24 and lo, a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves, but he was sleeping,
And Jehovah hath cast a great wind on the sea, and there is a great tempest in the sea, and the ship hath reckoned to be broken; and the mariners are afraid, and cry each unto his god, and cast the goods that `are' in the ship into the sea, to make `it' light of them; and Jonah hath gone down unto the sides of the vessel, and he lieth down, and is fast asleep.
And there cometh a great storm of wind, and the waves were beating on the boat, so that it is now being filled, 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?'
and not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, that is called Euroclydon, and the ship being caught, and not being able to bear up against the wind, having given `her' up, we were borne on, and having run under a certain little isle, called Clauda, we were hardly able to become masters of the boat, which having taken up, they were using helps, undergirding the ship, and fearing lest they may fall on the quicksand, having let down the mast -- so were borne on. And we, being exceedingly tempest-tossed, the succeeding `day' they were making a clearing, and on the third `day' with our own hands the tackling of the ship we cast out, and neither sun nor stars appearing for more days, and not a little tempest lying upon us, thenceforth all hope was taken away of our being saved. And there having been long fasting, then Paul having stood in the midst of them, said, `It behoved `you', indeed, O men -- having hearkened to me -- not to set sail from Crete, and to save this hurt and damage; and now I exhort you to be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of life among you -- but of the ship; for there stood by me this night a messenger of God -- whose I am, and whom I serve -- saying, Be not afraid Paul; before Caesar it behoveth thee to stand; and, lo, God hath granted to thee all those sailing with thee; wherefore be of good cheer, men! for I believe God, that so it shall be, even as it hath been spoken to me, and on a certain island it behoveth us to be cast.' And when the fourteenth night came -- we being borne up and down in the Adria -- toward the middle of the night the sailors were supposing that some country drew nigh to them; and having sounded they found twenty fathoms, and having gone a little farther, and again having sounded, they found fifteen fathoms, and fearing lest on rough places we may fall, out of the stern having cast four anchors, they were wishing day to come. And the sailors seeking to flee out of the ship, and having let down the boat to the sea, in pretence as `if' out of the foreship they are about to cast anchors, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, `If these do not remain in the ship -- ye are not able to be saved;' then the soldiers did cut off the ropes of the boat, and suffered it to fall off. And till the day was about to be, Paul was calling upon all to partake of nourishment, saying, `Fourteen days to-day, waiting, ye continue fasting, having taken nothing, wherefore I call upon you to take nourishment, for this is for your safety, for of not one of you shall a hair from the head fall;' and having said these things, and having taken bread, he gave thanks to God before all, and having broken `it', he began to eat; and all having become of good cheer, themselves also took food, (and we were -- all the souls in the ship -- two hundred, seventy and six), and having eaten sufficient nourishment, they were lightening the ship, casting forth the wheat into the sea.
Those going down `to' the sea in ships, Doing business in many waters, They have seen the works of Jehovah, And His wonders in the deep. And He saith, and appointeth a tempest, And it lifteth up its billows, They go up `to' the heavens, they go down `to' the depths, Their soul in evil is melted. They reel to and fro, and move as a drunkard, And all their wisdom is swallowed up.
thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice was I shipwrecked, a night and a day in the deep I have passed; journeyings many times, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from kindred, perils from nations, perils in city, perils in wilderness, perils in sea, perils among false brethren;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Matthew 8
Commentary on Matthew 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
The evangelist having, in the foregoing chapters, given us a specimen of our Lord's preaching, proceeds now to give some instances of the miracles he wrought, which prove him a Teacher come from God, and the great Healer of a diseased world. In this chapter we have,
Mat 8:1-4
The first verse refers to the close of the foregoing sermon: the people that heard him were astonished at his doctrine; and the effect was, that when he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him; though he was so strict a Lawgiver, and so faithful a Reprover, they diligently attended him, and were loth to disperse, and go from him. Note, They to whom Christ has manifested himself, cannot but desire to be better acquainted with him. They who know much of Christ should covet to know more; and then shall we know, if we thus follow on to know the Lord. It is pleasing to see people so well affected to Christ, as to think they can never hear enough of him; so well affected to the best things, as thus to flock after good preaching, and to follow the Lamb withersoever he goes. Now was Jacob's prophecy concerning the Messiah fulfilled, that unto him shall the gathering of the people be; yet they who gathered to him did not cleave to him. They who followed him closely and constantly were but few, compared with the multitudes that were but followers at large.
