vi. -idtay πόλιν. 53. Lk.
b Lk. ii. 3
ΙΧ. 1. ΚΑΙ ἐμβὰς eis τὸ] πλοῖον "διεπέρασε καὶ AdOev eis τὴν 2. καὶ ἴδού, προσέφερον αὐτῷ παραλυτικὸν ἐπὶ κλίνης βεβλημένον" καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν εἶπε τῷ παρα-
(in various λυτικῷ, “"Θάρσει, τέκνον, apéwvtat® σοι at ἁμαρτίαι σου.” 3
c again ver. 22. Ch. xiv. 27 (plur., to the 12). Mk. x. 49.
1 το omitted by $BLX.
7 89B have the form αφιενται (Tisch., W.H.).
3 The reading αφεωνται σοι at ap. σου in T. R. is from Lk. (ν. 20).
σου αι αµαρ. D has σοι αι op.
real cause of the catastrophe is a mystery. Rosenmiiller 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,” per- mitted by Jesus to befall the swine, that the demoniac might have in their be- haviour a sensible sign of deliverance, and so be rid of his fixed idea (vide his Essai D’Interp., 3eme 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.
CHAPTER IX. THE HEALING MINISTRY CONTINUED. Vv. 1-8. The palsied man (Mark ii. 1-12; Luke v. 17-26). Ver. 1. ἐμβὰς: Jesus complied with the request of the men of Gerasa, who had inti- mated so plainly that they did not want any more of Hiscompany. Whatever His purpose in crossing over to the eastern shore may have been, it was frustrated by an event which in some respects was an unexpected disaster. Was it rest only or a new sphere of work He was seeking there? Vide notes on Mark.—eis +. ἰδίαν π.: entering the boat which had been moored to the shore, Jesus returned with His disciples to His own city, to distinguish it from Gerasa, the city that shut its gates against Him; so named here only. When precisely the following incident happened cannot be ascertained. Luke’s indication of time is the vaguest possible ; ‘on one of the days’. Matthew and Mark give it in different sequence, but their narratives have this in common, that they make the incident occur on arrival in Capernaum after an excursion ; in either case the first mentioned, though not the same in both. Vide notes on Mark.
Ver. 2. καὶ ἰδοὺ: usual formula for
SB have
introducing an important incident.— προσέφερον, the imperfect, implying a process, the details of which, extremely interesting, the evangelist does not give. By comparison with Mark and Luke the narrative is meagre, and defective even for the purpose of bringing out the features to which the evangelist attaches importance, ¢.g., the value set by Jesus on the faith evinced. His eye is fixed on the one outstanding novel feature, the word of Jesus in ver. 6. In view of it he is careful, while omitting much, to mention that the invalid in this instance was brought to Jesus, ἐπὶ κλίνης βεβλημένον, lying on a couch. To the same cause also it is due that a second case of paralysis cured finds a place in this collection, though the two cases have different features: in the one physical torments, in the other mental ἀερτεςεῖοπ.-- πίστιν αὐτῶν, the faith of the men who had brought the sick man to Him. The common assumption that the sick man is included in the αὐτῶν is based on dogmatic grounds.—@dapoet, τέκνον: with swift sure diagnosis Jesus sees in the man not faith but deep depression, associated probably with sad memories of misconduct, and uttering first a kindly hope-inspiring word, such as a physician might address to a patient: cheer up, child! He deals first with the disease of the soul.—adtevrar: Jesus declares the forgiveness of his sins, not with the authority of an ex- ceptional person, but with sympathy and insight, as the interpreter of God’s will and the law of the universe. That law is that past error need not be a doom; that we may take pardon for granted ; forgive ourselves, and start anew. The law holds, Jesus believed, both in the physical and in the moral sphere. In combining pardon with healing of bodily disease in this case, He was virtually announcing a general law. ‘' Who forgiveth all thine iniguities, who healeth all thy diseases,” Ps. ciii. 3: