῇ·cause — narrator's γάρ aside — imperfect of her repeated inner resolve
ἐὰν μόνον ἅψωμαι τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦconditional — protasis inside quoted thought — leans forward on σωθήσομαι; μόνον, even the slightest contact
σωθήσομαι.content — σῴζω spanning cure and salvation — the double sense left open
22
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς στραφεὶς καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὴνparticipial — preposed pair — the secret touch made an open encounter; leans on εἶπεν
εἶπεν·independent — the pronouncement
θάρσει, θύγατερ·content — θάρσει echoing v. 2 — θύγατερ names her into the family of faith
ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε.content — consummative perfect — faith, not magic contact, the channel
καὶ ἐσώθη ἡ γυνὴ ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης.independent — ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης — the instantaneous cure, a Matthean formula
vv. 23–26 — the mourners dismissed, the girl raised
23
καὶ ἐλθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἄρχοντοςparticipial — preposed circumstantial — the interrupted journey resumed; leans on ἔλεγεν
καὶ ἰδὼν τοὺς αὐλητὰς καὶ τὸν ὄχλον θορυβούμενονparticipial — second preposed participle — hired pipers and ritual wailing: the funeral already under way
24
ἔλεγεν·independent — inceptive imperfect — the counter-claim against the funeral
ἀναχωρεῖτε,content — the mourners dismissed — the death-verdict overruled
οὐ γὰρ ἀπέθανεν τὸ κοράσιονcause — the γάρ grounds the dismissal — death redefined from Jesus' vantage
ἀλλὰ καθεύδει.cause — καθεύδει — sleep as the euphemism that is, for him, the truth: death is not final
καὶ κατεγέλων αὐτοῦ.independent — descriptive imperfect — derision, the foil that certifies she was truly dead
25
ὅτε δὲ ἐξεβλήθη ὁ ὄχλος,conditional — temporal ὅτε (typed cnd; no temporal key) — ἐξεβλήθη, the expulsion verb turned on the mourners
εἰσελθὼνparticipial — preposed — leans on ἐκράτησεν
ἐκράτησεν τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῆς,independent — the corpse-touch that should defile instead imparts life
καὶ ἠγέρθη τὸ κοράσιον.independent — ἠγέρθη — the resurrection verb; the ruler's ζήσεται answered
26
καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἡ φήμη αὕτη εἰς ὅλην τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην.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
27
Καὶ παράγοντι ἐκεῖθεν τῷ Ἰησοῦparticipial — dative participle agreeing with τῷ Ἰησοῦ — the παράγων of v. 9 repeated; leans on ἠκολούθησαν
ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ δύο τυφλοὶindependent — Matthew's doubling — two witnesses (Deut 19:15) where Mark has one
κράζοντες καὶ λέγοντες·participial — the double participle of clamor
ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, υἱὸς Δαυίδ.content — the Gospel's first Son-of-David cry — nominative for vocative; the sightless see who he is
28
ἐλθόντι δὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκίανparticipial — dative participle — the cure moved indoors, away from the crowd; leans on προσῆλθον
προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ τυφλοί,independent — the persistence rewarded with a test
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς·independent — historic present — the examination of faith
πιστεύετεcontent — the one question the chapter keeps asking
ὅτι δύναμαι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι;content — content of the belief — his power, put directly
λέγουσιν αὐτῷ·independent — historic present — the confession
ναί, κύριε.content — verbless assent — κύριε at least respectful, likely confessional
29
τότε ἥψατο τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶνindependent — touch and word together — τότε again the hinge
λέγων·participial — the speech-participle
κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν γενηθήτω ὑμῖν.content — the cure measured to faith — γενηθήτω, a creative word of command
30
καὶ ἠνεῴχθησαν αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί.independent — divine passive — sight restored, the messianic sign (Isa 35:5)
καὶ ἐνεβριμήθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦςindependent — ἐμβριμάομαι — the snorting-stern verb (cf. Mark 1:43); the tone turns abruptly
λέγων·participial — the frame for the silence-command
ὁρᾶτεcontent — the warning imperative governing the prohibition
μηδεὶς γινωσκέτω.content — third-person imperative — the secret commanded
31
οἱ δὲ ἐξελθόντεςparticipial — preposed — they exit to disobey; leans on διεφήμισαν
διεφήμισαν αὐτὸν ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ γῇ ἐκείνῃ.independent — the charge disobeyed — διαφημίζω echoing the φήμη of v. 26
vv. 32–34 — the mute speaks, the verdicts divide
32
Αὐτῶν δὲ ἐξερχομένωνparticipial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning hinge; leans on προσήνεγκαν
ἰδοὺ προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ ἄνθρωπον κωφὸν δαιμονιζόμενον.independent — the muteness demonic in cause — the last of the cycle's ten miracles
33
καὶ ἐκβληθέντος τοῦ δαιμονίουparticipial — genitive absolute — the exorcism itself passed over in a participle; leans on ἐλάλησεν
ἐλάλησεν ὁ κωφός.independent — ingressive aorist — the bound tongue loosed (cf. Isa 35:6)
καὶ ἐθαύμασαν οἱ ὄχλοιindependent — the acclamation that the Pharisees will answer
λέγοντες·participial — the speech-frame
οὐδέποτε ἐφάνη οὕτως ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ.content — the crowd's verdict — unprecedented within the covenant people's whole story
34
οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον·independent — inceptive imperfect — the verse omitted by a few Western witnesses but firmly read
ἐν τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια.content — the Beelzebul charge — the same works, the opposite verdict; expanded at 12:24
The harvest is plentiful, the laborers few 9:35–38
35
Καὶ περιῆγεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὰς πόλεις πάσας καὶ τὰς κώμαςindependent — iterative imperfect — the summary echoing 4:23, an inclusio around chapters 5–9
διδάσκων ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς αὐτῶνparticipial — the first of the triple ministry — the word expounded
καὶ κηρύσσων τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείαςparticipial — the second — the kingdom announced
καὶ θεραπεύων πᾶσαν νόσον καὶ πᾶσαν μαλακίαν.participial — the third — πᾶσαν doubled: the works of chapters 8–9 generalized
36
Ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλουςparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἐσπλαγχνίσθη
ἐσπλαγχνίσθη περὶ αὐτῶν,independent — σπλαγχνίζομαι — visceral pity, from σπλάγχνα, the inward parts
ὅτι ἦσαν ἐσκυλμένοι καὶ ἐρριμμένοιcause — periphrastic perfects — worn out and thrown aside, the settled state of the flock
ὡσεὶ πρόβατα μὴ ἔχοντα ποιμένα.comparative — verbless comparison — Num 27:17; Ezek 34: the failed shepherds of Israel behind the image
37
τότε λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ·independent — historic present — compassion issues in a saying, the saying in a mission (ch. 10)
ὁ μὲν θερισμὸς πολύς,content — verbless μέν-limb — the eschatological ingathering, vast and ripe
οἱ δὲ ἐργάται ὀλίγοι·content — verbless δέ-limb — the shortage is of workers, not of harvest
38
δεήθητε οὖν τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ θερισμοῦcontent — inferential οὖν — prayer to the harvest's owner is the first assignment
ὅπως ἐκβάλῃ ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ.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.