Luke 5:21
New International Version
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

New Living Translation
But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

English Standard Version
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Berean Standard Bible
But the scribes and Pharisees began thinking to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Berean Literal Bible
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins, except God alone?"

King James Bible
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

New King James Version
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

New American Standard Bible
The scribes and the Pharisees began thinking of the implications, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, except God alone?”

NASB 1995
The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

NASB 1977
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

Legacy Standard Bible
The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

Amplified Bible
The scribes and the Pharisees began to consider and question [the implications of what He had said], saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies [by claiming the rights and prerogatives of God]? Who can forgive sins [that is, remove guilt, nullify sin’s penalty, and assign righteousness] except God alone?”

Christian Standard Bible
Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think: “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

American Standard Version
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

Contemporary English Version
The Pharisees and the experts began arguing, "Jesus must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins."

English Revised Version
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The scribes and the Pharisees thought, "Who is this man? He's dishonoring God! Who besides God can forgive sins?"

Good News Translation
The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who speaks such blasphemy! God is the only one who can forgive sins!"

International Standard Version
The scribes and the Pharisees began to argue among themselves, saying, "Who is this man who is uttering blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

Majority Standard Bible
But the scribes and Pharisees began thinking to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

NET Bible
Then the experts in the law and the Pharisees began to think to themselves, "Who is this man who is uttering blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

New Heart English Bible
The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this who speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?

Weymouth New Testament
Then the Scribes and Pharisees began to cavil, asking, "Who is this, uttering blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?"

World English Bible
The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this that speaks evil words? Who is able to forgive sins, except God only?”

Berean Literal Bible
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins, except God alone?"

Young's Literal Translation
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, 'Who is this that doth speak evil words? who is able to forgive sins, except God only?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And the scribes and Pharisees began to reason with themselves, saying, Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can remit sins but God alone?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: Who is this who speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: “Who is this, who is speaking blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins, except God alone?”

New American Bible
Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?”

New Revised Standard Version
Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason saying, Who is this man who talks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins, except God only?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Scribes and Pharisees began to think, and they were saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemy? Who is able to forgive sins except God alone?”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And the scribes and Pharisees began to reason, saying: Who is this that utters impious words? Who can forgive sins but God alone?

Godbey New Testament
And the scribes and Pharisees began to reason, Who is this one who speaketh blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins, except God only?

Haweis New Testament
And the scribes and Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?

Mace New Testament
upon which the Scribes and Pharisees objected among themselves, saying, what a man is this to blaspheme thus? who can forgive sins but God alone?

Weymouth New Testament
Then the Scribes and Pharisees began to cavil, asking, "Who is this, uttering blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?"

Worrell New Testament
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is This that is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God only?"

Worsley New Testament
And the scribes and pharisees began to cavil, saying, Who is this that talketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
20When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” 21But the scribes and Pharisees began thinking to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus replied, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?…

Cross References
Matthew 9:3
On seeing this, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”

Mark 2:6-7
But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts, / “Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

John 10:33
“We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

Matthew 26:65
At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.

John 5:18
Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

John 8:58-59
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!” / At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.

John 19:7
“We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to that law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.”

Isaiah 43:25
I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.

Psalm 103:3
He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases,

Daniel 7:13-14
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. / And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Leviticus 24:16
Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD must surely be put to death; the whole assembly must surely stone him, whether he is a foreign resident or native; if he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.

Psalm 32:5
Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

Jeremiah 31:34
No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”

Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.


Treasury of Scripture

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

scribes.

Luke 5:17
And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

Luke 7:49
And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

Mark 2:6,7
But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, …

blasphemies.

Leviticus 24:16
And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

1 Kings 21:10-14
And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die…

Matthew 9:3
And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.

Who can.

Exodus 34:6,7
And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, …

Psalm 32:5
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Psalm 35:5
Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.

Jump to Previous
Able Alone Argument Blasphemies Blasphemy Evil Except Faith Fellow Forgive Forgiven Forgiveness Friend Law Pharisees Question Reason Respect Scribes Sins Speak Speaketh Speaks Teachers Themselves Thinking Words
Jump to Next
Able Alone Argument Blasphemies Blasphemy Evil Except Faith Fellow Forgive Forgiven Forgiveness Friend Law Pharisees Question Reason Respect Scribes Sins Speak Speaketh Speaks Teachers Themselves Thinking Words
Luke 5
1. Jesus teaches the people out of Peter's ship;
4. shows how he will make them fishers of men;
12. cleanses the leper;
16. prays in the desert;
17. heals a paralytic;
27. calls Matthew the tax collector;
29. eats with sinners, as being the physician of souls;
33. foretells the fasting and afflictions of the apostles after his ascension;
36. and illustrates the matter by the parable of patches.














