14 And Jesus having come into the house of Peter, saw his mother-in-law laid, and fevered, 15 and he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she arose, and was ministering to them. 16 And evening having come, they brought to him many demoniacs, and he did cast out the spirits with a word, and did heal all who were ill, 17 that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'Himself took our infirmities, and the sicknesses he did bear.'
18 And Jesus having seen great multitudes about him, did command to depart to the other side; 19 and a certain scribe having come, said to him, 'Teacher, I will follow thee wherever thou mayest go;' 20 and Jesus saith to him, 'The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven places of rest, but the Son of Man hath not where he may lay the head.' 21 And another of his disciples said to him, 'Sir, permit me first to depart and to bury my father;' 22 and Jesus said to him, 'Follow me, and suffer the dead to bury their own dead.'
23 And when he entered into the boat his disciples did follow him, 24 and lo, a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves, but he was sleeping, 25 and his disciples having come to him, awoke him, saying, 'Sir, save us; we are perishing.' 26 And he saith to them, 'Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?' Then having risen, he rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm; 27 and the men wondered, saying, 'What kind—is this, that even the wind and the sea do obey him?'
28 And he having come to the other side, to the region of the Gergesenes, there met him two demoniacs, coming forth out of the tombs, very fierce, so that no one was able to pass over by that way, 29 and lo, they cried out, saying, 'What—to us and to thee, Jesus, Son of God? didst thou come hither, before the time, to afflict us?' 30 And there was far off from them a herd of many swine feeding, 31 and the demons were calling on him, saying, 'If thou dost cast us forth, permit us to go away to the herd of the swine;' 32 and he saith to them, 'Go.' And having come forth, they went to the herd of the swine, and lo, the whole herd of the swine rushed down the steep, to the sea, and died in the waters, 33 and those feeding did flee, and, having gone to the city, they declared all, and the matter of the demoniacs. 34 And lo, all the city came forth to meet Jesus, and having seen him, they called on 'him' that he might depart from their borders.
41 And again he began to teach by the sea, and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he, having gone into the boat, sat in the sea, and all the multitude was near the sea, on the land, 2 and he taught them many things in similes, and he said to them in his teaching: 3 'Hearken, lo, the sower went forth to sow; 4 and it came to pass, in the sowing, some fell by the way, and the fowls of the heaven did come and devour it; 5 and other fell upon the rocky ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang forth, because of not having depth of earth, 6 and the sun having risen, it was scorched, and because of not having root it did wither; 7 and other fell toward the thorns, and the thorns did come up, and choke it, and fruit it gave not; 8 and other fell to the good ground, and was giving fruit, coming up and increasing, and it bare, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one an hundred.' 9 And he said to them, 'He who is having ears to hear—let him hear.' 10 And when he was alone, those about him, with the twelve, did ask him of the simile, 11 and he said to them, 'To you it hath been given to know the secret of the reign of God, but to those who are without, in similes are all the things done; 12 that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they may turn, and the sins may be forgiven them.' 13 And he saith to them, 'Have ye not known this simile? and how shall ye know all the similes? 14 He who is sowing doth sow the word; 15 and these are they by the way where the word is sown: and whenever they may hear, immediately cometh the Adversary, and he taketh away the word that hath been sown in their hearts. 16 'And these are they, in like manner, who on the rocky ground are sown: who, whenever they may hear the word, immediately with joy do receive it, 17 and have not root in themselves, but are temporary; afterward tribulation or persecution having come because of the word, immediately they are stumbled. 18 'And these are they who toward the thorns are sown: these are they who are hearing the word, 19 and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of the riches, and the desires concerning the other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 'And these are they who on the good ground have been sown: who do hear the word, and receive, and do bear fruit, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one an hundred.'
21 And he said to them, 'Doth the lamp come that under the measure it may be put, or under the couch—not that it may be put on the lamp-stand? 22 for there is not anything hid that may not be manifested, nor was anything kept hid but that it may come to light. 23 If any hath ears to hear—let him hear.' 24 And he said to them, 'Take heed what ye hear; in what measure ye measure, it shall be measured to you; and to you who hear it shall be added; 25 for whoever may have, there shall be given to him, and whoever hath not, also that which he hath shall be taken from him.'
26 And he said, 'Thus is the reign of God: as if a man may cast the seed on the earth, 27 and may sleep, and may rise night and day, and the seed spring up and grow, he hath not known how; 28 for of itself doth the earth bear fruit, first a blade, afterwards an ear, afterwards full corn in the ear; 29 and whenever the fruit may yield itself, immediately he doth send forth the sickle, because the harvest hath come.'
30 And he said, 'To what may we liken the reign of God, or in what simile may we compare it? 31 As a grain of mustard, which, whenever it may be sown on the earth, is less than any of the seeds that are on the earth; 32 and whenever it may be sown, it cometh up, and doth become greater than any of the herbs, and doth make great branches, so that under its shade the fowls of the heaven are able to rest.'
33 And with many such similes he was speaking to them the word, as they were able to hear, 34 and without a simile he was not speaking to them, and by themselves, to his disciples he was expounding all.
35 And he saith to them on that day, evening having come, 'We may pass over to the other side;' 36 and having let away the multitude, they take him up as he was in the boat, and other little boats also were with him. 37 And there cometh a great storm of wind, and the waves were beating on the boat, so that it is now being filled, 38 and he himself was upon the stern, upon the pillow sleeping, and they wake him up, and say to him, 'Teacher, art thou not caring that we perish?' 39 And having waked up, he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be stilled;' and the wind did lull, and there was a great calm: 40 and he said to them, 'Why are ye so fearful? how have ye not faith?' 41 and they feared a great fear, and said one to another, 'Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea do obey him?'
51 And they came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gadarenes, 2 and he having come forth out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling in the tombs, and not even with chains was any one able to bind him, 4 because that he many times with fetters and chains had been bound, and pulled in pieces by him had been the chains, and the fetters broken in pieces, and none was able to tame him, 5 and always, night and day, in the mountains, and in the tombs he was, crying and cutting himself with stones. 6 And, having seen Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed before him, 7 and having called with a loud voice, he said, 'What—to me and to thee, Jesus, Son of God the Most High? I adjure thee by God, mayest thou not afflict me!' 8 (for he said to him, 'Come forth, spirit unclean, out of the man,') 9 and he was questioning him, 'What 'is' thy name?' and he answered, saying, 'Legion 'is' my name, because we are many;' 10 and he was calling on him much, that he may not send them out of the region. 11 And there was there, near the mountains, a great herd of swine feeding, 12 and all the demons did call upon him, saying, 'Send us to the swine, that into them we may enter;' 13 and immediately Jesus gave them leave, and having come forth, the unclean spirits did enter into the swine, and the herd did rush down the steep place to the sea—and they were about two thousand—and they were choked in the sea. 14 And those feeding the swine did flee, and told in the city, and in the fields, and they came forth to see what it is that hath been done; 15 and they come unto Jesus, and see the demoniac, sitting, and clothed, and right-minded—him having had the legion—and they were afraid; 16 and those having seen 'it', declared to them how it had come to pass to the demoniac, and about the swine; 17 and they began to call upon him to go away from their borders. 18 And he having gone into the boat, the demoniac was calling on him that he may be with him, 19 and Jesus did not suffer him, but saith to him, 'Go away to thy house, unto thine own 'friends', and tell them how great things the Lord did to thee, and dealt kindly with thee; 20 and he went away, and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how great things Jesus did to him, and all were wondering.
21 And Jesus having passed over in the boat again to the other side, there was gathered a great multitude to him, and he was near the sea, 22 and lo, there doth come one of the chiefs of the synagogue, by name Jairus, and having seen him, he doth fall at his feet, 23 and he was calling upon him much, saying—'My little daughter is at the last extremity—that having come, thou mayest lay on her 'thy' hands, so that she may be saved, and she shall live;' 24 and he went away with him. And there was following him a great multitude, and they were thronging him, 25 and a certain woman, having an issue of blood twelve years, 26 and many things having suffered under many physicians, and having spent all that she had, and having profited nothing, but rather having come to the worse, 27 having heard about Jesus, having come in the multitude behind, she touched his garment, 28 for she said—'If even his garments I may touch, I shall be saved;' 29 and immediately was the fountain of her blood dried up, and she knew in the body that she hath been healed of the plague. 30 And immediately Jesus having known in himself that out of him power had gone forth, having turned about in the multitude, said, 'Who did touch my garments?' 31 and his disciples said to him, 'Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and thou sayest, 'Who did touch me!' 32 And he was looking round to see her who did this, 33 and the woman, having been afraid, and trembling, knowing what was done on her, came, and fell down before him, and told him all the truth, 34 and he said to her, 'Daughter, thy faith hath saved thee; go away in peace, and be whole from thy plague.'
35 As he is yet speaking, there come from the chief of the synagogue's 'house, certain', saying—'Thy daughter did die, why still dost thou harass the Teacher?' 36 And Jesus immediately, having heard the word that is spoken, saith to the chief of the synagogue, 'Be not afraid, only believe.' 37 And he did not suffer any one to follow with him, except Peter, and James, and John the brother of James; 38 and he cometh to the house of the chief of the synagogue, and seeth a tumult, much weeping and wailing; 39 and having gone in he saith to them, 'Why do ye make a tumult, and weep? the child did not die, but doth sleep; 40 and they were laughing at him. And he, having put all forth, doth take the father of the child, and the mother, and those with him, and goeth in where the child is lying, 41 and, having taken the hand of the child, he saith to her, 'Talitha cumi;' which is, being interpreted, 'Damsel (I say to thee), arise.' 42 And immediately the damsel arose, and was walking, for she was twelve years 'old'; and they were amazed with a great amazement, 43 and he charged them much, that no one may know this thing, and he said that there be given to her to eat.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 8:14-34
Commentary on Matthew 8:14-17
(Read Matthew 8:14-17)
Peter had a wife, yet was an apostle of Christ, who showed that he approved of the married state, by being thus kind to Peter's wife's relations. The church of Rome, which forbids ministers to marry, goes contrary to that apostle upon whom they rest so much. He had his wife's mother with him in his family, which is an example to be kind to our relations. In spiritual healing, the Scripture speaks the word, the Spirit gives the touch, touches the heart, touches the hand. Those who recover from fevers, commonly are weak and feeble some time after; but to show that this cure was above the power of nature, the woman was at once so well as to go about the business of the house. The miracles which Jesus did being noised abroad, many thronged to him. He healed all that were sick, though the patient was ever so mean, and the case ever so bad. Many are the diseases and calamities to which we are liable in the body; and there is more, in those words of the gospel, that Jesus Christ bore our sicknesses and carried our sorrows, to support and comfort us under them, than in all the writings of the philosophers. Let us not grudge labour, trouble, or expense in doing good to others.
