Matthew 8
8
Jesus Cleanses a Leper; The Centurion’s Faith
1When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds #8:1 See note 4:19.followed Him. 2And a leper came up to Him and bowed down before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You are able to make me clean (well).” [Mark 1:40-44; Luke 5:12-14] 3Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one [about this];but go, show yourself to the priest [for inspection]and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony (evidence) to them [of your healing].” [Lev 14:2]
5As Jesus went into Capernaum, a #8:5 A Roman military officer commanding a hundred men.centurion came up to Him, begging Him [for help], [Luke 7:1-10] 6and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, with intense and terrible, tormenting pain.” 7Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8But the centurion replied to Him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I also am a man subject to authority [of a higher rank], with soldiers subject to me; and I say to one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10When Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following Him, “I tell you truthfully, I have not found such great faith [as this]with anyone in Israel. 11I say to you that many [Gentiles] will come from east and west, and will sit down [to feast at the table, and enjoy God’s promises] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven [because they accepted Me as Savior], 12while the sons and heirs of the kingdom [the descendants of Abraham who will not recognize Me as Messiah] will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place [which is farthest removed from the kingdom] there will be weeping [in sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [in distress and anger].” [Ps 107:2, 3; Is 49:12; 59:19; Mal 1:11] 13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it will be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was restored to health at that very hour.
Peter’s Mother-in-law and Many Others Healed
14When Jesus went into Peter’s house [in Capernaum], He saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. [Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41] 15He touched her hand and the fever left her; and she got up and served Him. 16When evening came, they brought to Him many who were under the power of demons; and He cast out the evil spirits with a word, and restored to health all who were sick [exhibiting His authority as Messiah], 17so that He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He Himself took our infirmities [upon Himself] and carried away our diseases.” [Is 53:4]
Discipleship Tested
18Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to cast off for the other side of the Sea of Galilee. 19Then [on His way to board the boat] a scribe [who was a respected and authoritative interpreter of the Law] came and said to Him, “Master, I will accompany You [as Your student] wherever You go.” [Luke 9:57-60] 20Jesus replied to him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the #8:20 Jesus uses this title to identify Himself as Messiah. It appears over eighty times in the Gospels.Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” [Dan 7:13; Mark 8:31, 38; Luke 12:8; John 1:51; Acts 7:56] 21Another of the #8:21 Disciple does not always refer to a true believer, but may also be used to refer to someone who is merely a student or learner.disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and #8:21 Possibly an idiom meaning something like, “after my father dies and after I observe the traditional mourning period and after I receive my inheritance, then I will do such and such.” This was probably nothing more than a petty excuse to avoid making a commitment to Jesus and had nothing to do with the condition of the man’s father (who was probably fine).bury my father (collect my inheritance).” [Luke 9:59, 60] 22But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me [believing in Me as Master and Teacher],and allow the [spiritually] dead to bury their own dead.”
23When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. [Mark 4:36-41; Luke 8:22-25] 24And suddenly a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping. 25And the disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us, we are going to die!” 26He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was [at once] a great and wonderful calm [a perfect peacefulness]. 27The men wondered in amazement, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Jesus Casts Out Demons
28When He arrived at the other side in the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming out of the tombs met Him. They were so extremely fierce and violent that no one could pass by that way. [Mark 5:1-17; Luke 8:26-37] 29And they screamed out, “#8:29 Lit What to us and to you, originally a Hebrew idiom which does not translate well into English. The idiom is meant to bluntly inform the other person that the speaker is not aware of any obligation between them, and does not wish to deal with the other person (cf 2 Sam 16:10). It can also express the speaker’s protest that he has not harmed the other individual, and therefore should not suffer harm at the hands of that person (cf 1 Kin 17:18).What business do we have [in common] with each other, Son of God? Have You come to torment us before the appointed time [of judgment]?” [Judg 11:12; 2 Sam 16:10; Matt 25:41; Mark 5:7; Luke 4:34; Rev 20:10] 30Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was grazing. 31The demons began begging Him, “If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 32And He said to them, “Go!” So they came out [of the men] and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the water. 33The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the men under the power of demons. 34And the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and as soon as they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.
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Matthew 8
8
The Cleansing of a Leper. 1#Mk 1:40–44; Lk 5:12–14. When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2And then a leper#A leper: see note on Mk 1:40. approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” 3He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it. Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately. 4#Cf. Lv 14:2–9. That will be proof for them: the Greek can also mean “that will be proof against them.” It is not clear whether them refers to the priests or the people. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;#Lv 14:2–32; Lk 17:14. that will be proof for them.”
The Healing of a Centurion’s Servant.#This story comes from Q (see Lk 7:1–10) and is also reflected in Jn 4:46–54. The similarity between the Q story and the Johannine is due to a common oral tradition, not to a common literary source. As in the later story of the daughter of the Canaanite woman (Mt 15:21–28) Jesus here breaks with his usual procedure of ministering only to Israelites and anticipates the mission to the Gentiles. 5#Lk 7:1–10; Jn 4:46–53. When he entered Capernaum,#A centurion: a military officer commanding a hundred men. He was probably in the service of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee; see note on Mt 14:1. a centurion approached him and appealed to him, 6saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” 7He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” 8The centurion said in reply,#Acquainted by his position with the force of a command, the centurion expresses faith in the power of Jesus’ mere word. “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. 9For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel#In no one in Israel: there is good textual attestation (e.g., Codex Sinaiticus) for a reading identical with that of Lk 7:9, “not even in Israel.” But that seems to be due to a harmonization of Matthew with Luke. have I found such faith. 11#13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28–29. I say to you,#Matthew inserts into the story a Q saying (see Lk 13:28–29) about the entrance of Gentiles into the kingdom and the exclusion of those Israelites who, though descended from the patriarchs and members of the chosen nation (the children of the kingdom), refused to believe in Jesus. There will be wailing and grinding of teeth: the first occurrence of a phrase used frequently in this gospel to describe final condemnation (Mt 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30). It is found elsewhere in the New Testament only in Lk 13:28. many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, 12but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” 13And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And at that very hour [his] servant was healed.
