(19) With his couch.--The Greek word is the diminutive of the word translated "bed" in Luke 5:18, and is used, apparently, as St. Mark uses the Latin grabatum, to show how it was that the process described was possible.
5:17-26 How many are there in our assemblies, where the gospel is preached, who do not sit under the word, but sit by! It is to them as a tale that is told them, not as a message that is sent to them. Observe the duties taught and recommended to us by the history of the paralytic. In applying to Christ, we must be very pressing and urgent; that is an evidence of faith, and is very pleasing to Christ, and prevailing with him. Give us, Lord, the same kind of faith with respect to thy ability and willingness to heal our souls. Give us to desire the pardon of sin more than any earthly blessing, or life itself. Enable us to believe thy power to forgive sins; then will our souls cheerfully arise and go where thou pleasest.
And when they could not find by what way,.... As by the door, or in at a window of the house:
they might bring him in; to Jesus, in the house:
because of the multitude; which was about the door, and all the fore part of the house:
they went upon the housetop; by a ladder, or pair of stairs, which usually were on the outside of houses; See Gill on Matthew 24:17 the houses of the Jews being flat roofed:
and let him down through the tiling with his couch, into the midst before Jesus; that is, they untiled the roof, or took away the tiles which were about the trap door, or passage, into the inside of the house; and so making it wider, let down the man upon his couch, or bed, into the middle of the room and of the people, just before Jesus, where he was sitting; See Gill on Mark 2:4.
they might bring him in; to Jesus, in the house:
because of the multitude; which was about the door, and all the fore part of the house:
they went upon the housetop; by a ladder, or pair of stairs, which usually were on the outside of houses; See Gill on Matthew 24:17 the houses of the Jews being flat roofed:
and let him down through the tiling with his couch, into the midst before Jesus; that is, they untiled the roof, or took away the tiles which were about the trap door, or passage, into the inside of the house; and so making it wider, let down the man upon his couch, or bed, into the middle of the room and of the people, just before Jesus, where he was sitting; See Gill on Mark 2:4.