Nazarene Commentary 2000©
21st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures©
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21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures©
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THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
CHAPTER EIGHT:
JESUS HEALS, CONTROLS WEATHER,
EXPELS DEMONS
[A Miracle-Working Son of God]
Matthew 8:1-4 – Crowds Gather as Leper Cleansed
|| Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16
MT8:1 Great crowds followed Jesus when he came down from the mountain.
MT8:2 And, look! a leper
approached Jesus and bowed to the ground,
prostrating himself at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Sir, if you are able and willing, cleanse me.”
| 388 | Leper: Lepers and leprosy occur 20 times in the Hebrew Bible and 9 times in the Christian Bible. |
| 389 | Bowed to the ground: The whole phrase is from the single Greek word PROSEKUNEI (before + kiss), inferring severe prostration
and kissing the sandals of the respected one. The rendering with the word “worship” is misleading in modern English though not in King James English. Strong’s Greek Number 4352: from 4314 and a probable derivative of 2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand). The word occurs 60 times in the KJV. It has the range of meaning: 1) to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence; 2) among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence; 3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication; 3a) used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank. |
MT8:3 And, reaching out his hand Jesus touched the leper, saying,
“I am willing. Be cleansed.”
And immediately the man was cleansed of the leprosy.
MT8:4 And Jesus told the leper,
“See you tell no one and [go] offer the [sacrificial] gift appointed by Moses as a testimony to them.”| 390 | See you tell no one: Several times Jesus tells a healed person this, usually with the opposite result – they go and tell everyone (Mark 1:44, 45; Luke 5:14, 15). |
| 391 | Gift appointed by Moses: See Leviticus 14:1-32 |
Matthew 8:5-13 – Servant of Army Officer Healed
|| Luke 7:1-10; John 4:46-53
MT8:5 Entering Capernaum a centurion
approached Jesus begging him
| 392 | Centurion: The word occurs ten times in the Christian Bible between Matthew and Acts. This Roman army officer was in charge
of one hundred soldiers. Roman legions, despite the number of troops were divided into 60 centuries under the command of a centurion. This is an occupying soldier often disliked by the Jews. However, some Roman soldiers became quite favorable to the Jews, giving charitable gifts, and at least in one known case, built a synagogue. Compare a later centurion, Cornelius in Acts chapter 10 (Note John the Baptist’s suggestions to such soldiers at Luke 3:14). |
MT8:6 saying, “Sir, my servant-boy
is house-bound, a paralytic, in terrible agony.”
| 393 | Servant-boy: The Greek is PAIS meaning “boy.” “Boy” is an old English word for a male slave or
servant. “Girl” designated a female slave. “Boy” in certain racial contexts is derogatory in many cultures today. Some women object to “girl” because of its historical roots in slavery. |
MT8:7 Jesus told him,
“When I arrive I shall cure him.”
| 394 | I shall: Note our Lord’s confident faith. |
MT8:8 But
the centurion replied: “I am unfit
to have you enter under my roof; but only say the word and my servant-boy will be healed.
| 395 | I am unfit: Actually Jews had little to do with Non-Jews and the “religious” among them had no dealings at
all. |
MT8:9 For I am a man in a position of authority with many soldiers under me. And I tell this one, ‘Get up and go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and
he comes. And to my own slave,
‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
| 396 | Slave: This is a different Greek word than PAIS above – DOULO meaning a slave or servant. The word group “slave”
occurs 400 times in the Bible, most often in the Christian Bible in Matthew and Luke. The first occurrence is Genesis 9:25 following the Flood. In Paul’s epistles the word “slave” is often applied as a designation for a disciple of the Nazarene.
One of Paul’s letters, Philemon (verse 16), was written to a Christian slave owner. |
MT8:10 Hearing this Jesus marveled and told those following him,
“I tell you this truth, I tell you, I have never discovered
such faith in all of Israel!