Commentary on Matthew 8:18-22
(Read Matthew 8:18-22)
One of the scribes was too hasty in promising; he proffers himself to be a close follower of Christ. He seems to be very resolute. Many resolutions for religion are produced by sudden conviction, and taken up without due consideration; these come to nothing. When this scribe offered to follow Christ, one would think he should have been encouraged; one scribe might do more credit and service than twelve fishermen; but Christ saw his heart, and answered to its thoughts, and therein teaches all how to come to Christ. His resolve seems to have been from a worldly, covetous principle; but Christ had not a place to lay his head on, and if he follows him, he must not expect to fare better than he fared. We have reason to think this scribe went away. Another was too slow. Delay in doing is as bad on the one hand, as hastiness in resolving is on the other. He asked leave to attend his father to his grave, and then he would be at Christ's service. This seemed reasonable, yet it was not right. He had not true zeal for the work. Burying the dead, especially a dead father, is a good work, but it is not thy work at this time. If Christ requires our service, affection even for the nearest and dearest relatives, and for things otherwise our duty, must give way. An unwilling mind never wants an excuse. Jesus said to him, Follow me; and, no doubt, power went with this word to him as to others; he did follow Christ, and cleaved to him. The scribe said, I will follow thee; to this man Christ said, Follow me; comparing them together, it shows that we are brought to Christ by the force of his call to us, Romans 9:16.
Commentary on Matthew 8:23-27
(Read Matthew 8:23-27)
It is a comfort to those who go down to the sea in ships, and are often in perils there, to reflect that they have a Saviour to trust in and pray to, who knows what it is to be on the water, and to be in storms there. Those who are passing with Christ over the ocean of this world, must expect storms. His human nature, like to ours in every thing but sin, was wearied, and he slept at this time to try the faith of his disciples. They, in their fear, came to their Master. Thus is it in a soul; when lusts and temptations are swelling and raging, and God is, as it were, asleep to it, this brings it to the brink of despair. Then it cries for a word from his mouth, Lord Jesus, keep not silence to me, or I am undone. Many that have true faith, are weak in it. Christ's disciples are apt to be disquieted with fears in a stormy day; to torment themselves that things are bad with them, and with dismal thoughts that they will be worse. Great storms of doubt and fear in the soul, under the power of the spirit of bondage, sometimes end in a wonderful calm, created and spoken by the Spirit of adoption. They were astonished. They never saw a storm so turned at once into a perfect calm. He that can do this, can do any thing, which encourages confidence and comfort in him, in the most stormy day, within or without, Isaiah 26:4.
Commentary on Matthew 8:28-34
(Read Matthew 8:28-34)
The devils have nothing to do with Christ as a Saviour; they neither have, nor hope for any benefit from him. Oh the depth of this mystery of Divine love; that fallen man has so much to do with Christ, when fallen angels have nothing to do with him! Hebrews 2:16. Surely here was torment, to be forced to own the excellence that is in Christ, and yet they had no part in him. The devils desire not to have any thing to do with Christ as a Ruler. See whose language those speak, who will have nothing to do with the gospel of Christ. But it is not true that the devils have nothing to do with Christ as a Judge; for they have, and they know it, and thus it is with all the children of men. Satan and his instruments can go no further than he permits; they must quit possession when he commands. They cannot break his hedge of protection about his people; they cannot enter even a swine without his leave. They had leave. God often, for wise and holy ends, permits the efforts of Satan's rage. Thus the devil hurries people to sin; hurries them to what they have resolved against, which they know will be shame and grief to them: miserable is the condition of those who are led captive by him at his will. There are a great many who prefer their swine before the Saviour, and so come short of Christ and salvation by him. They desire Christ to depart out of their hearts, and will not suffer his word to have place in them, because he and his word would destroy their brutish lusts, those swine which they give themselves up to feed. And justly will Christ forsake all that are weary of him; and say hereafter, Depart, ye cursed, to those who now say to the Almighty, Depart from us.