[B-Greek] Mark 2:9-10 EUKOPOTERON

yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Tue Mar 23 07:04:58 EDT 2010


What insight can grammar, semantics and "context" give to help understand the meaning of the question in Mark 2:9
τί ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον, εἰπεῖν τῷ παραλυτικῷ· ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, ἢ εἰπεῖν· ἔγειρε καὶ ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ περιπάτει; 
TI ESTIN EUKOPWTERON, EIPEIN TWi PARALYTIKWi: AFIENTAI SOU hAI AMARTIAI, H EIPEIN: EGEIRE KAI ARON TON KRABATTON SOU KAI PERIPATEI?

More specifically, how is one to understand the relative difficulty (DUSKOLIA?) or easiness (EUMAREIA?) of the two utterances? Most of the commentaries  published after the 1950's I have surveyed take EUKOPOTERON as referring to evidence, susceptibility of proof. That is, it was "easier" for Jesus to say "Your sins are forgiven" because it could not be demonstrated either way. This was also Chrysostom's view in his several references to this passage. Several 19th century commentaries take the view that neither statement is "easier" for Jesus to say, I suppose on theological grounds. I am not interested in the theological potential of this statement, rather, how is makes sense in context. It seems that vital information is missing in 9-10.

Carl, you may need to help me discern whether this less a Greek question and more a translation issue.

Yancy Smith, PhD
yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Y.W.Smith at tcu.edu
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