| 397 | I tell you this truth: The literal Greek word is AMEN and is variously rendered: verily, solemnly, truly. The word usually
precedes a sober statement. |
| 398 | Faith: This is the second occurrence of the word “faith”
in Matthew. The first was in the Sermon on the Mount at Matthew 6:30. The Greek is PISTIN and is usually translated by the Latin biased word “faith” or the old English bias word “belief.” Paul defines “faith” in Hebrews
11:1. The words “faith” and “believe” occur over 700 times in the Bible. The first occurrence is Genesis 15:6 in the case of the father of all the faithful, Abraham. The word occurs most often in the Letter to the Romans. The
last occurrence deals with those lacking faith (Revelation 21:8). |
| 399 | Such faith in all of Israel:
This must have struck his disciples hard! Observers may already have been questioning the propriety of such contact with a Gentile, let alone an occupying soldier. And, then to be told this Roman centurion’s faith was so outstanding. How much basis did
the centurion have to place his faith and trust in this carpenter from Nazareth? Surely the humble solider serves as an example two thousand years later? |
MT8:11 But,
I tell you that many from sunrise to sunset will come and recline with Abraham and Isaac and
Jacob in the Realm of the Heavens,
| 400 | Sunrise to sunset: Or, east and west; orient and occident. |
| 401 | Abraham and Isaac and Jacob: This verse has been very controversial with a variety of opinions. Some view it as evidence these ancient patriarchs would attain to heavenly life. Jesus repeats something similar in another context at Luke 13:29 where he amplifies the compass directions. Judging from Matthew 11:11, 12 these honorable forefathers would only equal John the Baptist who would not be a member of the Kingdom Realm of heaven. So, what may this verse mean? Judging from the context of Luke 13:29 it may be understood in this manner: The phrase “kingdom of the heavens” likely refers to the Realm of Profession (Christendom) over which the Lord Messiah reigns, that is, the Christian Church. The three patriarchs possibly stand as a symbol for the Jewish roots of those first members of Christ’s church/kingdom. As in that “root of fatness” which comprises the Olive Tree of Romans chapter 11. In the year 36 the first Gentile convert to Christianity joined the Church along with his family. This was the first to come to the spiritual table within that Realm of Christian Profession. Meanwhile the religious hypocrites found themselves outside in the darkness. Near the end of his ministry when Greeks wish to speak to them, Jesus assured that following his ascension he “would draw all kinds of men.” (John 12:20-32) The names of the patriarchs are used as synonyms for the nation of Israel [Abraham – Isaiah 29:22; Isaac, Amos 7:9; Jeremiah 33:26; Psalm 105:9. Jacob in particular is a cryptic for Israel – Psalms 14:7; 44:4; 47:4; 53:6; 59:13; 78:5, 21, 71; 79:7; 85:1; 87:2; 99:4; 105:10; 135:4; 147:19; Rachel is also used for all of Israel, Jeremiah 31:15] |
MT8:12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness, and there they will weep and grind their teeth.”
| 402 | Sons of the kingdom: That is the Jews who were promised such a “kingdom of priests” upon their obedience to
God’s covenant (Exodus 19:5, 6). Jesus uses the phrase only one other time in Matthew 13:38 as he applies it to the wheat class of Christians within “the kingdom of the heavens.” This kingdom is that of the Son, in which there prove to be
the lawless. It contrasts with the Father’s Kingdom where the Saints will shine like the sun in glory (Matthew 13:41-43; Daniel 12:3). |
| 403 |
Grind their teeth: Note how this begins at Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7:54, 57). |
MT8:13 And then Jesus spoke to the centurion,
“Be on your way: just as you believed, let it happen to you.”
And the servant-boy was healed in that very hour.| 404 | Believed: Or, conviction, trust, faith. The Greek is EPISTEUSAS. |
Matthew 8:14-17 – Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-law
|| Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41
MT8:14 Upon arriving at Peter’s house
Jesus saw his mother-in-law
down with a burning fever.
| 405 | Peter’s house: Possibly owned by Peter. It is also possible he later sold it to obey Luke 12:33 thus setting his
example in Acts 2:44, 45; 4:34-37. |
| 406 | Mother-in-law: Most understand that Peter was married as Paul
later mentions (1 Corinthians 9:5). We are told nothing of Peter’s wife. |
MT8:15 Jesus touched her
and the fever left her. She rose and began serving Jesus.
| 407 | Jesus touched her: Some of Jesus’ healings involved touch (Matthew 20:34).; others did not, as in the case of the
centurion’s servant. Regarding Jesus’ touch (or, others touching him) see: Matthew 8:3, 15; 9:20, 21, 29; 14:36; 17:7; 20:34; Mark 1:41; 3:10; 5:27; 6:56; 7:33; 8:22; 10:13; Luke 5:13; 6:19; 7:14, 39; 8:44; 18:15; 22:51. |
| 408 | Serving Jesus: That is, showing hospitality as in preparing food and drink. We wonder what goes through her mind. |
MT8:16 Now when evening arrived they brought to Jesus many demon-possessed
and he exorcised
the spirits
with a mere word; and those suffering badly he cured.
