New Living Translation
Mark 2:16
16But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”
Mark 2:16 in other versions
- King James Version (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?
- New International Version (NIV)When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
Context of Mark 2:16
14As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him. 15Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” 17When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” 18Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?”
Read all of Mark 2Mark 2:16 word by word
καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς τῶν Φαρισαίων ἰδόντες ὅτι ἐσθίει μετὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ τελωνῶν ἔλεγον τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· ὅτι μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίειRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- the scribesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the scribesγραμματεύςgrammateus · scribeG1122
- PhariseesΦαρισαῖοςPharisaios · PhariseeG5330
- sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- eatἐσθίωesthiō · to eatG2068
- withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
- publicansτελώνηςtelōnēs · tax collectorG5057
- sinnersἁμαρτωλόςhamartōlos · sinfulG268
- they saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- untoμαθητήςmathētēs · discipleG3101
- How is itτίςtis · which?G5101
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- drinkethπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
Cross-references for Mark 2:16
- Mark 2:7“What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
- Isaiah 65:5Yet they say to each other, ‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!’ These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away.
- Luke 15:2This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!
- Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector!
- Luke 19:7But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
- 1 Corinthians 2:15Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.
- Hebrews 12:3Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
- Matthew 18:17If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.
Commentaries on Mark 2:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Sinners - By ̔, the Gentiles or heathens are generally to be understood in the Gospels, for this was a term the Jews never applied to any of themselves, See the note on Matthew 9:10. How is it that he eateth - Some very good MSS., several versions, with Chrysostom and Augustin, read, Why doth Your Master eat?Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16See the notes at Matthew 9:12-13.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-17Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16The Pharisees, who were teachers of religious law, regarded Jesus eating with sinners as him accepting them as friends (Luke 15:1–2; 19:5, 7; Acts 11:2–18; Galatians 2:11–12). Jesus showed that these tax collectors and sinners were welcome in the kingdom of God. In his ministry, Jesus invited both Jews and Gentiles to share in the kingdom of God (Mark 5:1–20; 7:24–30; compare Matthew 8:5–13; Luke 7:1–10; John 4:43–54).Read the comment
Topics related to Mark 2:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Mark 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
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