The Cure of Peter’s Mother-in-Law.#Cf. Mk 1:29–31. Unlike Mark, Matthew has no implied request by others for the woman’s cure. Jesus acts on his own initiative, and the cured woman rises and waits not on “them” (Mk 1:31) but on him. 14#Mk 1:29–34; Lk 4:38–41. Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him.#9:25.
Other Healings. 16When it was evening, they brought him many who were possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word#By a word: a Matthean addition to Mk 1:34; cf. 8:8. and cured all the sick, 17to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:#This fulfillment citation from Is 53:4 follows the MT, not the LXX. The prophet speaks of the Servant of the Lord who suffers vicariously for the sins (“infirmities”) of others; Matthew takes the infirmities as physical afflictions. #Is 53:4.
“He took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.”
The Would-be Followers of Jesus.#This passage between the first and second series of miracles about following Jesus is taken from Q (see Lk 9:57–62). The third of the three sayings found in the source is absent from Matthew. 18#Mk 4:35. When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side.#The other side: i.e., of the Sea of Galilee. 19#Lk 9:57–60. A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher,#Teacher: for Matthew, this designation of Jesus is true, for he has Jesus using it of himself (Mt 10:24, 25; 23:8; 26:18), yet when it is used of him by others they are either his opponents (Mt 9:11; 12:38; 17:24; 22:16, 24, 36) or, as here and in Mt 19:16, well-disposed persons who cannot see more deeply. Thus it reveals an inadequate recognition of who Jesus is. I will follow you wherever you go.” 20Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man#Son of Man: see note on Mk 8:31. This is the first occurrence in Matthew of a term that appears in the New Testament only in sayings of Jesus, except for Acts 7:56 and possibly Mt 9:6 (// Mk 2:10; Lk 5:24). In Matthew it refers to Jesus in his ministry (seven times, as here), in his passion and resurrection (nine times, e.g., Mt 17:22), and in his glorious coming at the end of the age (thirteen times, e.g., Mt 24:30). has nowhere to rest his head.” 21Another of [his] disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” 22#Let the dead bury their dead: the demand of Jesus overrides what both the Jewish and the Hellenistic world regarded as a filial obligation of the highest importance. See note on Lk 9:60. But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”
The Calming of the Storm at Sea. 23#His disciples followed him: the first miracle in the second group (Mt 8:23–9:8) is introduced by a verse that links it with the preceding sayings by the catchword “follow.” In Mark the initiative in entering the boat is taken by the disciples (Mk 4:35–41); here, Jesus enters first and the disciples follow. #Mk 4:35–40; Lk 8:22–25. He got into a boat and his disciples followed him. 24Suddenly a violent storm#Storm: literally, “earthquake,” a word commonly used in apocalyptic literature for the shaking of the old world when God brings in his kingdom. All the synoptics use it in depicting the events preceding the parousia of the Son of Man (Mt 24:7; Mk 13:8; Lk 21:11). Matthew has introduced it here and in his account of the death and resurrection of Jesus (Mt 27:51–54; 28:2). came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. 25#Ps 107:28–29. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us!#The reverent plea of the disciples contrasts sharply with their reproach of Jesus in Mk 4:38. We are perishing!” 26He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”#You of little faith: see note on Mt 6:30. Great calm: Jesus’ calming the sea may be meant to recall the Old Testament theme of God’s control over the chaotic waters (Ps 65:8; 89:10; 93:3–4; 107:29). Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. 27The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
The Healing of the Gadarene Demoniacs. 28#Mk 5:1–17; Lk 8:26–37. When he came to the other side, to the territory of the Gadarenes,#Gadarenes: this is the reading of Codex Vaticanus, supported by other important textual witnesses. The original reading of Codex Sinaiticus was Gazarenes, later changed to Gergesenes, and a few versions have Gerasenes. Each of these readings points to a different territory connected, respectively, with the cities Gadara, Gergesa, and Gerasa (modern Jerash). There is the same confusion of readings in the parallel texts, Mk 5:1 and Lk 8:26; there the best reading seems to be “Gerasenes,” whereas “Gadarenes” is probably the original reading in Matthew. The town of Gadara was about five miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, and Josephus (Life 9:42) refers to it as possessing territory that lay on that sea. Two demoniacs: Mark (5:1–20) has one. two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. 29They cried out, “What have you to do with us,#What have you to do with us?: see note on Jn 2:4. Before the appointed time: the notion that evil spirits were allowed by God to afflict human beings until the time of the final judgment is found in Enoch 16:1 and Jubilees 10:7–10. Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” 30Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.#The tending of pigs, animals considered unclean by Mosaic law (Lv 11:6–7), indicates that the population was Gentile. 31The demons pleaded with him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”#Lk 4:34, 41. 32And he said to them, “Go then!” They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned. 33The swineherds ran away, and when they came to the town they reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. 34Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
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