| 409 | Demon-possessed: The Greek is DAIMONI-ZOMENOUS and is also rendered: WEY: demoniacs; KJV: possessed with devils; BAS: had evil spirits. The word occurs ten times only in the Synoptic Gospels. |
| 410 | Exorcised: The Greek is EXEBALEN and is variously rendered: KJV: cast out; NOR: drove out; KIT: threw out (Compare Matthew 9:33; Mark 1:34; 16:9). |
| 411 | Spirits: The Greek is PNEUMATA and is rendered “demons” by some (MON). |
| 412 | Cured: The Greek is ETHERAPEUSEN and may be translated “healed.” The word occurs three dozen times in the Gospels. |
MT8:17 This [was done] so that spoken by Isaiah
the prophet might be fulfilled:
“He took [upon himself] our sicknesses and our diseases he carried.”
[Isaiah 53:4]| 413 | Isaiah: That is Isaiah 53:4. Isaiah is quoted by name 21 times (Matthew, 5; Mark, 2; Luke, 2; John, 4; Acts,
3; Romans, 5). 1 Peter 2:24 alludes to this same verse. |
Matthew 8:18-22 – Two Would-be Followers
|| Luke 9:57-60
MT8:18 But when Jesus observed the crowd surrounding him he commanded [his disciples] to leave for the other side of [Lake Galilee].
MT8:19 And a scribe
approached Jesus, and said: “I will follow you anywhere you go.”
| 414 | Scribe: The Greek is GRAMMATEUS, a grammarian, writer or copyist. The word occurs about 75 times in the Bible, beginning
with Judges 5:14 (Compare 1 Chronicles 2:55; Ezra 4:8, 9, 17, 23). The group occur in Matthew, 22; Mark, 21; Luke, 14; John, 1; Acts, 3; 1 Corinthians, 1. The scribe may be learning or educated. The Hebrew sopherim were very dedicated to the precise
hand-copying of the Scriptures. They counted not only the words but also the letters of the entire Hebrew Bible. They were associated with teachers of the Law and particularly the sect of the Pharisees. They could be called “Rabbi.” We would suspect
their fingers blackened from much use of pen and ink. The older scribes much hunched over from labors and the penmanship table. |
MT8:20 Jesus told him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky roasts, but the Son of Humankind has nowhere to lay his head.”
| 415 | Foxes: The animal lives in burrows underground which may be substantial. They are mentioned nine times in the Bible. |
| 416 | Roasts: Note not “nests” but temporary places to spend the night. |
| 417 | Son of Humankind: The Greek is HUIOS TOU ANTHROPOU and is most often rendered “Son of man.” There are several words for “man” and
so we prefer to widen this word to mean “human” which may or may not include women as in “humankind” according to the context. The phrase is taken directly from Daniel 7:13 which was understood by the Jewish teachers to refer to the
Messiah or even the Son of God (Compare Philo Judaea). The designation occurs about 180 times and is applied to Daniel and Ezekiel, most often in the Hebrew Bible to the latter prophet. The title occurs in Matthew, 31; Mark, 14; Luke, 25; John, 13; Acts, 1 and rarely elsewhere. |
| 418 | Nowhere: Jesus has no permanent residence but is like Paul, “homeless.” (1 Corinthians 4:11) It is interesting to note when we see Jesus next sleeping: in the fishing boat during the storm. He is often seen spending the night outdoors even up to his final week. Such a person today would be considered a homeless street-person and shunned by genteel Christians. |
MT8:21 Then a different one of the disciples
said to Jesus, “Sir, permit me first to go and bury my father.”
| 419 | A different one of the disciples: Possibly one other than the twelve. It is interesting to note that this “disciples”
wishes to “follow” Jesus. One might assume that is what being a disciple meant. It is possible the account means by this that the disciple wanted to become part of Jesus personal entourage which followed him everywhere. |
| 420 | Bury my father: Many understand this to mean the disciple wished to return to his living father and wait until his death and
burial and thereafter begin his following Jesus. |
MT8:22 But, Jesus told him,
“Be following me and let the dead bury their own dead.” | 421 | Following
me: Jesus does not include him among his closest disciples but encourages the man to continue to follow on this course. |
| 422 |
Dead bury their own dead: Those who are spiritually dead as children of Adam and have not taken up Nazarene discipleship. There were others who could bear this burden leaving the man free to follow if he so chose. Discipleship, particularly apostleship,
were serious matters worthy of total commitment by a man. It is possibly the reason women were not invited to make this sacrifice, given their obligations as mothers. |
Matthew 8:23-27 – Jesus Calms a Stormy Sea
|| Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25
MT8:23 Jesus’ disciples followed him as he embarked into the boat.
