Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,
Christ, having been for some time preaching about in the country, here returns to Capernaum his head-quarters, and makes his appearance there, in hopes that by this time the talk and crowd would be somewhat abated. Now observe, I. The great resort there was to him.
Commenting on Mark 2:1-12
Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies?.... They took Christ to be a mere man, and reasoned with themselves, that he must be a blasphemer, in assuming that to himself, which was peculiar to God: they seem astonished at his words, and wonder at his arrogance, and to be filled with indignation and resentment at him; saying, who can forgive sins but God only?
But there were certain of the scribes--"and the Pharisees" (Luk 5:21) sitting there--those Jewish ecclesiastics who, as Luke told us (Luk 5:17), "were come out of every village of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem," to make their observations upon this wonderful Person, in anything but a teachable spirit, though as yet their venomous and murderous feeling had not showed itself. and reasoning in their hearts.