Luke 5:20

And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

And {G2532} when he saw {G1492} their {G846} faith {G4102}, he said {G2036} unto him {G846}, Man {G444}, thy {G4675} sins {G266} are forgiven {G863} thee {G4671}.

When Yeshua saw their trust, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you."

When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

And seeing their faith, he said, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Commentary

Luke 5:20 describes a pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry, highlighting His divine authority and compassionate nature. This verse is part of the compelling narrative of the paralytic man brought to Jesus for healing, demonstrating the power of persistent faith.

Context

This event takes place in Capernaum, a hub of Jesus' early ministry. Large crowds, including Pharisees and doctors of the law from all over Galilee, Judaea, and Jerusalem, had gathered to hear Jesus teach. The scene leading up to verse 20 is crucial: four men, driven by extraordinary faith, brought their paralytic friend to Jesus. Unable to get through the dense crowd, they ascended to the roof, broke through it, and lowered the man on his bed directly before Jesus (Luke 5:18-19). It is this remarkable, determined act of faith that Jesus observes.

Key Themes

  • The Power of Faith: Jesus' immediate response is triggered by "their faith"—referring to the faith of the four friends and likely the paralytic himself. This demonstrates that genuine, active faith, even in the face of significant obstacles, moves Jesus to act. It underscores the biblical principle that without faith it is impossible to please God.
  • Jesus' Authority to Forgive Sins: Rather than immediately healing the man's physical ailment, Jesus first declares, "Man, thy sins are forgiven thee." This statement is profound and controversial. Only God could forgive sins (Isaiah 43:25). By claiming this authority, Jesus implicitly declared His divinity, a claim that immediately provoked the religious leaders present (Luke 5:21).
  • Priority of Spiritual Healing: Jesus addresses the man's spiritual condition before his physical one. This highlights that while physical suffering is real, the greater human need is reconciliation with God and the forgiveness of sins. Jesus demonstrates that the soul's health is paramount.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word translated "forgiven" is aphiēmi (ἀφίημι), which means to "send away," "dismiss," or "release." This emphasizes a complete and utter removal of the sins, not just a temporary overlooking. The term for "sins," hamartiai (ἁμαρτίαι), literally means "missing the mark," referring to acts that fall short of God's perfect standard.

Practical Application

This verse offers several powerful lessons for believers today:

  • Persistence in Prayer and Intercession: The friends' unwavering determination to bring their paralytic friend to Jesus, even through a roof, serves as an inspiring example of intercessory prayer and advocacy for others.
  • The Assurance of Forgiveness: For those who come to Jesus in faith, He offers complete forgiveness of sins. This is the foundation of our reconciliation with God and the beginning of true spiritual healing.
  • Jesus' Continued Authority: The same Jesus who forgave sins in Capernaum still possesses that authority today. He is capable of addressing our deepest spiritual needs, offering cleansing and new life to all who believe (John 3:16).
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Acts 14:9

    The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

  • Matthew 9:2

    And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

  • Luke 7:48

    And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

  • Colossians 3:13

    Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye.

  • John 2:25

    And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

  • Mark 2:5

    When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

  • 2 Corinthians 2:10

    To whom ye forgive any thing, I [forgive] also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave [it], for your sakes [forgave I it] in the person of Christ;
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