WHEN HE WAS COME DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN,.... Into which he went up, and preached the sermon recorded in the "three" preceding Chapter s: GREAT MULTITUDES FOLLOWED HIM: which is mentioned, partly to shew, that the people which came from several parts, still continued with him, being affected with hi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEHOLD THERE CAME A LEPER,.... As soon as he came down from the mountain, and whilst he was in the way; though Luke says, Luke 5:12 "when he was in a certain city"; in one of the cities of Galilee; one of their large towns, or unwalled cities, into which a leper might come: he might not come int... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS PUT FORTH HIS HAND, AND TOUCHED HIM,.... This is a wonderful instance both of the grace, and goodness of Christ, in touching this loathsome creature; and of his unspotted purity and holiness, which could not be defiled by it; and of his mighty power in healing by a touch, and with a word o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, SEE THOU TELL NO MAN, c] Not that this fact could be concealed, if it was done publicly, before the multitude nor was it Christ's design that it should be; only it was his counsel to this man, that whilst he was on the road to Jerusalem, and when he was come there, that he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN JESUS WAS ENTERED INTO CAPERNAUM,.... Was returned from his journey through Galilee, to the place where he before dwelt, and is called his own city, Matthew 9:1 THERE CAME UNTO HIM A CENTURION, a Roman officer, שר מאה, "a commander of an hundred men", as the Hebrew Gospel by Munster reads... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAYING, LORD, MY SERVANT LIETH AT HOME,.... It would be a difficulty whether it was a son or a servant he was so concerned for; since παις, the word here used, more commonly signifies a "son" or "child"; but that Luke, supposing it to be the same case he relates, expressly calls him δουλος, "a s... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, I WILL COME AND HEAL HIM. This answer of Christ's, which is short and full, not only shows the readiness of Christ to do good, how soon and easily he complied with the centurion's request, it being a prayer of faith, and so effectual, and was heard as soon as delivered; but... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CENTURION ANSWERED, AND SAID,.... This, according to Luke 7:6 was said by his friends in his name, when he understood that Christ had agreed to come to his house, with the elders of the Jews, he first sent to him; and after he was actually set out with them, and was in the way to his house; who,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I AM A MAN UNDER AUTHORITY,.... Of Caesar the Roman emperor, and of superior officers under him, as a tribune, c. HAVING SOLDIERS UNDER ME an hundred of them at least, for military service, and some of them were used by him as his domestics: AND I SAY UNTO THIS MAN GO, AND HE GOETH, AND TO ANO... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN JESUS HEARD IT, HE MARVELLED,.... Which must be understood of him as man; for as God, nothing could present itself unto him at unawares, unthought of, and not known before; and so could not raise admiration in him, and which cannot properly fall on a divine person: or he behaved, both by words... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT MANY SHALL COME FROM THE EAST AND WEST,.... On occasion of the faith of the centurion, who was a Gentile, our Lord makes a short digression, concerning the call of the Gentiles; and suggests, that what was seen in that man now, would be fulfilled in great numbers of them in... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM,.... The Jews, who were subjects of the kingdom, and commonwealth of Israel, from which the Gentiles were aliens; and who were also in the church of God, which is his kingdom on earth; and besides, had the promise of the Gospel dispensation, sometimes called the kingd... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS SAID UNTO THE CENTURION,.... Christ having finished the digression, returns an answer to the centurion, agreeably to his desire, saying to him, GO THY WAY; not as displeased with him, but as granting his request: for it follows, AND AS THOU HAST BELIEVED, SO BE IT DONE UNTO THEE. As he h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN JESUS WAS COME INTO PETER'S HOUSE,.... And which was also Andrew's, Mark 1:29 for these two brothers lived together, and this was in Capernaum, as appears from the context. Though Andrew and Peter were originally of Bethsaida, a place not far from this, but had removed hither since their ca... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TOUCHED HER HAND,.... Sometimes he healed by a word, as the centurion's servant; and sometimes by a touch, as here; and sometimes by both, as the leper. Luke says, that he "stood over her", reached over her to take her by the hand, and lift her up, "and rebuked the fever". Just as he did the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE EVEN WAS COME,.... The other evangelists say, when "the sun was set", or "setting"; which circumstances are observed, not as some think, because the cool of the evening, and when the sun was set, it was more seasonable and convenient, in those hot countries, to bring out their sick, than in... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED WHICH WAS SPOKEN BY ESAIAS THE PROPHET,.... In Isaiah 53:4 "He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows", here rendered, HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND BARE OUR SICKNESSES: very agreeable to the Hebrew text, הוא, "he himself", not another; נשא, "took up", upon hims... