1.
When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
When = And when.
from = away from. Greek. apo.
2.
And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos ( App-6 ), for emphasis.
leper. See note on Exodus 4:6 .
worshipped = did homage. See App-137 . The variations in Mark 1 , and Luke 5 , are due to the fact that they do not record the same miracle. See App-97 .
Lord. App-98 . This is the first time that Jesus is called "Lord". In this second period of His ministry, His Person is to be proclaimed as Messiah, both Divine (here), and in Matthew 8:20 human. When once they begin to call Him "Lord", they continue. Compare verses: Matthew 8:8 , Matthew 8:6 , &c.
clean. See note on Matthew 8:3 . Not the same miracle as in Mark 1:40 and Luke 5:12 . Here both without the city (Capernaum, App-169 ); there, both within (probably Chorazin), for the leper was "full" and therefore "clean" (Leviticus 13:12 , Leviticus 13:13 ). Here, the leper obeys and is silent; there, he disobeys, so that the Lord could no more enter the city (Chorazin). The antecedents were different, and the consequents also, as may be seen from the two records.
3.
And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Jesus. All the texts ( App-94 .) read "He".
I will = I am willing. See App-102 .
his leprosy was cleansed. Figure of speech Hypallage ( App-6 ) = he was cleansed of his leprosy. Kaharizo is found in the Papyri and in Inscriptions in this sense.
4.
And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
no man = no one.
go. To Jerusalem.
shew thyself, &c. See Leviticus 14:4 .
Moses. The first of eighty occurrences of "Moses" in the N.T. Thirty-eight in the Gospels (see the first occurrence in each Gospel (Matthew 8:4 .Mark 1:44 .Luke 5:14 .John 1:17; John 1:17 ); nineteen times in Acts (see note on Acts 3:22 ); twenty-two times in the Epistles (see note on Romans 5:14 ; once in Revelation (Revelation 15:3 ). See App-117 .
5.
And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
Capernaum. See note on Matthew 4:13 , and App-169 .
there came, &c. This is in connection with the same centurion as in Luke 7:3 , Luke 7:6 , but on a prior occasion. See notes there.
centurion. Commanding 100 men, the sixtieth part of a legion.
beseeching = appealing to. Greek. parakaleo. App-131 .
6.
And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
servant = young man, in legal relation (like the French garcon) , Greek. pais. See App-108 .
lieth = is thrown down.
sick of the palsy = paralyzed.
7.
And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
8.
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
worthy = fit. Not "worthy" (morally), but "fit" socially.
come = enter.
9.
For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
I = I also.
authority. Greek. exousia. App-172 .
me = myself.
and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton in this verse, App-6 .
this man = this [soldier].
another: i.e. of the same rank (see App-124 .) = another [soldier].
servant = bondservant.
10.
When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
marvelled. Only two things that the Lord marvelled at: (1) faith (here); (2) unbelief (Mark 6:6 ).
Verily. Only Matthew uses this Aramaic word here (supplementary). See note on Matthew 5:18 .
no, not = not even. Greek. oude . Related to ou. App-105 .
11.
And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
many. Used by Figure of speech Euphemismos for Gentiles ( App-6 ), to avoid giving offence at this stage of His ministry.
sit down = recline as guests (in eating, or at a feast).
and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton
the kingdom of heaven. See App-114 .
12.
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
children = sons. Greek. huios . App-108 . (and heirs). A Hebraism, denoting those who were related by any ties of friendship: e.g. followers, learners, inhabitants, &c.
outer = the outer. Gr . exoteros. Occ only in Matthew (here, and in Matthew 22:13 , and Matthew 25:30 ). Outside the place where the feast was going on in Matthew 8:11 .
weeping and gnashing = the weeping and the grinding. The Articles denoting not a state but a definite occasion and time when this event shall take place. Used by the Lord seven times (Matthew 8:12 ; Matthew 13:42 ; Matthew 13:50 ; Matthew 22:13 ; Matthew 24:51 ; Matthew 25:30 . Luke 13:28 ). A study of these will show that the occasion is "the end of the age", when "the Lord and His servants shall have come", and when He will deal with the "wicked" and "unprofitable" servants, and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in His kingdom.
13.
And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
hast believed = didst believe.
selfsame = that.
14.
And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.
Peter's house. The Lord was in Capernaum, so that He was probably lodging with Peter. Compare Mark 1:29 . See App-169 .
laid -laid out for death. A Hebraism.
15.
And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
16.
When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
When = And when.
the even. Probably the Sabbath, for they came straight out of the Synagogue and waited for the end of the Sabbath.
devils = demons: i.e. evil spirits. App-101 .
spirits. App-101 .
with His word = by a word. Supply "a" instead of "His".
sick = in evil case. App-128 .
17.
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
That = So that.
by = by means of. Greek. dia.
Esaias = Isaiah. See App-79 .
saying . Quoted from the Hebrew of Isaiah 53:4 . Compare 1 Peter 2:24 .
took . . . bare. The two words together fulfill the sense of the Hebrew (Isaiah 53:4 ). The Inspirer of Isaiah adapts and deals as He pleases with His own words.
bare = to take up for one's self; to bear our infirmities as in Luke 14:27 . Romans 15:1 .Galatians 1:5 , Galatians 1:10 ; Galatians 6:17 . Compare John 4:6 .
sicknesses. Greek. nosos diseases.
