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Matthew chapter 8

English Standard Version

1When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 3And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
5When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6“Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
14And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. 15He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. 16That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
18Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
23And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
28And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
New International Version

1When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.'
3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4Then Jesus said to him, 'See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'
5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6Lord,' he said, 'my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.'
7Jesus said to him, 'Shall I come and heal him?'
8The centurion replied, 'Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it.'
10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, 'Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
13Then Jesus said to the centurion, 'Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.' And his servant was healed at that moment.
14When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
16When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.'
18When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, 'Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.'
20Jesus replied, 'Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'
21Another disciple said to him, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.'
22But Jesus told him, 'Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.'
23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We're going to drown!'
26He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'
28When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29What do you want with us, Son of God?' they shouted. 'Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?'
30Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31The demons begged Jesus, 'If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.'
32He said to them, 'Go!' So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
New American Standard Bible

1When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2And a man with leprosy came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.' 3Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus *said to him, 'See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'
5And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, begging Him, 6and saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, terribly tormented.' 7Jesus *said to him, 'I will come and heal him.' 8But the centurion replied, 'Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.' 10Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, 'Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 11And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 13And Jesus said to the centurion, 'Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.' And the servant was healed at that very moment.
14When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him. 16Now when evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. 17This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: 'HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR ILLNESSES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.'
18Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. 19Then a scribe came and said to Him, 'Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.' 20And Jesus *said to him, 'The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.' 21And another of the disciples said to Him, 'Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.' 22But Jesus *said to him, 'Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.'
23When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24And behold, a violent storm developed on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, 'Save us, Lord; we are perishing!' 26He *said to them, 'Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?' Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27The men were amazed, and said, 'What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'
28And when He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men confronted Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. 29And they cried out, saying, 'What business do You have with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?' 30Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding at a distance from them. 31And the demons begged Him, saying, 'If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.' 32And He said to them, 'Go!' And they came out and went into the pigs; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33And the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.
Christian Standard Bible

1When he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. 2Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
3Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, "I am willing; be made clean." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4Then Jesus told him, "See that you don't tell anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
5When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, pleading with him, 6"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony."
7He said to him, "Am I to come and heal him? "
8"Lord," the centurion replied, "I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this! ' and he does it."
10Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following him, "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith. 11I tell you that many will come from east and west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13Then Jesus told the centurion, "Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that very moment.
14Jesus went into Peter's house and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15So he touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began to serve him. 16When evening came, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick,
17so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:He himself took our weaknessesand carried our diseases.
18When Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea. 19A scribe approached him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
20Jesus told him, "Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
21"Lord," another of his disciples said, "first let me go bury my father."
22But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
23As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves--but Jesus kept sleeping. 25So the disciples came and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to die! "
26He said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith? " Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him! "
28When he had come to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29Suddenly they shouted, "What do you have to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time? "
30A long way off from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31"If you drive us out," the demons begged him, "send us into the herd of pigs."
32"Go! " he told them. So when they had come out, they entered the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. 33Then the men who tended them fled. They went into the city and reported everything, especially what had happened to those who were demon-possessed. 34At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
New Living Translation

1Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. 2Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. 'Lord,' the man said, 'if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.'
3Jesus reached out and touched him. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be healed!' And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 4Then Jesus said to him, 'Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.'
5When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.'
7Jesus said, 'I will come and heal him.'
8But the officer said, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.'
10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, 'I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 11And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world — from east and west — and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12But many Israelites — those for whom the Kingdom was prepared — will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
13Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, 'Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.' And the young servant was healed that same hour.
14When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. 15But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him.
16That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick.
17This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, 'He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.'
18When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.
19Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, 'Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.'
20But Jesus replied, 'Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.'
21Another of his disciples said, 'Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.'
22But Jesus told him, 'Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead. '
23Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, 'Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!'
26Jesus responded, 'Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!' Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
27The disciples were amazed. 'Who is this man?' they asked. 'Even the winds and waves obey him!'
28When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met him. They came out of the tombs and were so violent that no one could go through that area.
29They began screaming at him, 'Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?'
30There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. 31So the demons begged, 'If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.'
32All right, go!' Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.
33The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. 34Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone.
King James Version

1When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
5And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
14And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. 16When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: 17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
18Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. 19And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 20And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 21And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 22But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
23And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
28And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 29And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 30And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 31So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 32And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 33And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. 34And, 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.

