The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 334

'<l"ith his still being at "the receipt of They seem, with Nicodemus, to have recog- custom" (eh. ix. 9). nized that holiness was an essential con- dition of performing mirnoles (John iii. 2), Ver. 23.-And when he we.s entered into but not to have realized that this oondition a ship ( Revised Version, boat), his disoiplea was satisfied in Jesus. That even the winds followed him. Did St. Matthew see in the and the sea obey him. "Him," emphatio very order of embarl.-ing a symbol of the ( ab,-i wa,cot\ovcrw). The miracle Ihas been Christian life? It may be eo, but a more seen to be a parable of the security of the probable reason for mentioning tbe order ie ship of the Church since at le11st the days that our Lord was, perhaps, on this oooasion of Tertnllie.n (' De Be.pt.,' § I 2). (For the not nsing " boat that belonged to any of the corupaxison generall;v of the Church to 11, disciples. Po.ssage may have been given to ship, compare espec111.lly Bishop Lightfoo~ him at his request, and of course the dis- on Ignatius, • Polyc.,' § ii.) ciples went where he went. \"er. 24.-.&.nd, behold (eh. i. 20, note). Vers. 28-34.-The GadareM lkmooiaa. Perhaps when with Jeans they hardly ex- Pe.ra.llel passages: Mark v. 1-20; Luke pected a storm. There arose a great tempest viii. 26-39, where see full notes. Matthew in the sea. St. Matthew records only the is much leBB detailed. Matthew mentions effect of the andden mah (>-<ii'Mlj, in the two demoniacs ; the pe.re.Uel passages, one ; J)&.l'&llel passages) of the wind down the gorges. Insomuc.h that the ship (Revised the reason may be either that one was less Version, boat) was oovered with the waves. fierce than the other, or that only one came The waves swept again aud again clean over from Gerasa (Nosgen). But in our present the boat. Slowly but anrely the boat was knowledge of the extent of inspiration, we :lilling(parallel passages). But he was asleep. cannot confidently affirm that the evan- All the time (i1ed.l!evS,v). Yet what a con- trast to Jonah (i. 5). gelists were kept from errors in numbers, Ver. 25.-And his disciples (Revised and that the addition of the second Version, they) came to him (1eal 1rpocre;>,.1Jo.,.,.es). demoniao is not due to some misunder- The insertion of the words, " his disciples," standing, perhaps of the use of the plural distracts the mind from the fact of their in the demoniac's answer in the parallel coming. Their skill and their long ex- passage, Mark v. 9 (cf. Weiss, 'Me.rcns-ev.,' perience of those waters now failed them. And awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we p. 172). (For a similar diflicnlty, of. the note perish (Ktlp«, crwcrov, ihroU6µ,,l!a). The last on eh. ix. 27-31.) With regard to this and most emphatic word comes in e.11 the mysterious narrative generally, the explana- narratives. They had no hope of escape tion of its details can be little more than from the death that was already overtaking empirical in onr present knowledge of psy- them except throngh him. Ver. 26.-And he saith unto them, Why chology and of spiritual influences. are ye fearful, 0 ye of little faith t (eh. vi. 30, Ver. 28.-And when he was come to the note). The winds and waves were master- other side into the country of the Ger- ing their souls as well as their bodies. gesenes; Revised Version, Gadarenes, which Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and is certainly right here, as is "Gerasenes" in the sea.. Bebulred(iu-rlµ,71cr,); cf. Ps. civ. 7. the parallel paeeages (cf. Westcott and Hort, The words spoken are recorded by St. Mark. ii. • App.'). Gergesa (Textns Receptus And there was a great ce.lm. Correspond- here, and Alexandrian authorities in pare.lie! ing to the" great tempest" (ver. 24). passages) o.nd Gere.ea. (unless, with Origen Ver. 27.-Bnt (Revised Version, ana) the on John i. 28, we understand by this the men. Perhaps the disciples (" Sie ale Al'abian Gerasa fifty miles awe.y) are pro- Menschen st.annen," Niisgen), but probably bably forms of the same name now re- those to whom the boat belonged (ver. 23, presented by Khersa, e. village discovered note), the crew. It seems very far-fetched (? in 1857) by Thomson (' The Land and to explain it of all men who heard of the the Dook,' pp. 375, sqq., edit. 1880) on the miracle. Marvelled. As the multitadea eastern side of the lake, and lying " within (eh. ix. 33; but contrast eh. xiv. 33). Say- 11, few rods of the shore," with "an immense ing, What manner of man is this t (llon.-&, rnountain" rising directly above it, "in br-rw uv-ros; ). Parallel pas!!ages, "Who which are ancient tombs, out of some of then ? " ( ,-/, fipa; ). The term indicates the which the two men possessed of the devils slightness of their knowledge of his charac- may have issued to meet Jesus. The luke tc,r (probably not his origin, which, accord- is so near the bW!e of the mountnin that ing 10 Phryn. [Wetstein], would be 1ro3a1r&s; the swine, rushing madly down it, could not thou;,;h it may be doubted whethc-r the dis- stop, but woulcl be hunie<l on into the tin etion can be pressed in Hellenilrtlo Greek). we.ter and drowned.'' To this Origen's c:u. vm. 1-34.) THE GOSPEL .ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 329