Luke 5:21

Simplified Cowboy Version

But that was just what them religious fellows were waiting on. They jumped up and started making a racket saying, "Who does he think he is? This goes against everything God ever said. Only God can forgive sins, not some two-bit cowboy."

Parallel Translations

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?”

King James Version (1611)
And the Scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgiue sinnes, but God alone?

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

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?"

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?"

New Century Version
The Jewish teachers of the law and the Pharisees thought to themselves, "Who is this man who is speaking as if he were God? Only God can forgive sins."

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?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
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?"

Berean Standard Bible
But the scribes and Pharisees began to contemplate this and ask, "Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? 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."

Complete Jewish Bible
The Torah-teachers and the P'rushim began thinking, "Who is this fellow that speaks such blasphemies? Who can forgive sin except God?"

Darby Translation
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason [in their minds], saying, Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins but God alone?

Easy-to-Read Version
The Jewish teachers of the law and the Pharisees thought to themselves, "Who is this man who dares to say such things? What an insult to God! No one but God can forgive sins."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the Scribes & the Pharises began to reason, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? who can forgiue sinnes, but God onely?

George Lamsa Translation
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason saying, Who is this man who talks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins, except God only?

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!"

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

Literal Translation
And the scribes and Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins except 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?

Bible in Basic English
And the scribes and Pharisees were having an argument, saying, Who is this, who has no respect for God? who is able to give forgiveness for sins, but God only?

Hebrew Names Version
The Sofrim and the Perushim began to reason, saying, "Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"

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?"Psalm 32:5; Isaiah 43:25; Matthew 9:3; Mark 2:6-7;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And the Sophree and Pharishee began to reason and to say, Who is this who speaketh blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but Aloha only ?

Murdock Translation
And the Scribes and Pharisees began to reason, and to say: Who is this that speaketh blasphemy? Who can forgive sins, but God only?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the scribes and the pharisees, began to thynke, saying: What felowe is this, which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgeue sinnes but God only?

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?

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

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And the scribes and the Pharisees reasoned, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies?

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

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the scribis and Farisees bigunnen to thenke, seiynge, Who is this, that spekith blasfemyes? who may foryyue synnes, but God aloone?

Update Bible Version
And 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?

New English Translation
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 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 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!"

New Life Bible
The teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers thought to themselves, "Who is this Man Who speaks as if He is God? Who can forgive sins but God only?"

New Revised Standard
Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, "Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the Scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying - Who is this that speaketh profanities? Who can forgive, sins, save, God alone?

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?

Revised Standard Version
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, "Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And the Scribes and the Parises begane to thinke sayinge: What felow is this which speaketh blasphemy? Who can forgeve synnes but God only?

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?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the scrybes and pharyses begane to thynke, & saide: What is he this, yt speaketh blasphemy. Who ca forgeue synnes, but onely God?

Mace New Testament (1729)
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?

THE MESSAGE
That set the religion scholars and Pharisees buzzing. "Who does he think he is? That's blasphemous talk! God and only God can forgive sins."

Contextual Overview

¹⁷One day Jesus was giving a clinic and some religious know-it-alls and some hypocritical code keepers were listening in. They always sent someone to wherever he was giving a clinic. And on this day, just like every other day, the healing power of God was riding with Jesus. ¹⁸Some fellas showed up with their buddy lying on a homemade stretcher. They were trying to get him to Jesus, but there were just too many people around. ¹⁹Not to be dissuaded, the cowboys climbed up on the roof and hauled their paralyzed buddy up there with them. Then they tore back part of the roof and sure enough let him down right in front of Jesus by a well rope. ²⁰Jesus loved their faith and tenacity and said, "Cowboy, your sins are forgiven." ²¹But that was just what them religious fellows were waiting on. They jumped up and started making a racket saying, "Who does he think he is? This goes against everything God ever said. Only God can forgive sins, not some two-bit cowboy." ²²Jesus already knew what they were thinking so he asked them, "Why are your hearts so bitter? ²³Is it easier for me to say that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk? ²⁴Just so you know that I have authority to do both, hold my wine and watch this." Jesus then turned back to the crippled cowboy and said, "Get up, go saddle your horse, and head home." ²⁵And the cowboy did just like the Boss told him to. ²⁶No one could believe what they'd just seen and heard.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

scribes: Luke 5:17, Luke 7:49, Mark 2:6, Mark 2:7

blasphemies: Leviticus 24:16, 1 Kings 21:10-14, Matthew 9:3, Matthew 26:65, John 10:33, Acts 6:11-13

Who can: Exodus 34:6, Exodus 34:7, Psalms 32:5, Psalms 35:5, Psalms 103:3, Psalms 130:4, Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 43:25, Isaiah 44:22, Daniel 9:9, Daniel 9:19, Micah 7:19, Romans 8:33

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 13:22 - if Matthew 9:6 - that the Matthew 15:1 - which Matthew 21:10 - Who Luke 5:30 - General Luke 7:47 - Her Hebrews 12:3 - contradiction

Cross-References

Luke 3:37
Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalalel, Kenan,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Scribes and the Pharisees began to reason,.... To think and say within themselves, and it may be to one another, in a private manner:

saying, who is this which speaketh blasphemies? what vain boaster, and blaspheming creature is this, who assumes that to himself, which is the prerogative of God?

Who can forgive sins but God alone? against whom they are committed, whose law is transgressed, and his will disobeyed, and his justice injured and affronted. Certain it is, that none can forgive sins but God; not any of the angels in heaven, or men on earth; not holy good men, nor ministers of the Gospel; and if Christ had been a mere man, though ever so good a man, even a sinless one, or ever so great a prophet, he could not have forgiven sin; but he is truly and properly God, as his being a discerner of the thoughts of these men, and his healing the paralytic man in the manner he did, are sufficient proofs. The Scribes and Pharisees therefore, though they rightly ascribe forgiveness of sin to God alone, yet grievously sinned, in imputing blasphemy to Christ: they had wrong notions of Christ, concluding him to be but a mere man, against the light and evidence of his works and miracles; and also of his office as a Redeemer, who came to save his people from their sins; and seem to restrain the power of forgiving sin to God the Father, whereas the Son of God, being equal with him, had the same power, and that even on earth, to forgive sin; :-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 9:1-7.

Luke 5:17

On a certain day - The time and place are not particularly mentioned here, but from Matthew 9:1 it seems it was at Capernaum.

Luke 5:19

The tiling - See the notes at Matthew 9:1-7.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 5:21. Who can forgive sins, but God alone? — If Jesus were not God, he could not forgive sins; and his arrogating this authority would have been blasphemy against God, in the most proper sense of the word. That these scribes and Pharisees might have the fullest proof of his Godhead, he works in their presence three miracles, which from their nature could only be effected by an omniscient and omnipotent Being. The miracles are:

1. The remission of the poor man's sins.

2. The discernment of the secret thoughts of the scribes.

3. The restoration of the paralytic in an instant to perfect soundness.

See note on Mt 9:5; Mt 9:6.