Barnes' Notes on the New Testament

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Verses 1-20. See this account of the demoniacs fully explained in Barnes Notes on Matthew 8:28-34.

{q} "And they came" Matthew 8:28; Luke 8:26

Verse 2. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 3. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

{r} "his dwelling" Isaiah 65:4

Verse 4. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 5. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 6. Worshipped him. Bowed down before him; rendered him homage. This was an acknowledgment of his power, and of his control over fallen spirits.

{s} "worshipped" Psalms 72:9

Verse 7. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 8. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

{t} "Come out of him" Acts 16:18; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8

Verse 9. My name is Legion. See Barnes "Matthew 8:29".

Verse 10. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 11. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

{x} "swine feeding" Leviticus 11:7,8; Deuteronomy 14:8

Verse 12. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

{y} "besought him" Job 1:10,12; 2:5,6

Verse 13. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

{z} "gave them leave" Revelation 13:7; 1 Peter 3:22

Verse 14. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 15. Sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind. There could be no doubt of the reality of this miracle. The man had been well known. He had long dwelt among the tombs, an object of terror and alarm. To see him all at once peaceful, and calm, and rational, was proof that it was the power of God only that had done it.

They were afraid. They were awed, as in the presence of God. The word does not mean here that they feared that any evil would happen to them, but that they were affected with awe; they felt that God was there; they were struck with astonishment at what Jesus had done.

{a} "devil, and had" Isaiah 49:25; Colossians 1:13
{b} "they were afraid" Job 13:11; Psalms 14:5; 2 Timothy 1:7

Verse 16. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 17. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

{c} "depart" Job 21:14; Luke 5:8; Acts 16:39

Verse 18. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 19. Jesus suffered him not. Various reasons have been conjectured why Jesus did not suffer this malt to go with him. It might be, that he wished to leave him among the people, as a conclusive evidence of his power to work miracles. It might be that the man feared that if Jesus left him the devils would return, and that Jesus told him to remain to show to him that the cure was complete and that he had power over the devils when absent, as well as when present. But the probable reason is, that he desired to restore him to his family and friends. He was probably a man of influence, and Jesus was unwilling to delay the joy of his friends, and prolong their anxiety, by suffering him to remain away from them.

{d} "and tell them" Psalms 66:16; Isaiah 38:19

Verse 20. In Decapolis. See Barnes "Matthew 4:25".

How great things, etc. This was the natural expression of right feeling at being cured of such a calamity. So the desire of sinners freed from sin is to honour Jesus; to ascribe all to his power; and to invite the world to participate in the same salvation, and to join them in doing honour to the Son of God. Compare Psalms 66:16.

Verse 21. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verses 22-43. See the account of the raising of Jairus' daughter, and the healing of the woman with an issue of blood, fully explained See Barnes "Matthew 9:18" and Matthew 9:19-26.

{e} "And behold" Matthew 9:18; Luke 8:41

Verse 23. Lieth at the point of death. Is dying; in the last agonies.

{f} "point of death" Psalms 107:18

Verse 24. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 25. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

{g} "an issue of blood" Leviticus 15:19

Verse 26. Had suffered many things. Had resorted to many things painful, by the direction of the physicians, in order to be healed.

{h} "nothing bettered" Job 13:4; Psalms 108:12; Jeremiah 30:12,13

Verse 27. Came in the press behind. In the crowd that pressed upon him. This was done to avoid being noticed. It was an act of faith. She was full of confidence that Jesus was able to heal: but she trembled on account of her conscious unworthiness, thus illustrating the humility and confidence of a sinner coming ta God for pardon and life.

{i} "touched his garment" 2 Kings 13:21; Matthew 14:30; Acts 5:15; 19:12

Verse 28. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 29. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 30. Virtue had gone out of him Power to heal. The word in the original means power.

Who touched my clothes? This he said, not to obtain information, for he had healed her, and must have known on whom the blessing was conferred; but he did it, that the woman might herself make a confession of the whole matter, by which the power of her faith and the greatness of the miracle might be manifested, to the praise of God.

{k} "virtue" Luke 6:19.

Verse 31. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 32. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 33. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 34. Daughter. A word of kindness, tending to inspire confidence, and to dissipate her fears.

Be whole. That is, continue to be whole; for she was already cured.

Of thy plague. Thy disease; literally, thy scourge. So a word from Jesus heals the moral malady of the sinner.

{m} "faith hath made" Mark 10:52; Acts 14:9
{n} "go in peace" 1 Samuel 1:17; 20:42; 2 Kings 5:19

Verses 35,36. Why troublest thou, etc. It seems that the people had not yet confidence that Jesus could raise the dead. He had not yet done it; and as the child was now dead, and as they supposed that his power over her was at an end, they wished no farther to trouble him. Jesus kindly set the fears of the ruler at rest, and assured him that he had equal power over the dead as the living, and could as easily raise those who had expired as those who were expiring.

{o} "is dead" John 5:25; 11:25

Verse 36. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

{p} "only believe" 2 Chronicles 20:20; John 11:40

Verse 37. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

{q} "save Peter" Mark 9:2; 14:33

Verse 38. The tumult. The confusion and weeping of the assembled people.

Wailed. Making inarticulate, mournful sounds, howling for the dead.

Verse 39. This ado. This tumult, this bustle, or confusion.

And weep. Weep in this inordinate and improper manner.

But sleepeth. See Matthew 9:24.

{r} "sleepeth" John 11:11-13

Verse 40. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 41. Talitha cumi. This is the language which our Saviour commonly spoke. It is a mixture of Syriac and Chaldee, called Syro-Chaldaic. The proper translation is given by the evangelist--- "Damsel, arise."

{r} "arise" Acts 9:40

Verse 42. No notes from Barnes on this verse.

Verse 43. Something should be given her to eat. "He had raised her by extraordinary power, but he willed that she should be sustained by ordinary means." He also in this gave full evidence that she was really restored to life and health. The changes were great, sudden, and certain. There could be no illusion. So when the Saviour had risen, he gave evidence of his own resurrection, by eating with his disciples, John 21:1-13.

{s} "charged" Matthew 8:4; 12:16-18; Mark 3:12; Luke 5:14