Matthew 9:6 ... the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins

Spoken to: 

audience then an individual

Spoken about and then to the paralyzed youth brought to him.

KJV: 

Matthew 9:6 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.

NIV : 

Matthew 9:6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” (Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said,) “Get up, take your mat and go home.”

LISTENERS HEARD: 

In order that, however, you might know that this son of the man has power on the earth to let go of mistakes. Arise! Lift up yours, that sleeping mat, and go into that house of yours.

MY TAKE: 

Jesus can decide to show his power.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

GREEK ORDER: 

ἵνα                 δὲ             εἰδῆτε      ὅτι ἐξουσίαν ἔχει     υἱὸς   τοῦ  ἀνθρώπου
In order that, however, you might that power     has this son of the man 

ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς          ἀφιέναι   ἁμαρτίας 
on the earth has to let go of mistakes. 

Ἔγειρε ἆρόν   σου     τὴν  κλίνην           καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς   τὸν   οἶκόν   σου.
Arise!  Lift up yours, that sleeping mat, and go      into that house of yours.

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

The word used here for "power" is not just having an ability, but means explicitly having authority over something. Here, the area of authority is that of "letting go of past mistakes."  The word translated as "forgive" means "let go." See this article. The word translated as "sins" means mistakes. See this article. The idea was to release people from paying the consequences of their mistakes. The idea of the time was that physical afflictions, such as paralysis, were caused by the mistakes made by a person or their parents. These afflictions were divine judgment, but the cause of that judgment was a human failure.

The "upon the earth" phrase here modifies "man" in the phrase, "the son of the man."  It doesn't modify "power" as translated. The sense is more that while the son of the man is on earth, he has this power. This is different than the version in Mark which moves the "upon the earth" after the word for "power."

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

8
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "man" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The word "on" doesn't appear after "earth" but after "man."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "earth" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "forgive" should be "let go."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "sin" should be "mistakes."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "arise" should be "awaken."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "thy" should be "this."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "house" is not shown in the English translation.

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

13
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "in order that" is not shown in the English translation.
  • IP - Inserted Phrase-- The phrase "I want" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "you" is not the object of a verb but its subject.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word "to" should be "may" or "should."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "man" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The word "on" doesn't appear after "earth" but after "man."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "earth" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "forgive" should be "let go."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "sin" should be "mistakes."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The word translated as "get up" should be "awaken."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "your" should be "the."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "house" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "your" is not shown in the English translation.

EACH WORD of KJV : 

But  - The Greek word translated as "but" joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.

that  - The word translated as "that" is a word that means "there", "where," and "in order that."

ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

may -- This helping verb "may" indicates that the verb indicates a possibility. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

know -- -- The word translated as "know" means primarily "to see" and is used to mean "know' as we use the word "see" to mean "know" in English. It is the past perfect tense so "have seen" but it is translated as the present tense of "know."  What someone "has seen" is what they "know" in the present.

that  The second "that" is a different word from the first "that." This one introduces a statement of fact or cause.

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

Son -- The phrase "the son of man" is the common way Christ refers to himself. It is discussed in detail in this article. Its sense is "the child of the man." The word translated as "son" more generally means "child" or "descendant". The Greek word for "of man" in the singular means "person" and "humanity" and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that required the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of", "which is", "than" (in comparisons), or  "for", "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. 

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

man - The Greek word for "man" means "man", "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men", "people", and "peoples".

hath  - The word translated as "hath" means "to possess" or "to keep" but it isn't used in the same way as a "helper" verb that the English "have" is.

power  - The term translated as "power" isn't the "power" of skill or energy but of authority, control, and the ability to make a decision. This is the "power" that comes down through channels of authority. This word also does not have an article ("the") in front of it, so it is "a power" not "the power".

on  -- (WP) The word translated as "on" is a preposition that "upon", "at," or "against."The phrase "on earth" doesn't follow the word translated as "power", nor does it seem to modify that word. It follows the phrase, "the son of the man." However, in Mark 2:10  it does follower "

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

earth  - The word translated as "earth" means the physical planet or ground, not society. Christ uses this word as the opposite of "the sky", which is the realm of that which is beyond nature. Normally, Christ discusses authority as part of human society, translated as "the world" in the KJV. See this article for more on these words.

to  -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English

forgive  - (WW) The word translated as "forgive" primarily means "to let go" or "to send away." This same word is usually translated as "leave", "forgive", "suffer," and "let" in the New Testament. See the article before on the concept of "forgiving sins".

sins  -  WW) The word translated as "sin" is a form of a word that means "to fail in one's purpose", "to neglect," and "to be deprived of." It has no sense of doing malicious evil in Greek. The best English translation is "mistake," "fault," or "failure" rather than what we commonly think of as the evils of "sin." See this article for more information and context.

