Luke 5:17-26

The Healing of the Paralytic

17. on a certain day The vagueness of the phrase shews that no stress is here laid on chronological order. In Matthew 9:2-8; Mark 2:3-12 the scene is in a house in Capernaum, and the time (apparently) after the healing of the Gadarene demoniac on the Eastern side of the Lake, and on the day of Matthew's feast.

as he was teaching not in a synagogue, but probably in Peter's house. Notice the "He" which is so frequent in St Luke, and marks the later epoch when the title "the Christ" had passed into a name, and when "He" could have but one meaning. See on Luke 4:15.

Pharisees and doctors of the law See Excursus on the Jewish Sects.

and Judea and Jerusalem These had probably come out of simple curiosity to hear and see the great Prophet of Nazareth. They were not the spiesmalignantly sent at the later and sadder epoch of His ministry (Matthew 15:1; Mark 3:2; Mark 7:1) to dog his footsteps, and lie in wait to catch any word on which they could build an accusation.

to heal them Some MSS. (א, B, L,) read "him." If the reading be correct the verse means "the Power of the Lord (i. e. of the Almighty Jehovah) was with Him to heal."