Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 8:34
And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought [him] that he would depart out of their coasts.
34. that he would depart ] The motive for the request was fear lest a greater disaster should follow (Meyer).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Mat 8:34
Besought Him that He would depart.
God coming near to us.
I. The way in which God formerly presented himself to men.
II. The way in which he does so now.
III. The way in which men decline His presence. (E. M. Goulburn.)
Gods goodness and mans ingratitude
The Gadarenes, in return for Christs works of love, majesty, and mercy, besought Him to depart. They eared more for the swine which the devils had destroyed than for the poor man Christ had restored. (A. Jones.)
Mans dislike and dread of Christ
Still the same in our own day! Let us mark
I. The coming. It was a universal movement, and a most interesting one. A whole city flocking out to meet Jesus! How seldom had such a thing been seen, or is seen now.
II. The seeing. They did not remain afar off, but came nigh-they saw for themselves, and that aggravated their guilt.
III. The refusing. An awful request in many ways. Was there ever a request so sad, so fatal? Why was this? There was something in Jesus that drew them; but there was more that they disliked. They would like Him as the physician of the body, but not of the soul. His company seemed dangerous and terrible. So they besought Him to depart. Their depart from us is the foreboding of His depart from Me (Mat 25:41).
1. How near salvation they were.
2. How they wronged the Saviour.
3. How they wronged themselves. (H. Bonar, D. D.)
The case of the Gergesenes
That the rejection of Christ sometimes arises from imperfect knowledge of Hint; and that deeper knowledge wilt frequently lead to deeper love. I try to place myself in the position of these people.
1. I observe that almost the whole knowledge which they had of our Lord was confined to the miracle of the destruction of the swine. Can we wonder that they wished to get rid of a visitor at once so powerful and destructive? True, they had another chapter of evidences, the healed men to bear witness to the healing and restoring character of Him who had destroyed the swine. There was a problem of loss and gain; some palliation of their error.
2. If these Gergesenes, instead of the last seven verses, had had the whole of this chapter before them, would they have asked Him to leave their coasts? I doubt it.
3. If they had heard His teaching contained in the Sermon on the Mount, would they have acted so? Think of the goodness and gentleness pervading it.
4. The magnitude of the responsibility of rejecting Christ-intellectually and speculatively, or rejecting Him virtually by despising and forgetting His precepts-depends upon the knowledge which we have of Him, and in spite of which we reject Him. Those who have, as it were, a casual visit from Christ may not be much better or worse for it; it is otherwise with those who have the whole picture of His life before them. (Bishop of Carlisle.)
The conduct of the Gergesenes explained
Why the Saviour is not welcome.
1. Because the need of Him is not felt.
2. They look upon Christ as questionable Benefactor. He will take notice of everything unlawful and unholy. We like the aids of religion in domestic government, but not its restrictions.
3. The time will come when the Son of man will be admitted. Who may abide the day of His coming? He will not be shut out then. (T. E. Headline on, M. A.)
Rejecting salvation
To me it is specially appalling that a man should perish through wilfully rejecting the Divine salvation. A drowning man throwing away the life-belt, a poisoned man pouring the antidote upon the floor, a wounded man tearing open his wounds, any one of these is a sad sight; but what shall we say of a soul putting from it the Redeemer and choosing its own destruction? (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Christ should be welcomed
If you do but hear when the king is on his road to your town, you raise your bells to ring him in, and stay not till lie be entered the gates. The birds they rise betimes in the morning, and are saluting the rising sun with their sweet notes in the air. Thus should we strike up our harps in praising God at the appearance of a mercy. (Gurnall.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 34. The whole city came out] Probably with the intention to destroy Jesus for having destroyed their swine; but, having seen him, they were awed by his presence; and only besought him to depart from their borders. Many rather chose to lose Jesus Christ than those temporal goods by which they gratify their passions at the expense of their souls. They love even their swine better than their salvation.
Certain doctors in both sciences, divinity and physic, gravely tell us that these demoniacs were only common madmen, and that the disease was supposed, by the superstitious Jews, to be occasioned by demons. But, with due deference to great characters, may not a plain man be permitted to ask, by what figure of speech can it be said that “two diseases besought – went out – filled a herd of swine – rushed down a precipice?” c. What silly trifling is this! Some people’s creeds will neither permit God nor the devil to work and, in several respects, hardly to exist. For he who denies Divine inspiration, will scarcely acknowledge diabolic influence. See Clarke on Mt 8:16, and See Clarke on Lu 7:21.