MT8:24 And, look! a great disturbance
occurred in the sea and the boat was about to be swamped
by the [storm] waves. But Jesus was sleeping.
| 423 | A great disturbance: The Greek is SEISMOS MEGAS as in a shaking, a great earthquake. |
| 424 | About to be swamped: The Greek is literally “covered” indicating the height of the waves. The Sea of Galilee is capable of great
and sudden storms. Only a person who is been in such a storm realizes the range of emotions among these seasoned fishermen. They surely were used to foul weather. |
| 425 | Sleeping: Imagine the Nazarene’s dreams in such slumber surrounded by danger. |
MT8:25 They approached Jesus and aroused him, saying,
“Master, save us, for we are being destroyed!”
MT8:26 And Jesus told them,
“Why are you frightened, you with little faith?”
Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea and a great calm occurred.
| 426 | Frightened: The Greek is DEILOI and is variously rendered: DIA: timid, KJV: fearful; RIEU: cowards |
| 427 | Little faith: Some render the phrase: PME: little-faiths. |
MT8:27 But,
these men wondered, saying, “What kind of person
is this that the winds and the sea obey him?”| 428 | What kind of person: They never think he is God. |
Matthew 8:28-34 – The Demon-possessed of the Gadarenes
|| Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-37
MT8:28 When Jesus reached the other shore in the country of the Gadarenes
two demon-possessed [men] came out from among the memorial tombs
to met him. These [demoniacs] were unusually fierce and no one had the strength or courage to travel through that way.
| 429 | Gadarenes: Called “country of the Gerasenes” in other mss and Mark 5:1 and Luke 8:26. |
| 430 | Memorial tombs: The Greek is MNEMEION and could be rendered “memorium” but generally rendered “tombs”
and “burial places.” The same word occurs at John 5:28. |
MT8:29 And, look! they shrieked, yelling, “What? – to us and you,
Son of The God? Did you come here to torment
us before the appointed time?”
| 431 | What? – to us and you: A Hebraic phrase of disdain or contempt. It is variously rendered: NWT: what have we to do
with you; RHM: what have we in common with thee; TCNT: what do you want with us; LAM: what business have we together; KNX: why dost thou meddle with us. Jesus used the same language with his mother when she appeared to either direct him or insist he perform
a miracle (John chapter 2). |
| 432 | Torment: The Greek is BASANISAI and though it is generally rendered
this way as well as “torture” (GDSP) the idea is one of “punishment.” One may compare its use in the Jewish Greek LXX Ezekiel 32:24, 27, 30 where it is used of buried soldiers and their armament. The word group occurs 20 times in the
Christian Bible. Regarding Matthew 18:34, The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia states: “Probably the imprisonment itself was regarded as ‘torment’ (as it doubtless was), and the ‘tormentors’ need mean nothing more than jailers.” (Edited by J. Orr, 1960, Vol. V, p. 2999) |
| 433 | Before the appointed time: These demons were not then being tormented in some hell-fire. Their ultimate punishment will be “everlasting cutting off” in what Revelation calls “Second Death.” (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:14) |
MT8:30 (Far away from them was a feeding herd of swine.)
| 434 | Herd of swine: Jews were forbidden pork and raising them violated the Law of Moses (Leviticus 11:7; Deuteronomy 14:8).
Compare the following regarding Jews and pork (Isaiah 65:4; 66:17; 1 Maccabees 1:63 and 2 Maccabees 6:18, 19; 7:1, 2). The Non-Jews consider pork a delicacy and doubtless these swine-herders sold their product to these. |
MT8:31 So, the demons entreated him, saying, “If you are going to exorcise us, send us into the herd of swine.”
MT8:32 Jesus said to them,
“Off with you!”
Those exorcised went away into the swine; and, look! the entire herd ran down the precipice into the sea and they died in the waters.
MT8:33 But those pasturing the herd fled into the city reporting everything involving the demon-possessed [men].
MT8:34 And, look! the entire city came out to confront Jesus and when they saw him they entreated him to leave their area.
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Nazarene Commentary 2000©
Mark Heber Miller
©2000 All Rights Reserved
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