of possession must have been great, inasmuch as the same pre dicate is often assigned both to the man possessed and to the demon possessing him : ch. iii. 11, ix. 20 ; Acts viii. 7.
24. "E«, permit) that is, permit us to speak, [but Engl. Vers., Let us alone] : Luke iv. 34, 41. — ri, what) A most miserable state ; that he should desire not to have anything to do with Jesus [comp. Rev. vi. 15]. — Na^apjjvs, of Nazareth) It is pro bable that the great Enemy had very closely observed what Jesus did at Nazareth during His youth. — d'/j-oXgtfa/, to destroy) well said ! comp. 1 John iii. 8. — fipas, us}1 The demons have a common cause among them [one common interest]. — of<5a, Iknoiv) He does not say, we know. He speaks of himself, not of the rest. The demons who were in those possessed, seem to have perceived sooner than the rest who Jesus was [yea, sooner even than most of the men with whom He walked at that time. — Harm., p. 256].
25. 'Effgr/'/ijjtfEv, He rebuked) So ch. iii. 12. Hence it is evi dent that the hidden excellency of Jesus is far greater than Socinians suppose. It belongs to THE LORD as His prerogative to ' rebuke,' Jude ver. 9. — pifjuLSijTi, be silenced) This prohibi tion did not prevent the cry of the unclean spirit when going out of the man, but merely the utterance of articulate words, such as are mentioned at ver. 24.
26. Stfa^a^av, having torn) Our enemies, when they have possessed the inmost recesses of the soul, withdraw unwillingly ; in fact, they are driven out.
27. A/da;^, doctrine) with which these miracles were con nected and accompanied. — xa/, even).
29. Ei^swg, forthwith) Jesus avoided the din of a crowd. — fadov, they came) Jesus, and Simon, and Andrew. — i^ra., with) Already, after having left one home, James and John had several homes [viz., those of their fellow-disciples].
32. 'o^/ae, at even) Implying the assiduity of Jesus. Comp. ver. 35, in the morning. — xa/, and) specially.
33. "OX»j, the whole) the sick, the bearers of them, and the spectators.
34. Oux rj<pis, He suffered not) So ch. xi. 16. The second
1 The mark of interrogation after this word ought to be removed. — Not. Grit. Both Lachm. and Tischend. retain it. — ED.