And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
that there.
Luke 5:21,30 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? …
Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
Luke 11:52-54 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered…
Jerusalem.
Matthew 15:1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
Mark 3:22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
Mark 7:1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
power.
Luke 6:19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.
Luke 8:46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
Matthew 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
and the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there.
The Pharisees and teachers of the law, or scribes, were religious leaders who emphasized strict adherence to the Mosaic Law and oral traditions. Their presence indicates the growing interest and scrutiny of Jesus' ministry. They often challenged Jesus, as seen in later passages, due to His interpretations and actions that seemed to contradict their traditions.
People had come from Jerusalem and from every village of Galilee and Judea,
This highlights the widespread fame of Jesus' ministry. Jerusalem was the religious center, while Galilee and Judea were regions with significant Jewish populations. The gathering of people from these areas shows the impact of Jesus' teachings and miracles, drawing diverse crowds seeking truth and healing.
and the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.
This phrase emphasizes the divine authority and presence with Jesus, enabling Him to perform miracles. It reflects the fulfillment of messianic prophecies, such as Isaiah 35:5-6, which speak of the Messiah bringing healing. The power of the Lord signifies the Holy Spirit's work through Jesus, affirming His identity as the Son of God.
“One day Jesus was teaching…” (Luke 5:17a)
• Ordinary wording points to another real moment in Jesus’ earthly ministry—a literal day, a literal gathering (Luke 4:31-32; Mark 1:21-22).
• Teaching is central to His mission; He proclaims the kingdom as foretold (Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19).
• His words carry divine authority—astonishing hearers then and now (Matthew 7:28-29).
• By highlighting teaching first, Luke links truth and power: what Jesus says prepares hearts for what He will do (John 6:63).
“…and the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there.” (Luke 5:17b)
• Religious scholars occupy front-row seats, evaluating rather than receiving (Mark 2:6-7).
• Their presence fulfills the pattern of rising opposition (Luke 4:28-30; John 5:16-18).
• Sitting suggests authority and judgment in that culture, yet the true Judge is the One standing before them (Matthew 23:2-3; Acts 10:42).
• The scene reminds us that proximity to Scripture does not equal submission to its Author (Matthew 15:8-9).
“People had come from Jerusalem and from every village of Galilee and Judea…” (Luke 5:17c)
• A diverse crowd converges—urban Jerusalemites, rural villagers, north and south alike (Luke 6:17-19).
• The geographic sweep shows Jesus’ growing renown and sets the stage for the gospel’s spread “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
• Eyewitnesses from multiple regions will later confirm His works (1 Corinthians 15:6).
• Luke subtly contrasts the hungry multitudes with skeptical leaders, echoing “the common people heard Him gladly” (Mark 12:37).
“…and the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.” (Luke 5:17d)
• “Power of the Lord” underscores that every miracle flows from divine initiative (Acts 10:38; John 5:19).
• Healing authenticates His message: the kingdom breaks in with tangible mercy (Matthew 9:35-36).
• The same power that forgives sins soon raises the paralytic in the next verses (Luke 5:24-25), previewing the ultimate healing of the cross (1 Peter 2:24).
• For the faithful, this power invites confident trust today (Hebrews 13:8).
Luke 5:17 paints a vivid tableau: Jesus in mid-lesson, scrutinized by scholars, surrounded by seekers from near and far, while God’s healing power pulses through the room. The verse assures us that Christ’s teaching is authoritative, His reach universal, and His power active. Those three realities—truth, invitation, and divine enablement—still converge whenever His word is opened and hearts are ready to receive.
(17-26) It came to pass . . .--See Notes on Matthew 9:1-8.Pharisees and doctors of the law.--The description of the crowd of listeners is peculiar to St. Luke. The fact that many of the doctors of the law had come from Jerusalem is obviously important in its connection with St. John's account (John 2, 5) of our Lord's previous work in that city, and as explaining the part now taken by them.
Was present to heal them.--If we retain the plural pronoun, it must be taken generally as meaning those who sought healing. The better MSS., however, give the singular, and then it must be taken, "the power of the Lord (i.e., of God) was present for His (work of) healing."
Verses 17-26. - The healing of the paralyzed man. Verse 17. - And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the Law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem. Again an interval of time. The fame of the new Teacher had spread rapidly. One day, some time after the events told in the last section, the Master was sitting in the house apparently of some one of consideration in Capernaum, and, as usual, was teaching. Grouped round him were a different audience to the traders and fishermen of the lake-city; prominent men of the leading religious party in the state, not only from Galilee, but from Jerusalem and other Judaean cities, such as Hebron, as well as learned doctors of the Law. These had been drawn from curiosity, some doubtless by higher motives, to hear for themselves the teaching of this now famous Nazarene Carpenter. These do not appear to have been actuated with the jealous malignity of some of those later deputations from the Jerusalem Sanhedrin and schools. The house was thronged within, and the crowd pressed round the doors. In the course of the quiet teaching, took place the incident which gave rise to one of the Lord's great sayings - an utterance so important that it evidently had been chosen by the apostles as a frequent theme or text in the preaching of the first days.