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King James Version

Matthew 8:2

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Faith;   Jesus, the Christ;   Miracles;   Prayer;   Scofield Reference Index - Bible Prayers;   Christ;   Faith;   Lord;   Miracles;   Miracles in New Testament;   Thompson Chain Reference - Awe;   Christ;   Faith;   Faith-Unbelief;   Great;   Lepers;   Power;   Realized Power;   Reverence;   Reverence-Irreverence;   Reverenced, Christ;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Healing;   Leprosy;   Mission;   Worship;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Clean, Unclean;   Woman;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hutchinsonians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Leprosy;   Purification;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Miracles;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Matthew, the Gospel of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Mss;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Beauty;   Coming to Christ;   Consciousness;   Ideas (Leading);   Israel, Israelite;   Leprosy ;   Lord (2);   Prayer (2);   Purification (2);   Sir ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Miracles;   1910 New Catholic Dictionary - names of our lord;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Leper;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Kingdom of christ of heaven;   Kingdom of god;   Kingdom of heaven;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Clean;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Adoration;   Leper;   Scribes;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for June 16;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
King James Version (1611)
And behold, there came a leper, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, If thou wilt, thou canst make me cleane.
English Standard Version
And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."
New American Standard Bible
And a man with leprosy came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."
New Century Version
Then a man with a skin disease came to Jesus. The man bowed down before him and said, "Lord, you can heal me if you will."
Amplified Bible
And a leper came up to Him and bowed down before Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You are able to make me clean (well)."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And loe, there came a Leper and worshipped him, saying, Master, if thou wilt, thou canst make me cleane.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."
Legacy Standard Bible
And behold, a leper came to Him and was bowing down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."
Berean Standard Bible
Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."
Contemporary English Version
Suddenly a man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus. He said, "Lord, you have the power to make me well, if only you wanted to."
Complete Jewish Bible
Then a man afflicted with tzara‘at came, kneeled down in front of him and said, "Sir, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
Darby Translation
And behold, a leper came up to [him] and did him homage, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou art able to cleanse me.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then a man sick with leprosy came to him. The man bowed down before Jesus and said, "Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want."
George Lamsa Translation
And behold a leper came and worshipped him, and said, My Lord, if you wish, you can cleanse me.
Good News Translation
Then a man suffering from a dreaded skin disease came to him, knelt down before him, and said, "Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean."
Lexham English Bible
And behold, a leper approached and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you are able to make me clean."
Literal Translation
And behold, coming up, a leper worshiped Him, saying, Lord, If You will, You are able to cleanse me.
American Standard Version
And behold, there came to him a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Bible in Basic English
And a leper came and gave him worship, saying, Lord, if it is your pleasure, you have power to make me clean.
Hebrew Names Version
Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean."
International Standard Version
Suddenly a leper[fn] came up to him, fell down before him, and said, "Sir,Lord
">[fn] if you want to, you can make me clean."Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And, behold, a certain leper came (and) worshipped him, and said, My Lord, if thou art willing, thou canst cleanse me.
Murdock Translation
And behold, a leper came and worshipped him, and said: My Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And beholde, there came a leper, and worshipped hym, saying: Lorde, yf thou wylt, thou canst make me cleane.
English Revised Version
And behold, there came to him a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
World English Bible
Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And behold a leper came and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Weymouth's New Testament
And a leper came to Him, and throwing himself at His feet, said, "Sir, if only you are willing you are able to cleanse me."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And loo! a leprouse man cam, and worschipide hym, and seide, Lord, if thou wolt, thou maist make me clene.
Update Bible Version
And look, there came to him a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.
Webster's Bible Translation
And behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
New English Translation
And a leper approached, and bowed low before him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
New King James Version
And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."
New Living Translation
Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. "Lord," the man said, "if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean."
New Life Bible
A man with a bad skin disease came and got down before Him and worshiped Him. He said, "Lord, if You will, You can heal me!"
New Revised Standard
and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And 1o! a leper, coming near, began to bow down to him saying, - Lord! if thou be willing, thou canst cleanse me.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And behold a leper came and adored him, saying: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Revised Standard Version
and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And lo ther came a lepre and worsheped him sayinge: Master if thou wylt thou canst make me clene.
Young's Literal Translation
and lo, a leper having come, was bowing to him, saying, `Sir, if thou art willing, thou art able to cleanse me;'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And lo, there came a leper, and worsheped him, sayinge: LORDE, yf thou wylt, thou canst make me cleane.
Mace New Testament (1729)
and there came a leper who threw himself at his feet, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Simplified Cowboy Version
All of a sudden, a man came from the brush and took off his hat and hit a knee right in front of him and said, "Boss, if you want to, you can heal me of this hoof rot."

Contextual Overview

1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

behold: Mark 1:40-45, Luke 5:12

a leper: Matthew 10:8, Matthew 26:6, Leviticus 13:44-46, Numbers 5:2, Numbers 5:3, Numbers 12:10, Deuteronomy 24:8, Deuteronomy 24:9, 2 Samuel 3:39, 2 Kings 5:1, 2 Kings 5:27, 2 Kings 7:3, 2 Kings 7:4, 2 Kings 15:5, 2 Chronicles 26:19-21, Luke 4:27, Luke 17:12-19

worshipped: Matthew 2:11, Matthew 4:9, Matthew 14:33, Matthew 15:25, Matthew 18:26, Matthew 28:9, Matthew 28:17, Mark 1:40, Mark 5:6, Mark 5:7, Luke 5:12, John 9:38, 1 Corinthians 14:25, Revelation 19:10, Revelation 22:8, Revelation 22:9

if: Matthew 9:28, Matthew 9:29, Matthew 13:58, Mark 9:22-24

Reciprocal: Leviticus 14:2 - He shall Joshua 5:14 - fell on his 2 Kings 5:3 - he would Matthew 9:18 - worshipped Matthew 20:20 - worshipping Acts 10:25 - and fell

Cross-References

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Genesis 8:11
And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
Genesis 8:13
And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.
Job 38:37
Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
Proverbs 8:28
When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
Jonah 2:3
For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
Matthew 8:9
For 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.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And behold there came a leper,.... As soon as he came down from the mountain, and whilst he was in the way; though Luke says, Luke 5:12 "when he was in a certain city"; in one of the cities of Galilee; one of their large towns, or unwalled cities, into which a leper might come: he might not come into walled b towns, at least they might turn him out, though without punishment: for the canon runs thus c,

"a leper that enters into Jerusalem is to be beaten; but if he enters into any of the other walled towns, though he has no right, as it is said, "he sitteth alone", he is not to be beaten.''

Besides, this leper, as Luke says, was "full of leprosy", Luke 5:12 see the note there; and he might be pronounced clean by the priest, though not healed, and so might go into any city or synagogue: the law concerning such an one, in Leviticus 13:1 is a very surprising one; that if only there were some risings and appearances of the leprosy here and there, the man was unclean; but if "the leprosy covered all his flesh", then he was pronounced clean; and such was this man: he was a very lively emblem of a poor vile sinner, full of sin and iniquity, who is brought to see himself all over covered with sin, when he comes to Christ for pardon and cleansing; and is so considered by Christ the high priest, when he applies his justifying righteousness and sin purging blood to his conscience. A leper, by the Jews d, is called רשע, "a wicked" man; for they suppose leprosy comes upon him for evil speaking. This account is ushered in with a "behold", as a note of admiration and attention, expressing the wonderfulness of the miracle wrought, and the seasonableness of it to confirm the doctrines Christ had been preaching to the multitude. This man came of his own accord, having heard of the fame of Christ;

and worshipped him in a civil and respectful way, showing great reverence to him as a man; which he did by falling down on his knees, and on his face; prostrating himself before him, in a very humble and submissive manner, as the other evangelists relate: for that he worshipped him as God, is not so manifest; though it is certain he had an high opinion of him, and great faith in him; which he very modestly expresses,

saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean: he was fully assured of his power, that he could make him clean, entirely rid him of his leprosy, which the priest could not do; who could only, according to the law, pronounce him clean, so that he might be admitted to company, but could not heal him of his disease: this the poor man was persuaded Christ could do for him, and humbly submits it to his will; of which, as yet, he had no intimation from him. And thus it is with poor sensible sinners under first awakenings; they can believe in the ability of Christ to justify them by his righteousness, cleanse them by his blood; and save them by his grace to the uttermost: but they stick at, and hesitate about his willingness, by reason of their own vileness and unworthiness.

b Misn. Celim. c. 1. sect. 7. c Maimon. Biath Hamikdash, c. 3. sect. 8. & in Misn. Celim. c. 1. sect. 8. d Maimon. in Misn. Negaim, c. 12. sect. 5. & Bartenora in ib. sect. 6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

There came a leper - No disease with which the human family has been afflicted has been more dreadful than that which is often mentioned in the Bible “as the leprosy.” It first exhibits itself on the surface of the skin. The appearance is not always the same, but it commonly resembles the spot made by the puncture of a pin or the pustules of a ringworm. The spots generally make their appearance very suddenly. Perhaps its appearance might be hastened by any sudden passion, as fear or anger. See Num 12:10; 2 Chronicles 26:19. The spots commonly exhibit themselves at first on the face, about the nose and eyes, and increase in size a number of years, until they become as large as a pea or a bean.

There are three kinds of leprosy, distinguished by the appearance of the spots - the white, the black, and the red leprosy. These spots, though few at first, gradually spread until they cover the whole body.

But, though the “appearance” of the disease is at first in the skin, yet it is deeply seated in the bones, and marrow, and joints of the body. We have reason to suppose that in children it is concealed in the system for a number of years until they arrive at the age of puberty; and in adults for three or four years, until at last it gives fearful indications on the skin of its having gained a well-rooted and permanent existence. A leprous person may live twenty, or thirty, or even fifty years, if he received the disease at his birth, but they will be years of indescribable misery. The bones and marrow are pervaded with the disease. The malady advances from one stage to another with slow and certain ruin. “Life still lingers amid the desolation;” the joints, and hands, and feet lose their power; and the body “collapses,” or falls together in a form hideous and awful. There is a form of the disease in which it commences at the extremities: the joints separate; the fingers, toes, and other members one by one fall off; and the malady thus gradually approaches the seat of life. The wretched victim is thus doomed to see himself dying “piecemeal,” assured that no human power can arrest for a moment the silent and steady march of this foe to the seat of life.

This disease is contagious and hereditary. It is easily communicated from one to another, and is transmitted to the third and fourth generation. The last generation that is afflicted with it commonly exhibits the symptoms by decayed teeth, by a fetid breath, and by a diseased complexion.

Moses gave particular directions by which the real leprosy was to be distinguished from other diseases. See Leviticus 13:0. The leprous person was, in order to avoid contagion, very properly separated from the congregation. The inspection of the disease was committed to the priest; and a declaration on his part that the person was healed, was sufficient evidence to restore the afflicted man to the congregation. It was required, also, that the leprous person should bring an offering to the priest of two birds, probably “sparrows” (see Leviticus 14:4 ‘s margin), one of which was slain and the other dismissed, Leviticus 14:5-7. In compliance with the laws of the land, Jesus directed the man that he had healed to make the customary offering, and to obtain the testimony of the priest that he was healed. The leprosy has once, and but once, appeared in America. This loathsome and most painful disease has in all other instances been confined to the Old World, and chiefly to the Eastern nations.

It is matter of profound gratitude to a benignant God that this scourge has been permitted but once to visit the New World. That awful calamity was on the island of Guadeloupe, in the West Indies, about the year 1730, and is thus described by an eye-witness: “Its commencement is imperceptible. There appear only some few white spots on the skin. At first they are attended with no pain or inconvenience, but no means whatever will remove them. The disease imperceptibly increases for many years. The spots become larger, and spread over the whole body. When the disease advances, the upper part of the nose swells, the nostrils become enlarged, and the nose itself grows soft. Tumors appear on the jaws; the eyebrows swell; the ears become thick; the points of the fingers, as also the feet and the toes, swell; the nails become scaly; the joints of the hands and feet separate and drop off. In the last stage of the disease the patient becomes a hideous spectacle, and falls to pieces.

Worshipped him - Bowed down before him, to show him respect. See the notes at Matthew 2:2.

If thou wilt - This was an exhibition of great faith, and also an acknowledgment of his dependence on the will of Jesus, in order to be healed. So every sinner must come. He must feel that Jesus “can” save him. He must also feel that he has no claim on him; that it depends on his sovereign will; and must cast himself at his feet with the feelings of the leper:

“I can but perish if I go;

I am resolved to try;

For if I stay away, I know

I shall forever die.”

Happily, no one ever came to Jesus with this feeling who was not received and pardoned.

Make me clean - Heal me. The leprosy was regarded as an unclean and disgusting disease. To be “healed,” therefore, was expressed by being “cleansed” from it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 8:2. And, behold, there came a leper — The leprosy λεπρα, from λεπις, a scale, was an inveterate cutaneous disease, appearing in dry, thin, white scurfy scales or scabs, either on the whole body, or on some part of it, usually attended with violent itching, and often with great pain. The eastern leprosy was a distemper of the most loathsome kind, highly contagious, so as to infect garments, (Leviticus 13:47, c.), and houses, (Leviticus 14:34, c.), and was deemed incurable by any human means. Among the Jews, GOD alone was applied to for its removal and the cure was ever attributed to his sovereign power.

The various symptoms of this dreadful disorder, which was a striking emblem of sin, may be seen in Leviticus 13:14:, where also may be read the legal ordinances concerning it which, as on the one hand, they set forth how odious sin is to God, so, on the other, they represent the cleansing of our pollutions by the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, by the sprinkling and application of his blood, and by the sanctifying and healing influences of the Holy Spirit.

The Greek name λεπρα, seems to have been given to this distemper, on account of the thin, white SCALES (λεπιδες) with which the bodies of the leprous were sometimes so covered as to give them the appearance of snow, Exodus 4:6; Numbers 12:10; 2 Kings 5:27.

Herodotus, lib. 1, mentions this disorder as existing, in his time, among the Persians. He calls it λευκην, the white scab; and says, that those who were affected with it were prohibited from mingling with the other citizens; and so dreadful was this malady esteemed among them that they considered it a punishment on the person, from their great god, the sun, for some evil committed against him. Dr. Mead mentions a remarkable case of this kind which came under his own observation. "A countryman whose whole body was so miserably seized with it that his skin was shining as covered with flakes of snow, and as the furfuraceous or bran-like scales were daily rubbed off, the flesh appeared quick or raw underneath." See the doctor's Medica Sacra, chap. 2. It was probably on account of its tendency to produce this disorder, in that warm climate, that God forbade the use of swine's flesh to the Jews. Feeding on this crude aliment, in union with the intemperate use of ardent spirits, is, in all likelihood, the grand cause of the scurvy, which is so common in the British nations, and which would probably assume the form and virulence of a leprosy, were our climate as hot as that of Judea. Exodus 4:6, and on Leviticus 13:0: and Leviticus 14:0.

Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. — As this leper may be considered as a fit emblem of the corruption of man by sin; so may his cure, of the redemption of the soul by Christ. A sinner, truly penitent, seeks God with a respectful faith; approaches him in the spirit of adoration; humbles himself under his mighty hand, acknowledging the greatness of his fall, and the vileness of his sin; his prayer, like that of the leper, should be humble, plain, and full of confidence in that God who can do all things, and of dependence upon his will or mercy, from which all good must be derived. It is peculiar to God that he need only will what he intends to perform. His power is his will. The ability of God to do what is necessary to be done, and his willingness to make his creatures happy, should be deeply considered by all those who approach him in prayer. The leper had no doubt of the former, but he was far from being equally satisfied in respect of the latter.


 
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