John Gill

The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”

“And the rain descended, and the floods came,.... Such builders, and such a building, cannot stand against the violent rain of Satan's temptations, the floods of the world's persecutions, the stream and rapid torrent of their own heart's lusts, nor the blowing winds of heresy…”

When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.

“When he was come down from the mountain,.... Into which he went up, and preached the sermon recorded in the "three" preceding chapters: great multitudes followed him: which is mentioned, partly to shew, that the people which came from several parts, still continued with him…”

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came and pleaded with Him,

“And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum,.... Was returned from his journey through Galilee, to the place where he before dwelt, and is called his own city, Mat 9:1 there came unto him a centurion, a Roman officer, שר מאה, "a commander of an hundred…”

“Lord, my servant lies at home, paralyzed and in terrible agony.”

“And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home,.... It would be a difficulty whether it was a son or a servant he was so concerned for; since παις, the word here used, more commonly signifies a "son" or "child"; but that Luke, supposing it to…”

The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

“The centurion answered, and said,.... This, according to Luk 7:6 was said by his friends in his name, when he understood that Christ had agreed to come to his house, with the elders of the Jews, he first sent to him; and after he was…”

When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

“When Jesus heard it, he marvelled,.... Which must be understood of him as man; for as God, nothing could present itself unto him at unawares, unthought of, and not known before; and so could not raise admiration in him, and which cannot properly fall on…”

But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

“But the children of the kingdom,.... The Jews, who were subjects of the kingdom, and commonwealth of Israel, from which the Gentiles were aliens; and who were also in the church of God, which is his kingdom on earth; and besides, had the promise of…”

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! As you have believed, so will it be done for you.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

“And Jesus said unto the centurion,.... Christ having finished the digression, returns an answer to the centurion, agreeably to his desire, saying to him, go thy way; not as displeased with him, but as granting his request: for it follows, and as thou hast believed…”

When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever.

“And when Jesus was come into Peter's house,.... And which was also Andrew's, Mar 1:29 for these two brothers lived together, and this was in Capernaum, as appears from the context.”

So He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve Him.

“And he touched her hand,.... Sometimes he healed by a word, as the centurion's servant; and sometimes by a touch, as here; and sometimes by both, as the leper.”

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took on our infirmities and carried our diseases.”

“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet,.... In Isa 53:4 "He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows", here rendered, himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses: very agreeable to the Hebrew text, הוא, "he himself", not another…”

When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.

“Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him,.... Who got together, partly out of novelty to see his person, of whom they had heard so much; and partly to see the miracles he wrought: some came to have their bodily diseases healed; few, if any…”

And one of the scribes came to Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

“And a certain Scribe came,.... "As they went in the way", Luk 9:57 to go to the sea side, in order to take shipping, and pass to the other shore; and said unto him, Master, or Rabbi, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.”

Another of His disciples requested, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

“And another of his disciples said unto him,.... That is, one of his disciples; for this does not suppose, that the other, the Scribe before mentioned, was one. It is possible, he might be one of the twelve.”

When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.

“And when he was entered into a ship,.... Which was got ready by his disciples, or hired by them for his use, according to the directions he had given, his disciples followed him into the ship, and they only; for as for the men hereafter…”

Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping.

“And behold, there arose a great tempest,.... "A great concussion", or "shaking" of the sea; the stormy wind moved the sea, and the waves thereof; and both wind and sea shook the ship, and the men that were in it.”

“You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.

“And he saith unto them, why are ye fearful?.... Though they had some faith in him, yet there was a great deal of fear and unbelief, for which Christ blames them, saying, O ye of little faith: See Gill on Mat 6:30.”

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

“But the men marvelled,.... Mark says, "they feared exceedingly"; and Luke, "they being afraid, wondered": they were filled with astonishment and fear, or reverence: there was such a shine of majesty, such a lustre of divine power appeared in this affair.”

In the distance a large herd of pigs was feeding.

“And there was a good way off from them,.... "Nigh unto the mountains", as Mark says, or "on the mountain", as Luke, bordering on the sea shore; so that though it was at some distance, yet within sight.”

“Go!” He told them. So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the waters.

“And he said unto them, go, &c. He gave them leave, as God did to Satan, in the case of Job; for without divine permission, these evil spirits cannot do anything to the bodies, souls, or estates of men: they could not enter into the…”

Those tending the pigs ran off into the town and reported all this, including the account of the demon-possessed men.

“And they that kept them fled,.... The hog herds, men of very low life, and whose employment was very infamous and reproachful, as has been observed.”

Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”

“And behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy,.... That is, some of the inhabitants of Capernaum, four men of that city particularly; for Mark says, Mar 2:3 he "was borne of four": these brought him to Jesus, lying on a bed…”

But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why do you harbor evil in your hearts?

“And Jesus knowing their thoughts,.... Which was a clear evidence, and full demonstration of his deity; for none knows the thoughts of the heart but God; and since he knew the thoughts of men's hearts, it could be no blasphemy in him to take that…”

Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’

“For whether is easier to say,..... Christ proceeds to clear himself of the charge of blasphemy, and to prove his power to forgive sins, by putting a case to them, of which he makes themselves Judges, and is this: which is easiest to be said…”

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...”

“But that ye may know that the son of man,.... That they might have a visible proof, an ocular demonstration, that though he was the son of man, truly and really man, yet not a mere man; but also as truly and properly God, God…”