In these verses we have an account of Christ's cleansing a leper. It should seem, by comparing Mk. 1:40, and Lu. 5:12, that this passage, though placed, by St. Matthew, after the sermon on the mount, because he would give account of his doctrine first, and then of his miracles, happened some time before; but that is not at all material. This is fitly recorded with the first of Christ's miracles,
Mat 8:5-13
We have here an account of Christ's curing the centurion's servant of a palsy. This was done at Capernaum, where Christ now dwelt, ch. 4:13. Christ went about doing good, and came home to do good too; every place he came to was the better for him.
The persons Christ had now to do with were,
Now in the story of the cure of this servant, we may observe an intercourse or interchanging of graces, very remarkable between Christ and the centurion. See here,
The centurion's faith in the power of Christ he here illustrates by the dominion he had, as a centurion, over his soldiers, as a master over his servants; he says to one, Go, and he goes, etc. They were all at his beck and command, so as that he could by them execute things at a distance; his word was a law to them-dictum factum; well-disciplined soldiers know that the commands of their officers are not to be disputed, but obeyed. Thus could Christ speak, and it is done; such a power had he over all bodily diseases. The centurion had this command over his soldiers, though he was himself a man under authority; not a commander-in-chief, but a subaltern officer; much more had Christ this power, who is the supreme and sovereign Lord of all. The centurion's servants were very obsequious, would go and come at every the least intimation of their master's mind. Now,
Mat 8:14-17
They who pretend to be critical in the Harmony of the evangelists, place this passage, and all that follows to the end of ch. 9 before the sermon on the mount, according to the order which Mark and Luke observe in placing it. Dr. Lightfoot places only this passage before the sermon on the mount, and v. 18, etc. after. Here we have,
Mat 8:18-22
Here is,
We have here Christ's managing of two different tempers, one quick and eager, the other dull and heavy; and his instructions are adapted to each of them, and designed for our use.
Mat 8:23-27
Christ had given sailing orders to his disciples (v. 18), that they should depart to the other side of the sea of Tiberias, into the country of Gadara, in the tribe of Gad, which lay east of Jordan; thither he would go to rescue a poor creature that was possessed with a legion of devils, though he foresaw how he should be affronted there. Now.
Mat 8:28-34
We have here the story of Christ's casting the devils out of two men that were possessed. The scope of this chapter is to show the divine power of Christ, by the instances of his dominion over bodily diseases, which to us are irresistible; over winds and waves, which to us are yet more uncontrollable; and lastly, over devils, which to us are most formidable of all. Christ has not only all power in heaven and earth and all deep places, but has the keys of hell too. Principalities and powers were made subject to him, even while he was in his estate of humiliation, as an earnest of what should be at his entrance into his glory (Eph. 1:21); he spoiled them, Col. 2:15. It was observed in general (v. 16), that Christ cast out the spirits with his word; here we have a particular instance of it, which have some circumstances more remarkable than the rest. This miracle was wrought in the country of the Gergesenes; some think, they were the remains of the old Girgashites, Deu. 7:1. Though Christ was sent chiefly to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, yet some sallies he made among the borderers, as here, to gain this victory over Satan, which was a specimen of the conquest of his legions in the Gentile world.
Now, besides the general instance which this gives us of Christ's power over Satan, and his design against him to disarm and dispossess him, we have here especially discovered to us the way and manner of evil spirits in their enmity to man. Observe, concerning this legion of devils, What work they made where they were, and where they went.
Now,