Bible Commentaries
Luke 8

Introduction

Watson - Exposition of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark

3 Women minister unto Christ of their substance.

4 Christ after he had preached from place to place, attended with his apostles propoundeth the parable of the sower,

16 and of the candle:

21 declareth who are his mother, and brethren:

22 rebuketh the winds:

26 casteth the legion of devils out of the man into the herd of swine:

37 is rejected of the Gadarenes:

43 healeth the woman of her bloody issue,

49 and raiseth from death Jairus’ daughter.

Verse 2

Watson - Exposition of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark

Mary, called Magdalene. — She was of Magdala, a town of Galilee. That she was a person of respectable circumstances, appears from her being here mentioned with Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward, Susanna, and others who ministered to him of their substance. — Her always being placed first when other women, even those of some rank are mentioned, indicates also that she was not of the lower class; and as to her character, that cannot be proved to have been manifestly evil from the circumstance of her having been possessed with devils, unless it could be proved that all possessions implied particular guilt in the persons so afflicted. Such an affliction indeed could not exist but among fallen creatures, and only in their unregenerate state; but that it argued any specific depravity does not appear.

Verse 3

Watson - Exposition of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark

Wife of Herod’s steward. — She might be a widow, or her husband might be favourable to Christ. Επιτροποσ is a steward, agent, or manager, some think that here it means a treasurer as indeed it is rendered in the Arabic version.

Which ministered to him of their substance. — They had all, it seems, been healed by our Lord of evil spirits and infirmities, that is. some of evil spirits, and others of infirmities; and they showed their gratitude by ministering to the wants of our Lord, and those of his disciples who were in constant attendance upon him.

Verse 5

Watson - Exposition of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark

A sower went out, &c. — See the notes on Matthew 13:3-9.

Verse 19

Watson - Exposition of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark

His mother and his brethren. — See the notes on Matthew 12:46-50. Joseph not being mentioned, renders it probable that he had died before our Lord entered upon his public ministry. In Mark 6:3, the family is enumerated; but no mention is made of Joseph. The mother and the brethren are here noticed, but there is no allusion to Joseph; and at the crucifixion Jesus commended his mother to the care of John, which appears a certain indication that she was a widow, and probably also that those usually called “the brethren” of our Lord, whether sons of Joseph by a former marriage, or of Joseph and Mary, or the sons of a sister, continued in a state of impenitence and unbelief.

Verse 22

Watson - Exposition of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark

He went into a ship. — See the notes on Matthew 8:23-27.

Verse 26

Watson - Exposition of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark

Country of the Gadarenes. — See notes on Matthew 8:28,

&c. For the additional circumstances mentioned by St. Mark, see Mark 5:1, &c. St. Luke adds, they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep, the abyss, εις την αβυσσον , the place of wicked spirits, whether evil angels or the disembodied spirits of wicked men. It signifies that part of hades where the wicked are reserved to the judgment of the great day, but from which the devil and his angels are suffered sometimes to emerge, in order to pursue their malicious works on earth. Under what rules this is done, we know not; all here is mystery; but the Scriptures reveal the facts, and they teach us also, for our comfort, that the keys of hades are in the hands of our Saviour.

Verse 41

Watson - Exposition of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark

Then came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. — On the miracles recorded in the remaining part of this chapter, see the notes on Matthew, chapter 9:18-26, and on Mark 5:21-43.