18.
Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
about = around. Greek peri. App-104 .
other side = farther side, not either of the words in App-124 .
19.
And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
a = one. A Hebraism for "a".
Master = Teacher. App-98 . Matthew 8:1 .
goest = mayest go.
20.
And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
unto him. No Preposition.
air = heaven.
nests = roosts.
the Son of Man. He Who has dominion in the earth. The first of eighty-seven occurrences. See App-98 . to lay = He may lay. Compare Revelation 14:14 . Rev 14:21
another = a different one: Greek. heteros. i.e. a disciple, not a "scribe" (Matthew 8:19 ). App-124 .
suffer me, &c. = allow me, &c. This was, and is to-day, a polite way of excusing one's self, it being well understood as such, because all knew that the dead are buried on the day of the death, and no one leaves the house.
first. No! See Matthew 6:33 .
21.
And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
22.
But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
let = leave.
the dead = corpses. Note the-well-known Figure of speech Antanaclasis ( App-6 ), by which one word is used twice in the same sentence with two meanings which clash against each other: "leave the dead to bury their own corpses". See App-139 .
23.
And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
a ship = the ship. Referring to Matthew 8:18 .
24.
And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos ( App-6 ), to call attention to another stage of "the great conflict". See App-23 . This is not the same tempest as that recorded in Mark 4:37-41 , and Luke 8:23-25 . This was before the calling of the Twelve: the other was after that event. There is no "discrepancy", if we note the differences on p. 1325, and App-97 .
tempest = earthquake. Always so rendered in the other thirteen occurrences. In the later event it was a squall (Greek. lailaps) .
was covered = was getting covered. Hence it was a decked boat. In the later miracle it was an open boat, "filled".
with = by. Greek. hupo.
asleep = sleeping.
25.
And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
perish = are perishing.
26.
And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
Why . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis ( App-6 ). Here the danger was not so imminent, for He first rebuked the disciples. In the later miracle the danger was greater, and He rebuked the storm first. See App-97 .
O ye of little faith. The second occurrence of this word ( oligopistoi) . See note on Matthew 6:30 .
was = became.
27.
But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
marvelled. In Matthew 14:33 "worshipped".
manner, &c . = kind of a Being.
28.
And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
when He was come. This miracle of the two demoniacs was not the same as that recorded in Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-40 . Here, there were two men; in the later miracle there was one ; here, they landed opposite the place whence they set sail (Gergesenes); there, the Gadarenes (not Gadera) not opposite; here, no name is asked; there, the name is "Legion"; here, no bonds used; there, many; here, the two were not afterwards used, and the Twelve not yet called; there, the one man was used, and the Twelve had been called. The consequents also are different. See App-97 .
to = into. Greek. eis.
Gergesenes. Probably Girgashites, so called from one of the original Canaanite nations (Genesis 10:16 ; Genesis 15:21 ; Deuteronomy 7:1 .Joshua 3:10 ; Joshua 24:11 . 1 Chronicles 1:14 .Nehemiah 9:8; Nehemiah 9:8 ). Not Gadarenes, as in Mark and Luke. "Gergesenes is the reading of the vast majority of MSS. of both families; of the Coptic, Ethiopic, and Armenian versions". Origen is the great authority; but Wetstein "imagined" that it was Origen's "gratuitous conjecture". Critics have followed Wetstein, but Scrivener is right (as usual in retaining Gergesenes.
two. In the later miracle only one. Compare "we", Matthew 8:29 .
possessed with devils: i.e. demoniacs. Greek. daimonizomai. .
no man might pass = one was not able to pass.
29.
And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
What have we to do with Thee? A Hebraism. See note on 2 Samuel 16:10 . Occurs in Mark 1:24 ; Mark 5:7 . Luke 4:34 ; Luke 8:28 ; and John 2:4 .
Jesus. All the texts ( App-94 .) omit "Jesus" here. "Jesus" omitted here by the texts probably out of respect for His name being spoken by demons. Demons irreverently use this sacred name, as is done by so many today: but His own disciples and friends called Him "Lord, "or "Master, "&c. See John 13:13 .
Son of God. See App-98 .
before. Greek. pro. App-104 .
30.
And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.
31.
So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
devils = demons.
If. Assuming that He would do so.
32.
And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
Go. Greek. hupago = go forth, i.e. out of the man.
a = the. Evidently, the well-known precipice.
perished = died. Those who defiled the temple (Matthew 21:12 , Matthew 21:12 . Joh 2:14-16 ) lost their trade; and those who defiled Israel (here) lost their animals.
33.
And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.
34.
And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
the whole. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Genus), App-6 , for the greater part.
to meet = for a meeting with. Greek. sunantesis. Occurs only here, but L T Tr. WH read hupantesin, which occurs also as the same reading in Matthew 25:1 and John 12:13 .
besought. Same word as in verses: Matthew 8:5 , Matthew 8:31 . See note on Mark 5:12 .
out of = away from. Greek. apo. App-104 .