It is said, The whole city came out to meet Jesus. This means no more than all the inhabitants of that place, which, most probably, was no more than a small country village; or perhaps but a few houses. I have observed that the inhabitants of the Zetland Isles, in the North Seas, denominate any collection of houses a town, even where there are but three or four: and thus I think that the Jews denominated their villages, often calling them cities.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Both Mark and Luke here add much. Mark saith, Mar 5:14-20, And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the Legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel. Luke saith, Luk 8:37-39, Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. By
the whole city, or the whole country, we must understand a very great part of it.
Came out to meet Jesus: Mark expounds it, to see what it was that was done, and to pray him to depart out of their coasts. They saw him, and not him only, but him that had been possessed of the devils, sitting at his feet clothed, in his right mind. A great miracle wrought! They did not only see it, but they heard their servants, the swine herds, attesting it; they had all the external means of faith imaginable. How are they affected? The text saith, they were afraid. An awe of this great person seized them, and possibly they were afraid lest he should have done them some further evil. What is the effect of this fear? Surely they will fall down at his feet beg his grace and favour, and that he would continue with them, and be the author of more good amongst them. Though they had lost two thousand swine, yet they were delivered from the fear of him that was possessed with the devil; and that poor creature was delivered from as great an affliction as we can imagine. Nothing of all this. They came, and prayed, and besought him to go out of their coasts. Certainly, our Saviours knowledge of the nature of this people, and what was in their hearts, provoked him to give the devils such a liberty as he did to destroy their swine: we are ordinarily punished in the thing wherein we offend, we need no more than our ordinary wishes and prayers to ruin us: who shall hereafter tell us of a power in mans will to do that which is spiritually good upon a moral persuasion? What higher moral persuasion could these Gadarenes have had, than the sight of Christ, and what he had done, afforded? yet (for aught appears) they were unanimous in this desire, that Christ should be gone. They do not do what was in their power to do, desiring him to stay. But oh how dangerous a thing it is for men to reject Christ! He immediately departeth, and we do not read that he came here any more. But he out of whom the devils were cast abideth with him, sits at his feet, desires he may go along with him; How great a difference there is betwixt seeing and hearing of Christ, and tasting how good he is! The poor demoniac would have left his country, and gone with him. But Christ suffered him not; probably he saw it would be more for the glory of God for him to stay; he therefore commands him to return to his house, and show what God had done for him, and how he had compassion on him. We cannot, more show our thankfulness to God, than by declaring his wonderful works, and what in particular he hath done for us. This poor man doth accordingly, and publisheth the name of Christ in Decapolis, which name comprehends a space of the country within which were ten cities, (as the word doth signify), whereof Gadara (saith Pliny) was one; from which city these people had their denomination of Gadarenes, that is, citizens of Gadara; or, inhabitants of the country adjacent to that city.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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, great numbers flocked from all parts,
and came out to meet Jesus: not out of any love and respect to him, and in order to invite him, and conduct him into their city, and there receive him kindly, and treat him with due honour and reverence; but either out of curiosity to see such an extraordinary person, which, doubtless, was the case of many; or, else being terrified at the report concerning him, and distressed with their present loss, which was the case of others, went out to prevent his coming any further, lest they should suffer something worse: accordingly,
when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts; which was done not as though they thought themselves unworthy the presence of so great a person, as did the “centurion”, in the former part of this “chapter”, or, as Peter, when he said, “depart from me, I am a sinful man”; but as fearing, lest some greater punishment should be inflicted on them for their sins, of which they were conscious; and therefore make no complaint of any injustice being done them by the loss of their swine; though these they preferred to the presence of Christ, and even to any cures wrought, or which might have been wrought, either upon the bodies, or souls of men.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
That he would depart ( ). The whole city was excited over the destruction of the hogs and begged Jesus to leave, forgetful of the healing of the demoniacs in their concern over the loss of property. They cared more for hogs than for human souls, as often happens today.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And, behold, the whole city came out,” (kai idou pasa he polis ekselthen) “And behold all the city came out of their own accord,” out of fear, mixed with wonder and curiosity, Mr 5:14.
2) “To meet Jesus:” (eis hupantesin to lesou) “With a view to a meeting with Jesus,” Mr 5:15,16; When they arrived they found at least one of the former demon possessed already redressed, clean, and in his own mind, emotionally stable, Luk 8:35.
3) “And when they saw him, they besought him,” (kai idontes auton parekalesan) “And upon seeing him they appealed to him,” besought Him, Mr 5:17; Luk 8:36.
4) “That he would depart out of their coasts.” (hopos metabe apo ton horion auton) “So that he might remove (himself) from their borders,” the borders of the city limits or outskirts of Gadara, and from the entire area of Gadara, Mr 5:17-20; Luk 8:36-39. These people chose unclean hogs, rather than have Jesus, the Pearl of Great Price among them. They coveted riches and worldliness above the presence of Jesus among them, 1Ti 6:10-11; 1Jn 2:15-17.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(34) The whole cityi.e., the population of Gadara or Gerasa (more probably the former), according to the reading which we adopt in Mat. 8:28. St. Mark and St. Luke add, that they found the demoniac clothed, and in his right mind, sitting at the feet of Jesus, in the clinging gratitude of faith. The narrative half suggests the thought that the garment which he now wore as the outward sign of a new self-reverence had been supplied by the pity of the disciples.
Besought him that he would depart.It was characteristic of the wild, half-heathen population that they were led to look on the Prophet who had wrought so great a work as a Destroyer rather than a Saviour, and therefore shrank from His presence among them. Not so with the demoniac himself. He felt, with a faith which was real, though weak, as if he were only safe while close to his Deliverer. He followed Him to the boat, and as He was in the act of embarking (Mar. 5:18), prayed that he might be with Him. But this was not the discipline which was needed for his spiritual health. Retirement, renewed fellowship with his kindred in his own house, the quiet witness borne there that the Lord had had compassion on himthis was better for him than the work of a more avowed discipleship. And so he went his way proclaiming, or preaching, what Jesus had done for hima true evangelist to a people whose panic terror showed that they were as yet in darkness and the shadow of death.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they pleaded with him that he would depart from their borders.’
And the consequence was that ‘all the city’ (both Jews and Gentiles) consulted together through their elders and then came to Jesus in a large deputation on behalf of the whole city, and begged Him to leave their borders. They knew what a Jewish prophet would think about pigs, and they did not want any further attacks on their herds. It may also be that they were afraid to have such a powerful Jewish prophet among them. Who could know what might happen next? Every Jew would read out of this that they preferred their uncleanness to the purity of God.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
Ver. 34. They besought him to depart ] This was as great madness, as to wish, because they had been scorched by the sun, they might see no more of it. And yet how many, alas, are there at this day that cry out of this madness, and yet imitate it! How many that prefer haram domesticam arae dominicae, as one long since complained, a swine sty before a sanctuary! (Petr. Blessensis.) We are now become Gergesites, said that martyr in Queen Mary’s days, that would rather lose Christ than our porkets. Take up your cross is a hard saying; therefore Christ must be prayed to be gone, lest all our pigs be drowned. The devil shall have his dwelling again in many men’s selves rather than in their pigs. Therefore to the devil shall they go and dwell with him, &c. Thus Mr Bradford. And oh how justly shall Christ regest one day upon all unworthy Gadarenes, Depart from me, ye wicked!
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
34. ] This request, which is related by all three Evangelists, was probably not from humility, but for fear the miraculous powers of our Lord should work them still more worldly loss. For the additional particulars of this miracle, see Mar 5:15-16 ; Mar 5:18-20 ; Luk 8:35 , and notes.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 8:34 . : an exaggeration of course, cf. accounts in Mark and Luke. ., to a meeting with Jesus. The noun occurs again in Mat 25:1 , and Joh 12:13 ; in Mat 25:6 is used instead of it. . occurs in Sept [56] for . The two nouns are little used in Greek authors. The change from one to the other in Mat 25:1 ; Mat 25:6 implies a slight difference in meaning; = accidental chance, or stealthy meeting; = an open designed meeting. The stealthy character of the meeting implied in is well illustrated in , Mat 8:28 , of this narrative. The statement that the whole city went out to meet Jesus implies a report laying the blame of the occurrence on Him. But Matthew’s account is very summary, and must be supplemented by the statements in Mark and Luke, from which it appears that some came from the town to inquire into the matter, “to see what had happened,” and that in the course of their inquiries they met Jesus and learned what they had not known before, the change that had come over the demoniac. It was on their giving in their report to their fellow-townsmen, connecting the cure with the catastrophe, that the action reported in Mat 8:34 took place.
[56] Septuagint.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mat 8:34 . : same word as in Mat 8:31 in reference to the demoniacs. They did not order or drive Him out. They besought in terms respectful and even subdued. They were afraid of this strange man, who could do such wonderful things; and, with all due respect, they would rather. He would withdraw from their neighbourhood.
This would be an oft-told tale, in which different versions were sure to arise, wherein fact and explanation of fact would get mixed up together. The very variations in the synoptical accounts witness to its substantial historicity. The apologist’s task is easy here, as distinct from that of the harmonist, which is difficult. The essential outline of the story is this. A demoniac, alias a madman, comes from the tombs in the limestone caves to meet Jesus, exhibiting in behaviour and conversation a double consciousness. Asked his name, he calls himself Legion. In the name of the “Legion” he begs that the demons may enter the swine. Jesus orders the demons to leave their victim. Shortly after a herd of swine feeding on the hills rushed down the steep into the sea and were drowned. Tradition connected the rush of the swine with the demons leaving their former victim and entering into them. But, as already remarked, the causal connection could not be a matter of observation but only of inference. The rush might, as Weiss suggests, be caused by the man, in his final paroxysm, chasing them. But that also is matter of conjecture. The real cause of the catastrophe is a mystery. Rosenmller suggests that at a hot season of the year one in a herd of swine might undergo a morbid seizure, begin to run wildly about, and be followed sequaciously by the whole flock. He mentions an occurrence of the kind at Erfurt, recent when he wrote. Lutteroth, no rationalist, suggests “vertigo,” permitted by Jesus to befall the swine, that the demoniac might have in their behaviour a sensible sign of deliverance, and so be rid of his fixed idea ( vide his Essai D’Interp. , 3 eme Partie, p. 27, note). On the nature of demoniacal possession, vide my Miraculous Element in the Gospels , pp. 172 190; vide also notes on Mark.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
the whole. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Genus), App-6, for the greater part.
to meet = for a meeting with. Greek. sunantesis. Occurs only here, but L T Tr. WH read hupantesin, which occurs also as the same reading in Mat 25:1 and Joh 12:13.
besought. Same word as in verses: Mat 8:5, Mat 8:31. See note on Mar 5:12.
out of = away from. Greek. apo. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
34.] This request, which is related by all three Evangelists, was probably not from humility, but for fear the miraculous powers of our Lord should work them still more worldly loss. For the additional particulars of this miracle, see Mar 5:15-16; Mar 5:18-20; Luk 8:35, and notes.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 8:34.[387] , they besought) Those who are held fast by concern about their property, more easily and readily repel than pursue. Even avarice is timid. Or perhaps they besought our Lord with no evil feeling.[388] See Luk 5:8.[389]
[387] , the whole city) Such great commotion do earthly interests cause!-V. g.
[388] At all events, though the Gergesenes besought Him with such a request, as did also their neighbours the Gadarenes, yet He left behind a leading one of those who had been possessed (Luk 8:35, viz. the man whom the men of the city had found sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind) as a preacher of the Gospel to them. This one may have been a Gadarene, and the other a Gergesene.-Harm. p. 274.
[389] Where Peter, from humility instead of malignity, exclaims, DEPART FROM ME, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.-(I. B.)
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
they besought: Mat 8:29, Deu 5:25, 1Sa 16:4, 1Ki 17:18, 1Ki 18:17, Job 21:14, Job 22:17, Mar 5:17, Mar 5:18, Luk 5:8, Luk 8:28, Luk 8:37-39, Act 16:39
Reciprocal: Pro 18:2 – fool Amo 7:12 – go
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A TERRIBLE PRAYER
And when they saw Him, they besought Him that He would depart out of their coasts.
Mat 8:34
This is the most terrible prayer that ever man uttered to God. There was Christ the Saviour, Christ the Healer, coming to them: coming to them, too, in all the power of His great goodness. He had just shown it in His stilling of the tempest, when even the winds and the sea obeyed Him. He had just shown it in His rescuing the poor man who was tormented by the devils.
I. A warning.We often find people wishing that they had lived in our Lords own days, and fancying that if they had seen Him work His miracles, and heard Him preach His sermons, then these things would have exercised such a power over them that they could not have helped being very much better people than they now are. This incident is meant to stop all such false notions. Christ manifested Himself to these people with some of His very greatest miracles, casting out even a legion of devilsreal evil spiritsfrom a person they all knew; and all that came of it was that they only wished to be well rid of Christ. So it might be with us, and you may be sure that so it would be with all those people who turn away from the Churchs teaching now. Those who will not believe and pray now, would have rejected Christ then, however little they may think it. Nay, if Christ were to come to them, they would find so little in Him to please them that they would do as these people did in the Gospel, and pray Him to depart out of their coasts.
II. The reason why.What was it that these people clung to so much as to make them wish to get rid of Christ? The answer is very instructive. It was their property. They were afraid for their goods. It was the destruction of the swine that went against them. You know that swine were forbidden creatures by the Law of Moses, so that these people had no right to keep them at all. Our Lords permitting the destruction of the swine touched the consciences of those people at once. It was the same thing as letting them feel that He could not come among them without their faults being brought to light, without their having to give up their sins, their ill-gotten gains, and whatever else there was that was wrong.
III. The question for us ismay not many of us be just like these persons who asked Jesus to depart? Could we bear it if we, for conscience sake, were called upon to submit to any real loss. There is hardly a house which would not have to suffer some loss, if Christ were to come and destroy whatever we have got wrongfully, as He destroyed those swine.
IV. The meaning of loss of fortune.May not the destruction of these swine teach us a great lesson as to the meaning and notion of those losses of fortune, those losses of property or social position, or whatever else men delight in, which so often come upon us? When God suffers some heavy loss to fall upon a man, it is often with the view of rousing his conscience to see the things which stood between him and Christ.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
8:34
The people came out to where Jesus was and requested him to leave the community. That could not have been on account of the one afflicted with the devils for in Mark’s account (Mar 5:19-20) he was benefited and became a preacher of Jesus. The only conclusion possible is they feared others might lose some of their stock.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 8:34. The whole city, the great mass of the inhabitants from city and country, as it appears from the other accounts.
They besought him that he would depart from their borders. The people were heathen, and as such were more affected by the loss of property and the fear of further damage than by the blessing wrought on the possessed man. Our Lord never came backbut the healed men remained. The one spoken of by Mark and Luke wished to follow Jesus, but was bidden to publish the story of his cure among his friends. With what result we do not know, but doubtless he thus prepared the way for the gospel, which was afterwards preached everywhere. The possessed received Him more readily than the Gadarenes. Christ healed madmen where calculating selfishness drove Him away.
This miracle alone tells of a transfer of demoniacal possession and of its effect upon other creatures than man.
Remarks. (1.) This occurrence shows that demoniacal possession was not identical with any bodily disease. (2.) It also opposes the view that while the influence was indeed demoniacal, bodily possession was merely a popular notion; the persons possessed identify mg themselves in their own minds with the demons. The plain language of the narrative is against such a theory, which moreover explains nothing. The main trouble is the admission, not of bodily possession, but of spiritual influence of any kind. (3.) The most natural and tenable position is: that in the time of Christ persons were, actually and bodily, possessed by personal evil spirits. The New Testament accounts show, even by their grammatical peculiarities, the existence of a double will and double consciousness (Alford) in the demoniac. Sometimes the spirit speaks, sometimes the poor demoniac himself. That sensual sin prepared the way for possession has often been supposed, and is not improbable. Such things may occur again, but discerning of the spirits was a special gift in the early church, which will doubtless return should occasion require.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
8:34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought [him] that he would {g} depart out of their coasts.
(g) Where men live as swine, there Christ does not abide, but demons.