What does Matthew chapter 8 mean?

After completing his report on Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2), Matthew turns to demonstrating Jesus' authority over disease, demons, and even the weather. Instead of telling the story of Jesus' ministry in strict chronological order, Matthew groups Jesus' miracles into a series of stories, beginning with this chapter. This emphasis on miracles runs through chapter 11, where the focus will turn to Jesus' teachings and parables.

First, Jesus is approached by a man afflicted with some kind of skin disease. The Greek terms used here are the source of the modern term leprosy, though they originally referred to a wide range of conditions. Such persons were not only stricken with a disease, they were shunned from public life and ceremonially unclean. Boldly and with great faith and humility, the man kneels before Jesus and says that He can make Him clean if He wants to. Jesus touches the man, even though the law says that touching a leper makes a person unclean. In this case, though, the leper is immediately healed. Jesus commands him to go to the priest to be declared clean, without telling anyone what had happened (Matthew 8:1–4).

Next, in Jesus' adopted hometown of Capernaum, Jesus is approached by messengers from a Roman centurion (Luke 7:1–10). Centurions were military officers commanding as many as several hundred men. The officer's servant is paralyzed, suffering greatly, and on the verge of death. Jesus agrees to come to the centurion's home to heal the man, but the Roman officer says he is unworthy to have Jesus in his home. Instead, he points out that Jesus only needs to say the word to heal his servant (Matthew 8:5–8).

The centurion compares Jesus' authority over the natural world of human biology to that of his own authority as a Roman officer. He is both under authority and holds authority over his soldiers. He speaks a word and it is immediately carried out. He knows Jesus can do the same. Jesus marvels at the man's great faith, even though he is a Gentile, saying that He has not found anything like it in Israel. Jesus teaches the crowd that many Gentiles will be in the kingdom of heaven, along with Abraham and the patriarchs. Not every Israelite will be there, however. The key measure is not ethnicity or culture, but faith in Him (Galatians 3:28–29). Jesus speaks the word, and the man's servant is immediately healed (Matthew 8:9–13).

Next, Jesus goes to Peter's house and heals Peter's mother-in-law from a fever. He spends the evening healing many people of sickness and casting out demons. Matthew connects this to a statement found in Isaiah 53:4, part of a longer Old Testament description of the Messiah's earthly ministry (Matthew 8:14–17).

At some point in time, Jesus prepares to cross the Sea of Galilee. Two men approach claiming interest in following Christ. The first, a scribe, says He is willing to follow Jesus. Christ responds by telling him that this will not bring the scribe fame, fortune, wealth, or power—the implication seems to be that this man was looking for prestige, not truth (Matthew 8:18–20).

The other man refers to burying his father before following Jesus. Most likely, he meant that he would wait until his father had died; or, that he would observe the customary one-year wait to re-bury a loved one's bones. Again, Jesus answers in a way that challenges the man's assumptions. In this case, the man wants to delay following Christ until a more convenient time. Jesus quips that the man should not wait, rather that he should "leave the dead to bury their own dead" (Matthew 8:21–22).

Then Jesus gets into a boat with His disciples to escape the crowds, get some rest, and sail to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. While Jesus is sleeping, a sudden and violent storm springs up. Waves pour water into the boat. This is not a minor storm, given that the experienced fishermen among the disciples are in fear for their lives. They wake Jesus up and cry out to Him to save them. He asks why they have so little faith and immediately stops the storm dead with a command to the wind and the waves. The disciples are astonished and wonder what kind of man they are following (Matthew 8:23–27).

When the boat reaches the other side of the lake, Jesus is confronted by two demon-possessed men. This account is also depicted in Mark 5:1–20. The demons recognize Him as the Son of God. He casts them into a huge herd of pigs (Mark 5:13), who immediately rush into the sea and drown. The people of the region are afraid and ask Jesus to leave.
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