Matthew 9

King James Version

Full text for Matthew Chapter 9

1¶ And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

2And, 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.›

3And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This [man] blasphemeth.

4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, ‹Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?›

5‹For whether is easier, to say, [Thy] sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?›

6‹But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,› (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) ‹Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.›

7And he arose, and departed to his house.

8But when the multitudes saw [it], they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

9¶ And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, ‹Follow me.› And he arose, and followed him.

10And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

11And when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

12But when Jesus heard [that], he said unto them, ‹They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.›

13‹But go ye and learn what [that] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.›

14¶ Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

15And Jesus said unto them, ‹Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.›

16‹No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.›

17‹Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.›

18¶ While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.

19And Jesus arose, and followed him, and [so did] his disciples.

20And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind [him], and touched the hem of his garment:

21For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

22But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, ‹Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.› And the woman was made whole from that hour.

23And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,

24He said unto them, ‹Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth.› And they laughed him to scorn.

25But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.

26And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

27¶ And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, [Thou] Son of David, have mercy on us.

28And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, ‹Believe ye that I am able to do this?› They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

29Then touched he their eyes, saying, ‹According to your faith be it unto you.›

30And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, ‹See [that] no man know [it].›

31But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

32As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.

33And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.

34But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

35¶ And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

37Then saith he unto his disciples, ‹The harvest truly [is] plenteous, but the labourers [are] few;›

38‹Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.›

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jesus demonstrates his authority by forgiving sins and healing a paralytic, then calls Matthew, a publican, to follow him. He teaches about new wine and new garments, and performs several miracles, including healing a woman with an issue of blood, raising a ruler's daughter, and restoring sight and speech. The chapter concludes with Jesus' compassion for the scattered multitudes and his call for more laborers.

Medium Summary

Chapter 9 begins with Jesus healing a paralytic, first forgiving his sins, which provokes the scribes, then demonstrating his power by commanding the man to walk. He then calls Matthew, a publican, to be his disciple, and dines with many publicans and sinners, explaining to the critical Pharisees that he came to call sinners to repentance, emphasizing mercy over sacrifice. Jesus also addresses John's disciples regarding fasting, using parables of new cloth and new wine to illustrate the incompatibility of new teachings with old forms. Subsequently, he performs a series of miracles: raising a ruler's daughter from the dead, healing a woman with a chronic issue of blood through her faith, and restoring sight to two blind men and speech to a dumb man possessed by a devil. The chapter concludes with Jesus' profound compassion for the leaderless multitudes and his instruction to pray for more laborers for the spiritual harvest.

Long Summary

Matthew chapter 9 opens with Jesus returning to his own city, where he heals a paralytic man. He first declares the man's sins forgiven, prompting scribes to accuse him of blasphemy. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, challenges them by asking whether it is easier to forgive sins or to command healing, then demonstrates his authority by telling the paralytic to rise and walk, which he does, astonishing the multitudes. Following this, Jesus calls Matthew, a publican, from his tax booth to be a disciple. He then dines with many publicans and sinners, drawing criticism from the Pharisees. Jesus responds by stating that the whole need not a physician, but the sick, and declares his mission is to call sinners to repentance, emphasizing mercy over sacrifice. John's disciples then question why Jesus' disciples do not fast, to which Jesus replies with the parables of the bridegroom, new cloth on an old garment, and new wine in old bottles, signifying the newness of his ministry. While speaking, a ruler approaches, pleading for his recently deceased daughter. On the way, a woman with a twelve-year issue of blood secretly touches Jesus' garment and is immediately healed by her faith. Upon arriving at the ruler's house, Jesus dismisses the mourners, declaring the maid only sleeps, and then raises her from the dead. As he departs, two blind men follow him, crying for mercy, and Jesus restores their sight according to their faith, though he charges them to keep it secret. Immediately after, a dumb man possessed by a devil is brought to him; Jesus casts out the devil, and the man speaks, causing the multitudes to marvel, while the Pharisees attribute his power to the prince of devils. The chapter concludes with Jesus traveling through cities and villages, teaching, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness. Seeing the multitudes as sheep without a shepherd, he is moved with compassion and instructs his disciples to pray for more laborers for the abundant spiritual harvest.

Core Concepts

  • Authority to Forgive SinsJesus demonstrates divine authority by forgiving the paralytic's sins, challenging the scribes' accusations of blasphemy, and then proving his power by physically healing the man. This act establishes his unique spiritual and physical authority.
  • Calling of SinnersJesus calls Matthew, a publican, to be his disciple and dines with many publicans and sinners. He explains to the critical Pharisees that he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, emphasizing God's desire for mercy over ritual sacrifice.
  • New Covenant/TeachingThrough parables of the bridegroom, new cloth on an old garment, and new wine in old bottles, Jesus illustrates that his teachings and ministry represent a new order incompatible with old, rigid religious forms. This signifies a fresh approach to faith and practice.
  • Healing by FaithThe woman with the issue of blood and the two blind men are healed through their personal faith in Jesus' power. Jesus explicitly affirms that their faith has made them whole, highlighting the direct connection between belief and divine intervention.
  • Power Over Death and DiseaseJesus demonstrates absolute power over physical ailments and even death itself by healing various sick individuals, casting out a devil, and raising a ruler's daughter from the dead. These miracles attest to his divine nature and authority.
  • Compassion for the MultitudesJesus is deeply moved with compassion upon seeing the multitudes who are "fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." This highlights his empathy for the spiritual and physical needs of the people.
  • Need for LaborersRecognizing the vast spiritual need, Jesus declares that "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few." He then instructs his disciples to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send forth more workers into his field.