Mark 2:16

Verse

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?”

American Standard Version (1901)

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?

Bible in Basic English

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?

Free Bible Version

When the religious leaders of the Pharisees saw Jesus eating with such people, they asked Jesus' disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Geneva Bible 1599

And when the Scribes and Pharises sawe him eate with the Publicanes and sinners, they sayd vnto his disciples, Howe is it, that hee eateth and drinketh with Publicanes and sinners?

King James (Authorized) Version

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?

One Unity Resource Bible

The Torah-Teachers and the Pharisees [Separated], 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?”

Plain English Version

Some of the Jewish law teachers saw Jesus eating with all those people. Those law teachers also belonged to the Pharisee mob. They were really strong for the law, so they asked Jesus’s followers, “Why does Jesus eat with those people that don’t live God’s way?”

Translation for Translators

The men who taught the Jewish laws who were there and who were members of the Pharisee sect saw that Jesus was eating with men who collected taxes and others who were considered {whom they considered} to be sinners. So they said to his disciples, “◄It is disgusting that he eats with such disgusting men as those who collect taxes, and with other sinners!/Why is it that he eats with such disgusting men as those who collect taxes, and with other sinners?►” [RHQ]

Unlocked Literal Bible

When the scribes, who were Pharisees, saw that Jesus was eating with the sinful people and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinful people?”

Noah Webster Bible

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eating with publicans and sinners, they said to his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners.

World English Bible

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?”

Young's Literal Translation

And the scribes and the Pharisees, having seen him eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners, said to his disciples, 'Why — that with the tax-gatherers and sinners he doth eat and drink?'

Context

Jesus Calls Levi

¹⁵While Jesus was dining at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Him and His disciples—for there were many who followed Him. ¹⁶When the scribes who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with these people, they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Sermons

Pharisees Do Not Mingle With Sinful People

Zac Poonen

Guidelines for the Godly Man

Eli Brayley

Summary

Mark 2:16 depicts a scene where the scribes and Pharisees question Jesus' choice to dine with tax collectors and sinners. This verse highlights the religious leaders' judgmental attitude towards those they deemed as 'sinners,' contrasting it with Jesus' compassion and willingness to reach out to those in need of spiritual healing. It serves as a reminder of Jesus' mission to call sinners to repentance and offer them the gift of salvation, regardless of their societal status or past mistakes. The passage challenges us to examine our own hearts and attitudes towards those who may be marginalized or in need of God's love and grace.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Sinners - By ἁμαρτωλοι, 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 Mat 9:10. How is it that he eateth - Some very good MSS., several versions, with Chrysostom and Augustin, read, Why doth Your Master eat?

John Gill Bible Commentary

When Jesus heard it, he saith to them,.... Christ either overheard what they said to his disciples, or he heard it from the relation of the disciples; and when he did, he turned to the Scribes and Pharisees, and spoke to them the following words: they that are whole, have no need of the physician, but they that are sick; which seems to be a proverbial expression, signifying that he was a physician; that these publicans and sinners were sick persons, and needed his company and assistance; but that they, the Scribes and Pharisees, were whole, and in good health, in their own esteem, and so wanted no relief; and therefore ought not to take it amiss, that he attended the one, and not the other. These words give a general view of mankind, in their different sentiments of themselves and of Christ; and of the usefulness of Christ to one sort, and not another. There are some that cry up the power of man's freewill, and plead for the strength and purity of human, nature, and extol its excellencies and abilities; and it is no wonder that these see no need of Christ, either for themselves or others: hence preachers of this complexion leave Christ out of their ministry for the most part; and generally speaking, lessen the glory and dignity of his person, depreciate his offices, reject his righteousness, and deny his satisfaction and atonement: and such reckon themselves the favourites of heaven, and are ready to say, whom shall God delight to honour, but us, who are so pure and holy? they therefore trust in their own righteousness, and despise others, and submit not to the righteousness of Christ; they make their own works their saviours, and so neglect the great salvation by Christ. There are others that are sick, and are quite sick of themselves; they see the impurity of their nature, how unsound and unhealthful they are; that from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, there is no soundness in them, nothing but wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores: their loins are filled with the loathsome disease of sin; they are sensible of their inability to cure themselves, and that no mere creature can help them; and that all besides Christ, are physicians of no value: and therefore they apply to him, whose blood is a balm for every wound, and a medicine for every sickness and disease, and which cleanses from all sin: and whereas such, and such only, see their need of Christ as a physician, these only does he attend under this character; See Gill on Mat 9:12. Adding this as a reason, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. These words explain, what is more obscurely and figuratively expressed in the former; it appears from hence, that by "the whole" are meant, "righteous" persons; not such who are made righteous, by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, but such who were outwardly righteous before men, who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, depended on their own righteousness, and fancied themselves, with respect to the righteousness of the law, blameless; and so, in their own apprehensions, stood in no need of Christ and his righteousness: yea, even needed not repentance, according to their own thoughts of things, and therefore were not called to it, but were left to their own stupidity and blindness; these were the Scribes and Pharisees; and by the "sick", are meant "sinners"; such who are made sensible of sin, and so of their need of Christ as a Saviour; and who have evangelical repentance given them, and are called to the exercise and profession of it: and Christ's calling sinners to repentance, and bestowing that grace, together with the remission of sins, which goes along with it, is doing his work and office as a "physician". This evangelist makes no mention of the passage in Hos 6:6, with which these words are introduced in Matthew. The last words, to "repentance", are omitted by the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, and are wanting in some ancient copies; but are retained in the Arabic version, and in most copies, as in Mat 9:13. See Gill on Mat 9:13.

Mark 2:16

Jesus Calls Levi

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

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?”

American Standard Version (1901)

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?

Bible in Basic English

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?

Free Bible Version

When the religious leaders of the Pharisees saw Jesus eating with such people, they asked Jesus' disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Geneva Bible 1599

And when the Scribes and Pharises sawe him eate with the Publicanes and sinners, they sayd vnto his disciples, Howe is it, that hee eateth and drinketh with Publicanes and sinners?

King James (Authorized) Version

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?

One Unity Resource Bible

Plain English Version

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

When the scribes, who were Pharisees, saw that Jesus was eating with the sinful people and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinful people?”

Noah Webster Bible

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eating with publicans and sinners, they said to his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners.

World English Bible

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?”

Young's Literal Translation

And the scribes and the Pharisees, having seen him eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners, said to his disciples, 'Why — that with the tax-gatherers and sinners he doth eat and drink?'

Adam Clarke
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Mark 2:16

Verse

Context

Jesus Calls Levi

Sermons

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Mark 2:16

Jesus Calls Levi

Pharisees Do Not Mingle With Sinful People

Guidelines for the Godly Man

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes