Matthew 8

King James Version

Full text for Matthew Chapter 8

1¶ When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

2And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

3And Jesus put forth [his] hand, and touched him, saying, ‹I will; be thou clean.› And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4And Jesus saith unto him, ‹See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.›

5¶ And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

6And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

7And Jesus saith unto him, ‹I will come and heal him.›

8The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

9For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this [man], Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth [it].

10When Jesus heard [it], he marvelled, and said to them that followed, ‹Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.›

11‹And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.›

12‹But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.›

13And Jesus said unto the centurion, ‹Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee.› And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

14¶ And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.

15And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

16When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with [his] word, and healed all that were sick:

17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare [our] sicknesses.

18¶ Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.

19And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

20And Jesus saith unto him, ‹The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay [his] head.›

21And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

22But Jesus said unto him, ‹Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.›

23¶ And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

24And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

25And his disciples came to [him], and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

26And he saith unto them, ‹Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?› Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

27But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

28¶ And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

29And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

30And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.

31So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

32And he said unto them, ‹Go.› And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

33And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.

34And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought [him] that he would depart out of their coasts.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Matthew 8 details Jesus' powerful demonstrations of authority through a series of miracles. He cleanses a leper, heals a centurion's servant from a distance, and cures Peter's mother-in-law and many others. Jesus also calms a violent storm with a word and casts out devils from two men into a herd of swine, causing the swine to perish.

Medium Summary

After descending from the mountain, Jesus performs several miracles, beginning with the cleansing of a leper, whom he instructs to show himself to the priest. In Capernaum, a centurion demonstrates remarkable faith by asking Jesus to heal his servant with a word, leading Jesus to marvel at such belief not found in Israel and to prophesy about the inclusion of Gentiles in the kingdom. Jesus then heals Peter's mother-in-law of a fever and casts out many devils and heals all the sick, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy. As Jesus prepares to cross the sea, he warns potential followers about the cost of discipleship. During the crossing, he calms a fierce tempest with a word, astonishing his disciples. Upon reaching the country of the Gergesenes, Jesus casts out a legion of devils from two men into a herd of swine, which then rush into the sea and drown, causing the local inhabitants to request Jesus' departure.

Long Summary

Matthew chapter 8 begins with Jesus descending from the mountain, followed by great multitudes. His ministry of healing commences with a leper, who worships him and expresses faith in his ability to cleanse. Jesus touches the leper, declares "I will; be thou clean," and the man is immediately healed, with Jesus instructing him to report to the priest as commanded by Moses. Next, in Capernaum, a centurion approaches Jesus, pleading for his paralyzed servant. The centurion displays extraordinary humility and faith, stating he is unworthy of Jesus entering his home and requesting only a spoken word for healing. Jesus marvels at this faith, declaring he has not found such great faith in Israel, and prophesies that many from the east and west will enter the kingdom of heaven, while "children of the kingdom" will be cast out. The centurion's servant is healed instantly as Jesus commands. Entering Peter's house, Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law of a fever by touching her hand, after which she immediately serves them. That evening, many possessed with devils and sick people are brought to him, and he casts out spirits with his word and heals all, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah concerning bearing infirmities and sicknesses. Jesus then gives commandment to depart to the other side, and two potential followers inquire about discipleship. He challenges a scribe with the reality of his homeless state and instructs another disciple to prioritize following him over burying his father. While crossing the sea, a great tempest arises, threatening the ship, but Jesus is asleep. His disciples awaken him in fear, and Jesus rebukes their "little faith" before calming the winds and the sea with a word, leading them to marvel at his authority over creation. Upon reaching the country of the Gergesenes, two men possessed with devils confront him, acknowledging him as the Son of God and fearing premature torment. The devils request to enter a herd of swine, which Jesus permits, resulting in the entire herd rushing down a steep place into the sea and perishing. The swineherds flee and report the events, causing the whole city to come out and beseech Jesus to leave their region.

Core Concepts

  • Jesus' Healing AuthorityJesus demonstrates his power over sickness and disease by cleansing a leper, healing a centurion's servant from a distance, and curing Peter's mother-in-law and many others, fulfilling prophecy.
  • The Power of FaithThe chapter highlights the significance of faith, particularly through the centurion's profound belief that Jesus' spoken word alone is sufficient for healing, which Jesus commends as unparalleled.
  • Cost of DiscipleshipJesus challenges potential followers by revealing his own lack of a permanent dwelling and by demanding immediate commitment over familial obligations, emphasizing the radical nature of following him.
  • Authority Over NatureJesus displays divine power by calming a violent tempest on the sea with a mere word, astonishing his disciples and demonstrating his dominion over the elements.
  • Authority Over Demonic ForcesJesus casts out devils from two men, sending them into a herd of swine, which subsequently perishes, thereby showcasing his absolute power over evil spirits.
  • Gentile InclusionJesus' prophecy that many shall come from the east and west to sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven suggests a future inclusion of Gentiles into God's covenant people.
  • Fulfillment of ProphecyThe numerous healings performed by Jesus are explicitly stated to fulfill the prophecy of Esaias, that 'Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.'