1. Aizvepafft, He crossed over) Being asked to do so by the Gergesenes. The Lord does not force His blessings on the unwilling.1 — /'5/av, His oivn) sc. Capernaum, exalted by this inhabitant.
2. TLpoff'stpspov Avr&, they brought to Him) Many such offerings were made to the Saviour, and they were pleasing to Him. — rqy fflffnv auruv, their faith) i.e. of him who was borne, and of them who bare him. — ddpffsi, rsxvov, Son, be of good cheer2) " Neither thy sins nor thy disease shall stand in thy way." Thus, at ver. 22, Oapfct, 6vya,Tsp, daughter, be of good comfort. " Be of good comfort;" neither thy sins shall prevail against thee, nor thy disease. Thus also, " Be of good comfort, daughter" in ver. 22. — ap'euvrai dot, are forgiven thee) Without doubt, great was the sense of great sins in that man.3 — aoi has here both emphasis and accent, but in ver. 5 the same words are repeated after the manner of a quotation, and eoi or <rou is enclitic.4
3. E7-rov sv eavTofs, ovrog (3Xaa<pri/jt,iT, said within themselves, this man blasphemeth) Blasphemy is committed when (1.) things un worthy of God are attributed to Him ; (2.) things worthy of God are denied to Him ; (3.) when the incommunicable attri butes of God are attributed to others.
4. Elduc, knowing) Besides many Greek codices, which Mill first began to notice on this passage, the Gothic version and the margin of Courcelles reads thus. — iduv5 appears to have been in-
1 And by that very fact He excited in men the more ardent desires after Him, inasmuch as He did not make too long delays in the one place. — Harm., 1. c.
2 The word used by Bengel is " confide" which is repeated each time in the remarks which follow. — (I. B.)
3 This was the principal benefit, by occasion of which chiefly the thoughts of the men present there were thrown open and made manifest, ver. 3, 8. — Harm. p. 276.
4 Never had that voice been heard put forth in this way, from the time that the earth had borne men on it — V. g.
6 Lachmann reads tfoug with B, Goth Vers. and probably a. Dbc and Ilec. Text read llu».. Vulsr. "Cum vidisset." — ED.