Arise, - (WW) The word for "arise" means "awaken" and is the same word Christ uses to describe God raising the dead and false prophets arising.

take up  - The word translated as "take up" means "lift up" but it also means "to remove" and "to exalt"

thy   -- (WW) The word translated as "thy" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those") that the English "the." See this article for more. 

bed, - The word translated as "bed" means "that on which one lies," but it also means a "grave-niche." This word is rare for Christ to use.

and  - The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also") and, In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also."

go  - "Go" is a Greek verbal command that means literally "go under" or "bring under," but Christ usually uses it to mean "go away" and "depart."

unto  - The word translated as "unto" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, and "up to" limits in time and measure

thine -- The word translated as "thy" is the genitive form of the singular, second-person pronoun, which is most commonly the possessive form. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

house  - The Greek word translated as "house," in Christ's time, was not only the physical building but the whole household, its members, its property, business interests, and position in the community, all connected to the "name" of the head of the house.

EACH WORD of NIV : 

But  - The Greek word translated as "but" joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.

missing "in order that"  -- (MW) The untranslated word"that" is a word that means "there", "where," and "in order that."

I want -- -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "I want" in the Greek source.

you -- (WF) This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb "know" not the object of "want" because there is no ver "want."

to -- (WW) This "to" should be a "may" because the verb is not an infinitive. This helping verb "may" indicates that the verb indicates a possibility. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

know  - -- The word translated as "know" means primarily "to see" and is used to mean "know' as we use the word "see" to mean "know" in English. It is the past perfect tense so "have seen" but it is translated as the present tense of "know."  What someone "has seen" is what they "know" in the present.

that  The second "that" is a different word from the first "that." This one introduces a statement of fact or cause.

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

Son -- The phrase "the son of man" is the common way Christ refers to himself. It is discussed in detail in this article. Its sense is "the child of the man." The word translated as "son" more generally means "child" or "descendant". The Greek word for "of man" in the singular means "person" and "humanity" and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that required the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of", "which is", "than" (in comparisons), or  "for", "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. 

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

man - The Greek word for "man" means "man", "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men", "people", and "peoples".

has - The word translated as "has" means "to possess" or "to keep" but it isn't used in the same way as a "helper" verb that the English "have" is.

authority - The term translated as "authority means authority, control, and the ability to make a decision. This is the "power" that comes down through channels of authority. This word also does not have an article ("the") in front of it, so it is "a power" not "the power".

on  -- (WP) The word translated as "on" is a preposition that "upon", "at," or "against."The phrase "on earth" doesn't follow the word translated as "power", nor does it seem to modify that word. It follows the phrase, "the son of the man." However, in Mark 2:10  it does follower "

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

earth  - The word translated as "earth" means the physical planet or ground, not society. Christ uses this word as the opposite of "the sky", which is the realm of that which is beyond nature. Normally, Christ discusses authority as part of human society, translated as "the world" in the KJV. See this article for more on these words.

to  -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English

forgive  - (WW) The word translated as "forgive" primarily means "to let go" or "to send away." This same word is usually translated as "leave", "forgive", "suffer," and "let" in the New Testament. See the article before on the concept of "forgiving sins".

sins  -  WW) The word translated as "sin" is a form of a word that means "to fail in one's purpose", "to neglect," and "to be deprived of." It has no sense of doing malicious evil in Greek. The best English translation is "mistake," "fault," or "failure" rather than what we commonly think of as the evils of "sin." See this article for more information and context.

Get up, - (CW) The word for "get up" means "awaken" and is the same word Christ uses to describe God raising the dead and false prophets arising.

take up  - The word translated as "take up" means "lift up" but it also means "to remove" and "to exalt"

your -- (WW) The word translated as "your" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those") that the English "the." See this article for more. 

mat, - The word translated as "bed" means "that on which one lies," but it also means a "grave-niche." This word is rare for Christ to use.

and  - The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also") and, In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also."

go  - "Go" is a Greek verbal command that means literally "go under" or "bring under," but Christ usually uses it to mean "go away" and "depart."

unto  - The word translated as "unto" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, and "up to" limits in time and measure

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

home - The Greek word translated as "home," in Christ's time, was not only the physical building but the whole household, its members, its property, business interests, and position in the community, all connected to the "name" of the head of the house.

missing "of yours"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the genitive form of the singular, second-person pronoun, which is most commonly the possessive form. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

ἵνα [134 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hina, which means "in that place," "there," "where," "when,"  but when beginning a phrase "so that," "in order that," "when," and "because." -

δὲ [446 verses](conj) "But" is de which means "but" and "on the other hand." It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be an explanation of indirect cause ("so"). In an  "if" (εἰ ) clause or temporal "when" (ὅταν) clause the sense is "if/when... then." In a series begun by men, its means "on the other hand." In a series begun by men, its means "on the other hand."

εἰδῆτε [38 verses](2nd pl perf subj act) "Ye may know" is oida which has the sense of "to know." This listing is not a root word, but the past perfect tense of eido, which means "to see," "to examine," "to perceive," "to behold," "to know how to do," "to see with the mind's eye," and "to know." That which "has been seen" is that which is "known." This is a somewhat legalistic idea because the truth can only be established by eyewitnesses.

ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hoti, which introduces a statement of fact "with regard to the fact that," "seeing that," and acts as a causal adverb meaning "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."

ἐξουσίαν [23 verses](noun sg fem acc) "Power" is exousia which means "control," "the power of choice," "permission," "the power of authority," "the right of privilege," "abundance of means," and "abuse of power."

