The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 328

Ver. 1.-Matlhew only. When he wu the increasing astonishment of the by- eome down from the mountain (eh. v. 1, standers or a menns of indicating that this note), great multitudee followed him. A was no accidental touoh, but the result of transitional vcree. It carries on the thought deliberate will (cf. eh. xiv. 31). Acoordiug of the ~x"-01 iu the lll8t veree of the preceding to the Law (Lev. xiii. 46 with xi. 40), our chapter, and scr,·es to introduce the following Lord by this action would become unolenn examples or sick folk; or, perhaps, it may • until the evening. But of this there is no be conneoted with !he "great multitudes" hint. That indeed he could not by it oon- (tx;i..o, ,roMo() of eh. iv. 25, coming, as the tract any real impurity, or even any cere- plural suggests (cf. also eh. xii. 23) from the monial impurity in the eyes of God, is various plnces tl,ere enumerated. If we must self-evid~nt. But how coulcl he himself combine this verse with Lukev. 12, we must justify his exemption from the Law? and suppoee our Lord to have descended the how could the people justify it? Pro- mountain, and to be pa.ssing through "one bably both he and they folt that as " the of the cities," coming (our ver. 5) after- priests, in their contaot with the leper to wards to Capernaum, the "great multi- be adjudged, were exempted from the law tudes" (cf. Luke v. 15) being drawn from of defilement," much more was the One the various cities through which he passed. who "cleansed" him. "He says, 'I will,' to The verse remiuds us tl,at the two sides meet the heresy of Photinus. He commands, of !he Lord's life, preaching and work, because of Arius. He touches, because of were intimately connected. Men not only Manichmus" (Ambrose, in Ford). Baying, wondered at what they heard (eh. vii. 28, I will (8,;1.w). Synchronous with the action. 29), they also followed him, and this led to Be thou clean; be thou 11rnde clean (Revised oce.asions for the exercise of his practical Version); ,ca.Bap(u811.,.,. The external power RCtivity. The result was that they won- which the man had himself acknowledged dered at his work ( eh. ix. 33), as they was now applied to him, and he was made wondered at his preaching. clean by it, physically and therefore oere- Ver. 2.-.And, behold. In this case the monially ( cf. Bishop Westcott, on' Hebrews,' unexpected (eh. i 20, note) was the near p. 346). And immediately his leprosy was approach ( ,rpou,A.9wv), the "worship," and oleansed. (On the parallel passage in Mark the prayer of an outcast. There came a and Luke, " departed from him," see Pro- leper. Loathsome physically e.ud typically. fessor Marshall, in EzpoBitor, June, 1891, The other passages which speak of the p. 464:.) hee.liug of lepers by our Lord or the Ver. 4.-And J'esUB saith unto him, See apostles are (1) eh. x. 8; (2) eh. xi. 5; thou tell no man; i.e. of those who were paralM passage, Luke vii. 22 ; (3) Luke not present (Bengel). The command may xviL 12; (4) perhaps eh. xxvi. 6; parallel have been given (1) to save the man from passage, Mark xiv. a. And worshipped him temptation to self-importance; or (2) to (eh. iv. 9, note). From the parallel passages prevent any rumour of the miracle coming we may see that tLe word here refers more to to the ears of the recognized e.uthoriti~a, the posture of hi.a body than to the nature of and thus prejudicing them in their verdict his thoughts. Baying, Lord, if thou wilt, upon his case; or, and more probably, (3) thou oanst make ma olean. Lepro3y stood for the Lord's sake, for this seems to be in so peculiar and solemn e. relation to the the reason for the command in all the other Israelites that it would hardly be included ooce.eions when it is given (eh. ix. 30; xii. under the terms, '' all manner of disease, 16; xvii. 9; Mark v. 43; vii. 36; viii. 26; &nd all manner of sickneBB," in eh. iv. 23, cf. Mark i 34; iii. 12). The Lord did not 24 ; we have therefore no evidence that desire to be thronged with multitudes who up to this time any leper had been healed came only to see his miracles ; he would by our,Lord. The man's utterance marks, work in quiet (cf. the quotation from Isaiah therefore, e. distinct advance in faith. None in eh. xii. 18-21). But go thy way, show like him, the object of the Divine "stroke," thyself to the priest. The latter clause had been healed ; but from lesser examples belongs verbally to Lev. xiii. 49, but the of Jesus' power he argues to the greater. thought is that of Lev. xiv. 2, sqq. With. Sure of J csus' power, he appeals to his heart. out the official verdict, the man could not Make me olee.n (,ca.8a.plua.,). Not merely" bee.I be restored to communal privileges (so also me ; " for e. leper could not but think of Luke xvii 14). And off'er the gift that healing and its ,um8equence1 - restoration Mose■ commanded. Including (1) "two to social and religious pri vilege1 ( tiid6 living clean birds, and cedar wood, e.ud i11fra). scarlet, and hyssop" (Lev.xiv.4); (2) "two Ver. 3.-And J'esu1 put forth (and he he-lambs without blemish, and one ewe .trelehed forth, Revised Version) _his hand, lamb of the first year without blemish, and and touched him. 1'he careful reoord of three tenth parts of an ephall of fine flour the lwofold 1wtion may be either a trace of for e. meal offering, mingled with oil, and -CH, vm. 1-84.] TUE GOSPEL ACCORDIXG TO ST. MATTHEW, 323