But the scribes and Pharisees
The scribes and Pharisees were religious leaders and scholars of Jewish law during the time of Jesus. They were known for their strict adherence to the Torah and their influential role in Jewish society. Historically, the Pharisees were a sect that emphasized purity laws and oral traditions, while the scribes were experts in the Mosaic Law. Their presence in this narrative highlights the tension between Jesus' teachings and the established religious order. The Greek term for "scribes" (γραμματεῖς, grammateis) indicates their role as learned men, often involved in copying and interpreting the Scriptures.

began thinking to themselves
This phrase indicates an internal dialogue or reasoning among the scribes and Pharisees. The Greek word used here, διαλογίζομαι (dialogizomai), suggests a process of deliberation or debate. It reflects their skepticism and the beginning of their opposition to Jesus' ministry. This internal questioning is significant as it reveals their inability to comprehend the divine authority of Jesus, which is a recurring theme in the Gospels.

Who is this man who speaks blasphemy?
The accusation of blasphemy is serious, as it involves showing disrespect or irreverence toward God. In the Jewish context, blasphemy was punishable by death according to Levitical law (Leviticus 24:16). The Greek word for blasphemy, βλασφημία (blasphēmia), conveys the idea of slander or defamation against the divine. The scribes and Pharisees perceived Jesus' claim to forgive sins as an affront to God's unique authority, not recognizing His divine nature.

Who can forgive sins but God alone?
This rhetorical question underscores a fundamental theological truth recognized by the Jewish leaders: only God has the authority to forgive sins. The Greek word for "forgive," ἀφίημι (aphiēmi), means to send away or release, indicating the complete removal of sin. The scribes and Pharisees correctly understood that forgiveness is a divine prerogative, yet they failed to see that Jesus, as the Son of God, possessed this authority. This moment foreshadows the revelation of Jesus' divine identity and mission to bring reconciliation between God and humanity.

Verse 21. - And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? It is very probable that some of those who stood by, had already, at Jerusalem, witnessed by the Bethesda Pool a wonder-work done by the same Jesus on the person of an impotent man lying there waiting for the troubling of the water (John 5:5, 9), and had taken part there in an angry expostulation with the Wonder-worker, who on that occasion, in his words, "made himself equal with God" (John 5:18). We know (see ver. 17) that some of the Jerusalem scribes were present that day in the Capernaum house. Again, thought these learned Jews, "this strange Man is uttering his dread blasphemies, but now in even more plain terms than there.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

the
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

scribes
γραμματεῖς (grammateis)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1122: From gramma. A writer, i.e. scribe or secretary.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

Pharisees
Φαρισαῖοι (Pharisaioi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5330: Of Hebrew origin; a separatist, i.e. Exclusively religious; a Pharisean, i.e. Jewish sectary.

began
ἤρξαντο (ērxanto)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 756: To begin. Middle voice of archo; to commence.

to consider [this]
διαλογίζεσθαι (dialogizesthai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Strong's 1260: To reason (with), debate (with), consider. From dia and logizomai; to reckon thoroughly, i.e. to deliberate.

[and] ask,
λέγοντες (legontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

“Who
Τίς (Tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

this
οὗτος (houtos)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

[man] who
ὃς (hos)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

speaks
λαλεῖ (lalei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.

blasphemy?
βλασφημίας (blasphēmias)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 988: Abusive or scurrilous language, blasphemy. From blasphemos; vilification.

Who
τίς (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

can
δύναται (dynatai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible.

forgive
ἀφεῖναι (apheinai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 863: From apo and hiemi; to send forth, in various applications.

sins
ἁμαρτίας (hamartias)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 266: From hamartano; a sin.

but
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

God
Θεός (Theos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

alone?”
μόνος (monos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3441: Only, solitary, desolate. Probably from meno; remaining, i.e. Sole or single; by implication, mere.


Links
Luke 5:21 NIV
Luke 5:21 NLT
Luke 5:21 ESV
Luke 5:21 NASB
Luke 5:21 KJV

Luke 5:21 BibleApps.com
Luke 5:21 Biblia Paralela
Luke 5:21 Chinese Bible
Luke 5:21 French Bible
Luke 5:21 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Luke 5:21 The scribes and the Pharisees began (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 5:20
Top of Page
Top of Page