ἔχει: [181 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "He hath" is echo, which means "to have," "to hold," "to possess," "to keep," "to have charge of," "to have due to one," "to maintain," "to hold fast," "to hold in," "to bear," "to carry," "to keep close," "to keep safe," and "to have means to do." In aorist, it can mean "acquire," or "get." The main sense when it has an object is "to have" or "to hold." It can also mean "to without" or "keep back" a thing.  -

[821 verses](article sg masc nom)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

υἱὸς [158 verses](noun sg masc nom​) "The Son" is huios, which means a "son," and more generally, a "child." It is used generally to refer to any male descendant.

τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").

ἀνθρώπου [209 verses](noun sg masc gen) "Of man" is from anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate. -- The Greek word for "of man" in the singular means "person" and "humanity" and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.

ἐπὶ [138 verses](prep) "On" is from epi which means "on," "upon," "at," "by," "before," "across," and "against." With a noun in the possessive, genitive, it means "upon," "on" but not necessarily of Place, "by (of persons)," "deep (with numbers)," "in the presence of," "towards," "in the time of," and "over (referring to a person of authority)." With a noun indirect object, dative, it means of place: "upon," "on," or "over," of people: "against (in a hostile sense)," regarding a situation: "towards" or "in reference to," of an accumulation: "upon," "after," "addition to," and "besides," of position: "after," "behind," "in dependence upon," and "in the power of," of time: "by," and "after," and. in a causal sense: "of the occasion or cause," "of an end or purpose," "of the condition upon which a thing is done," "on condition that," and "of price." With the objective noun, an accusative, it means of place: "upon or on to a height," "up to," "as far as," "a little way," "a little," "towards," "to," in hostile sense: "against," of extension: "over," "over (a space)," of time: "for," "during," "up to" or "till," in a causal sense: "of (the object)," for (this purpose)," "as regards," "according to," and "by (this cause)." With verbs of perceiving, observing, judging, it means "in the case of."

τῆς [821 verses](article sg fem gen)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").  for more. 

γῆς  [59 verses](noun sg fem gen) "Earth" is ge, which means "the element of earth," "land (country)," "arable land," "the ground," and "the world" as the opposite of the sky. Like our English word "earth," it means both dirt and the planet.

ἀφιέναι [73 verses](verb pres inf act) "To forgive" is aphiemi, which means "to let fall," "to send away," "give up," "hand over," "to let loose," "to get rid of," "to leave alone," "to pass by," "to permit," and "to send forth from oneself."

ἁμαρτίας  [28 verses](noun pl fem acc )"Sins" is hamartia, which means "missing the mark," "failure," "fault," and "error." Only in religious uses does it become "guilt" and "sin."

Ἔγειρε  [41 verses] (2nd sg pres imperat act) "Arise" is egeiro, which means "to awaken," "to stir up," and "to rouse."

ἆρόν  [56 verses](part sg aor act masc nom) "Take up" is airo, which means "to lift up," "to raise," "to raise up," "to exalt," "to lift and take away," and "to remove." In some forms, it is the same as apaomai, which means to "pray to," or "pray for."

σου” [144 verses](pron 2nd sg gen) "Thy" is sou is the genitive form of the second-person, singular pronoun that means "of you" and "your."

τὴν   [821 verses](article sg fem acc)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").

κλίνην [6 verses](noun sg fem acc) "Bed" is from kline, which means "that on which one lies", "couch," and a "grave-niche."

καὶ [1089 verses](conj) "And" is from kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even", "also," and "just." -

ὕπαγε  [47 verses](verb 2nd sg pres imperat act) "Go" is hypago, which means "to lead under", "to bring under", "to bring a person before judgment", "to lead on by degrees", "to take away from beneath", "to withdraw", "to go away", "to retire", "to draw off," and "off with you." --

εἰς  [325 verses](prep) "Unto" is from eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)", "until (of time)", "as much as (of measure or limit)", "as far as (of measure or limit)", "towards (to express relation)", "in regard to (to express relation)", "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."

τὸν  [821 verses](article sg masc acc)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").

οἶκόν  [29 verses](noun sg masc acc) "House" is from oikia, which means "house", "building," and "household."

σου. [144 verses](pron 2nd sg gen) "Thy" is from sou which means "you" and "your."

Wordplay: 

 The wordplay about rising from the dead in the previous verse is strengthened here. "Lift up your cot" also means "remove your grave bed." "Go into your house" also has the sense of "going home." 

Related Verses: 

Unimportant Opinions and Imaginings: 

“Since, however, you all might have recognized that he has a power,” the Master said, addressing the crowd, “this child of the man, upon the earth, to let go of mistakes.”
Then he addressed the young man,
“Wake up!” he commanded the crippled boy.
“Have I been asleep?” asked the boy. “Was I just dreaming that I cannot walk?”
The Master smiled warmly and nodded.   
“Lift up your cot,” he told the boy warmly, “and go into that house of yours.”
The boy roused himself, picked up his litter, and head home. His grateful family thanked the Master profusely before following him.

Front Page Date: 

Aug 6 2020