Matthew 8 - Introduction
Matthew 8:1-4. A Leper is cleansed St Mark 1:40-44; St Luke 5:12, where the cure is placed in "a certain city.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 8:1-4. A Leper is cleansed St Mark 1:40-44; St Luke 5:12, where the cure is placed in "a certain city.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a leper_ St Luke has "full of leprosy," a term implying the gravity of the disease, not that it covered the whole body, in which case the leper was pronounced clean, Leviticus 13:12-13; Leviticus 13:16-17. See _Our Lord's Miracles of Healing_, ch. 4 (Belcher). Leprosy is to be regarded as especiall... [ Continue Reading ]
_the gift that Moses commanded_ "two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet and hyssop." And on the eighth day "two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a centurion_ i. e. a captain or commander of a century a company normally composed of a hundred men, the sixtieth part of a legion in the Roman army. This centurion was probably an officer in the army of Herod Antipas, which would be modelled after the Roman fashion.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cure of a Centurion's Servant St Luke 7:1-10, where the incident is placed immediately after the Sermon on the Mount. The centurion sends a deputation of Jewish elders to Jesus, who speak of the worthiness of the centurion and of his love to the nation, "he built us a synagogue." St Luke does not i... [ Continue Reading ]
_my servant_ or "slave;" the Greek word is a more affectionate term than the word translated servant in Matthew 8:9. _the palsy_ i. e. paralysis, a disease often free from acute suffering, but when it is accompanied by contraction of the muscles, the pain, as in this case, is very grievous. St Luke... [ Continue Reading ]
_The centurion answered_ The argument lies in a comparison between the centurion's command and the authority of Jesus. "If I who am under authority command others, how much more hast thou power to command who art under no authority? If I can send my soldiers or my slave to execute my orders, how muc... [ Continue Reading ]
_my servant_ Rather, SLAVE. Observe the centurion's orders, his _soldiers_come and go, i. e. march when he bids them. His _slave_he orders to do this, i. e. perform any servile work. Mark this as the first contact of Jesus with slavery. With such relations between master and slave as these slavery... [ Continue Reading ]
_sit down_ i. e. recline at a feast. The image of a banquet is often used to represent the joy of the kingdom of heaven. Luke 14:15; Luke 22:29-30; Revelation 19:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
_outer darkness_ i. e. the darkness outside the house in which the banquet is going on.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Peter's house_ From John 1:44 we learn that Bethsaida was the city of Andrew and Simon Peter. Either then (i) they had changed their home to Capernaum, or (2) Bethsaida was close to Capernaum. One theory is that Bethsaida was the port of Capernaum. _laid, and sick of a fever_ St Luke uses a techni... [ Continue Reading ]
The Cure of Peter's Mother-in-law of a Fever, Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38-39 St Luke's description bears special marks of scientific accuracy.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the fever left her_ The completeness and suddenness of the cure prove the miraculous nature of it. _ministered unto them_ Eager, as good housewives are to return to their work. _unto them_ There is high MS. authority for "unto Him.... [ Continue Reading ]
_with his word_ not by a touch, as in the case of leprosy and fever. Christ never laid his hand on demoniacs.... [ Continue Reading ]
Isaiah 53:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
Fitness for Discipleship. Luke 9:57-62 St Luke names three instances, and places the scene of the incident in Samaria. The instances are typical of the way in which Jesus deals with different characters. To one attracted by the promises of the Gospel and full of eagerness, Jesus presents the darke... [ Continue Reading ]
We are not told whether this scribe, thus brought face to face with privation and hardship, was daunted like the young ruler (ch. Matthew 19:16), or persevered like the sons of Zebedee (ch. Matthew 20:22).... [ Continue Reading ]
_the Son of man_ The origin of this expression as a Messianic title is found in Daniel 7:13: "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with (in) the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him before him." Hence to the Jews it would be a famil... [ Continue Reading ]
_to go_ Rather, TO GO AWAY, DEPART.... [ Continue Reading ]
_let the dead bury their dead_ Or, THEIR OWN DEAD. The exact force of this is not quite clear. The word "dead" is used first in a figurative, secondly, in a literal sense. In a figurative sense by the "dead" are intended those who are outside the kingdom, who are dead to the true life. Perhaps a bro... [ Continue Reading ]
_a ship_ Rather, THE ship or fishing-boat, i. e. the boat which Jesus always used.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Storm on the Lake. Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25 St Mark, as usual, adds some interesting details: "it was evening-there were other little ships-a great storm of wind the waves beat into the ship He was asleep on _a pillow_in the hinder part of the ship." With all these points of difference in se... [ Continue Reading ]
_he was asleep_ The expression in the original is very impressive. He, the Master, continued to sleep. It is the only place where the sleep of Jesus is named.... [ Continue Reading ]
_faith_= "trust," "confidence.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the men_ the disciples, and other fishermen who were also on the Lake: see account in Mark.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Gergesenes_ The readings vary between Gerasenes, Gadarenes and Gergesenes. Gerasa and Gergesa are forms of the same name. Gadara was some distance to the south of the Lake. It was, however, the capital of Peræa, and the more important place; possibly Gergesa was under its jurisdiction. Gergesa is i... [ Continue Reading ]
The Gadarene Demoniacs. St Mark 5:1-20; St Luke 8:26-39 St Mark and St Luke make mention of one demoniac only. St Mark relates the incident at greater length and with more particularity. St Matthew omits the impossibility of binding him with chains, the absence of clothing, the wild cries night and... [ Continue Reading ]
_What have we to do with thee_ Not "what is there in common between you and us?" but "what cause of war is there between us?" The same expression occurs in this sense 2 Chronicles 35:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
_devils_ The Greek word here and in the parallel passages is a masculine and not a neuter form. The same word occurs in two other passages (Revelation 16:14; Revelation 18:2), and nowhere else in N. T.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a steep place_ Translate, THE _steep place_. The slope of Gergesa, familiar to Matthew and to the readers of his Gospel.... [ Continue Reading ]
_they that kept them_ It does not appear whether these were Jews or Gentiles, more probably the latter; if the former, they were transgressing the law. (1) This narrative may be regarded as a signal instance of _Metanoia_, or change from the old evil state to the new life. (2) It recalls the connec... [ Continue Reading ]
_that he would depart_ The motive for the request was fear lest a greater disaster should follow (Meyer).... [ Continue Reading ]