Mark 2:16

The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

BSB

When the scribes who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with these people, they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

KJV

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

ASV

And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and publicans, said unto his disciples, [How is it] that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

BBE

And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was taking food with the tax-farmers and sinners, said to his disciples, Why does he take food and drink with such men?

Original Greek

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καὶ kai And G2532 οἱ hoi the G3588 γραμματεῖς grammateis scribes G1122 καὶ kai (and) G2532 τῶν tōn of the G3588 Φαρισαίων Pharisaiōn Pharisees G5330 καὶ kai (and) G2532 ἰδόντες idontes having seen G1492 ὅτι hoti that G3754 ἐσθίει esthiei he eats G2068 μετὰ meta with G3326 τῶν tōn the G3588 ἁμαρτωλῶν hamartōlōn sinners G268 καὶ kai and G2532 τελωνῶν telōnōn tax collectors G5057 ἔλεγον elegon were saying G3004 τοῖς tois to the G3588 μαθηταῖς mathētais disciples G3101 αὐτοῦ autou of Him G846 τί ti Why [is it] G5101 ὅτι hoti that G3754 μετὰ meta with G3326 τῶν tōn the G3588 τελωνῶν telōnōn tax collectors G5057 καὶ kai and G2532 ἁμαρτωλῶν hamartōlōn sinners G268 ἐσθίει esthiei He eats G2068 καὶ kai and G2532 πίνει;¶ pinei drinks G4095

The early church

(ubi sup.) If by the election of Matthew and calling of the publicans, the faith of the Gentiles is expressed, who formerly were intent on the gains of this world; certainly the haughtiness of the Scribes and Pharisees intimates the envy of the Jewish people, who are vexed at the salvation of the Gentiles. It goes on: When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole need not the physician, but they that are sick. He aims at the Scribes and Pharisees, who, thinking themselves righteous, refused to keep company with sinners. He calls Himself the physician, Who, by a strange mode of healing, was wounded on account of our iniquities, and by His wound we are healed. And He calls those whole and righteous, who, wishing to establish their own righteousness, are not subject to the righteousness of God. Moreover He calls those rich and sinners, who, overcome by the consciousness of their own frailty, and seeing that they cannot be justified by the Law, submit their necks to the grace of Christ by repentance. Wherefore it is added, For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, &c.
Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
But the Pharisees blame this, making themselves pure. Whence there follows: And when the Scribes and Pharisees saw him eat, &c. Not indeed that they should continue sinners, but be converted to that repentance.
Theophylact of Ohrid · d. 1107Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 13–17

Matthew was not a good character, or else, being a Jew, he would never have been a publican, that is, a tax-gatherer for the Romans. However, Christ called this publican to follow him. With God, through Christ, there is mercy to pardon the greatest sins, and grace to change the greatest sinners, and make them holy. A faithful, fair-dealing publican was rare. And because the Jews had a particular hatred to an office which proved that they were subject to the Romans, they gave these tax-gatherers an ill name. But such as these our blessed Lord did not hesitate to converse with, when he appeared in the likeness of sinful flesh. And it is no new thing for that which is both well done and well designed, to be slandered, and turned to the reproach of the wisest and best of men. Christ would not withdraw, though the Pharisees were offended. If the world had been righteous, there had been no occasion for his coming, either to preach repentance, or to purchase forgiveness. We must not keep company with ungodly men out of love to their vain conversation; but we are to show love to their souls, remembering that our good Physician had the power of healing in himself, and was in no danger of taking the disease; but it is not so with us. In trying to do good to others, let us be careful we do not get harm to ourselves.

Read Matthew Henry on Mark 2 →

Parallel passages

2

The same words or events elsewhere.

Matthew 9:11Luke 5:30

Cross-references

11

Topics

Self-RighteousnessBigotry

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.