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN JESUS SAW GREAT MULTITUDES ABOUT HIM,.... Who got together, partly out of novelty to see his person, of whom they had heard so much; and partly to see the miracles he wrought: some came to have their bodily diseases healed; few, if any, to hear the Gospel preached by him, and for the good o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND A CERTAIN SCRIBE CAME,.... "As they went in the way", Luke 9:57 to go to the sea side, in order to take shipping, and pass to the other shore; AND SAID UNTO HIM, MASTER, OR RABBI, I WILL FOLLOW THEE WHITHERSOEVER THOU GOEST. One would have thought, that this man desired in good earnest to be a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM,.... Knowing his heart, and the carnal and worldly views with which he acted; THE FOXES HAVE HOLES in the earth, where they hide themselves from danger, take their rest, and secure their whelps; AND THE BIRDS OF THE AIR HAVE NESTS, where they sit, lay, and hatch their eggs... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ANOTHER OF HIS DISCIPLES SAID UNTO HIM,.... That is, one of his disciples; for this does not suppose, that the other, the Scribe before mentioned, was one. It is possible, he might be one of the twelve. The Persic version makes him one of the disciples, whom they call "Hawarion", apostles; and,... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, FOLLOW THOU ME,.... Christ would not excuse him on this account, but insists on what he had before called him to; to attend upon him, and give himself up to the ministry of the word: which was done, partly to shew, that a greater regard ought to be had to him, than to the ne... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE WAS ENTERED INTO A SHIP,.... Which was got ready by his disciples, or hired by them for his use, according to the directions he had given, HIS DISCIPLES FOLLOWED HIM into the ship, and they only; for as for the men hereafter mentioned, they were the men that belonged to the ship, and ha... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEHOLD, THERE AROSE A GREAT TEMPEST,.... "A great concussion", or "shaking" of the sea; the stormy wind moved the sea, and the waves thereof; and both wind and sea shook the ship, and the men that were in it. Luke calls this tempest a "storm wind", Luke 8:23 and Mark says, it was "a great storm... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS DISCIPLES CAME UNTO HIM,.... From some other part of the ship, being in great consternation, and distress, AND AWOKE HIM; SAYING, LORD, SAVE US, WE PERISH. They awoke him by their loud cries, and repeated calls; for in Luke, the form of address is doubled, "Master, Master!" expressing their... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAITH UNTO THEM, WHY ARE YE FEARFUL?.... Though they had some faith in him, yet there was a great deal of fear and unbelief, for which Christ blames them, saying, O YE OF LITTLE FAITH: Matthew 6:30. In Luke, the phrase is, "where is your faith?" what is become of it? You professed but just n... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE MEN MARVELLED,.... Mark says, "they feared exceedingly"; and Luke, "they being afraid, wondered": they were filled with astonishment and fear, or reverence: there was such a shine of majesty, such a lustre of divine power appeared in this affair. The other two evangelists seem to refer this... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE WAS COME TO THE OTHER SIDE,.... Of the lake, or sea of Tiberias, right over against Galilee, INTO THE COUNTRY OF GERGESENES, the same with the Girgashites, Genesis 15:21 whom Joshua drove out of the land of Canaan; and who, as a Jewish writer l says, left their country to the Israelite... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEHOLD THEY CRIED OUT, SAYING,.... This is an instance and proof, of the wonderful power of Christ over the devils; and has therefore the note of admiration, "behold!" prefixed to it, that the devils themselves who had took possession of these men, and made them so fierce and cruel, and outrageo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS A GOOD WAY OFF FROM THEM,.... "Nigh unto the mountains", as Mark says, or "on the mountain", as Luke, bordering on the sea shore; so that though it was at some distance, yet within sight. The Vulgate Latin, and the Hebrew edition of Munster read, "not far off"; and the Persic version,... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE DEVILS BESOUGHT HIM, SAYING,.... All the devils, the whole legion of them, who perceiving that they must be obliged to go out of these men, and after they had earnestly entreated they might not be sent out of the country where they had long been, and had made themselves masters of the tempers... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, GO, c]. He gave them leave, as God did to Satan, in the case of Job for without divine permission, these evil spirits cannot do anything to the bodies, souls, or estates of men: they could not enter into the swine without leave, and much less do things of greater moment and co... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY THAT KEPT THEM FLED,.... The hog herds, men of very low life, and whose employment was very infamous and reproachful, as has been observed. These, amazed at what they had seen, distressed with the loss of the swine, and so of their employment, and frightened also lest they should incur the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEHOLD, THE WHOLE CITY,.... The inhabitants of it, not every individual person, but the greater number of them, or, at least, a very great number of them. Luke says, "the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about": for as the news was carried both into the city and country, gre... [ Continue Reading ]