Bible Commentaries

¹ And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:

(1) The same gospel is sown everywhere, but does not everywhere yield the same fruit, and this is only due to the fault of men themselves.

And he said, Unto you it is given to know the ^a mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

(a) Those things are called secret which may not be uttered: for the word used here is equivalent to our saying, "to hold a man's peace".

And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, ^b go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and ^c bring no fruit to perfection.

(b) That is, as soon as they have heard the word, they go about their business.

(c) They do not bring forth perfect and full fruit to the ripening: or, they begin, but they do not bring to an end.

But that on the good ground are they, which in an ^d honest and good heart, having heard the word, ^e keep [it], and bring forth fruit with patience.

(d) Who seek not only to seem to be such, but are indeed so: so that this word "honest" refers to the outward life, and the word "good" refers to the good gifts of the mind.

(e) With much difficulty, for the devil and the flesh fight against the Spirit of God, who is a new guest.

² No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth [it] under a bed; but setteth [it] on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

(2) That which every man has received in private he ought to bestow to the use and profit of all men.

³ Take ^f heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that ^g which he seemeth to have.

(3) Heavenly gifts are lost when one is sparing with them, and increase when one is liberal with them.

(f) That is, with what minds you come to hear the word, and how you behave yourselves when you have heard it.

(g) Either to himself, or to others, or to both: for there are none so proud as these fellows, if it were possible to see those things which they disguise: neither are there those that deceive the simple more than they do.

⁴ Then came to him [his] mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.

(4) There is no relationship of flesh and blood among men so intimate and upright as the band which is between Christ and those who embrace him with a true faith.

⁵ Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.

(5) It is expedient for us sometimes to come into extreme danger, as though Christ was not with us, that we may have a better test, both of his power, and also of our weakness.

But as they sailed he fell ^h asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and ⁱ they were filled [with water], and were in jeopardy.

(h) Jesus fell asleep, and it appears that he was very fast asleep, because they called him twice before he awoke.

(i) Not the disciples, but the ship.

⁶ And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in [any] house, but in the tombs.

(6) Christ shows by casting out a legion of demons by his word alone that his heavenly power was appointed to deliver men from the slavery of the devil: but foolish men for the most part will not redeem this so excellent grace freely offered unto them if it means the loss of even the least of their wealth.

(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, ^k and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)

(k) By force and violence, as a horse when he is spurred.

Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published ^l throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

(l) That is, the city of the Gadarenes: and though Mark says that he preached it in Decapolis, these accounts do not differ, for Pliny records in lib. 5, chap. 18, that Gadara is a town of Decapolis: so that Decapolis was partly on this side of Jordan, and partly on the other side.

And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people ^m [gladly] received him: for they were all waiting for him.

(m) The multitude was glad he had come again, and greatly rejoiced.

⁷ And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:

(7) Christ shows by a double miracle that he is Lord both of life and death.

And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her ⁿ living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

(n) All that she had to live upon.

And all wept, and ^o bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.

(o) The word signifies to beat and strike, and is used in the mournings and lamentations that are at burials, at which times men used this type of behaviour.

And her spirit came again, and she ^p arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.

(p) The corpse was lying there, and then the young girl received life, and rose out of the bed, that all the world might see that she was not only restored to life, but also void of all sickness.