Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy.

“The great truth here taught is that hearts superficially impressed are apt to receive the truth with readiness, and even with joy (Lu 8:13); but the heat of tribulation or persecution because of the word, or the trials which their new profession brings upon them…”

Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”

“The "thirtyfold" is designed to express the lowest degree of fruitfulness; the "hundredfold" the highest; and the "sixtyfold" the intermediate degrees of fruitfulness.”

He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you.

“And he saith unto them, Take heed what ye hear--In Luke (Lu 8:18) it is, "Take heed how ye hear." The one implies the other, but both precepts are very weighty. with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you--See on Mt 7:2.”

Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.

“So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day--go about his other ordinary occupations, leaving it to the well-known laws of vegetation under the genial influences of heaven.”

All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within.

“For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear--beautiful allusion to the succession of similar stages, though not definitely marked periods, in the Christian life, and generally in the kingdom of God.”

With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand.

“But Matthew (Mt 13:34) says, "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables"; and as Mark records only some of the parables which Matthew gives, we are warranted to infer that the "many such parables" alluded to here mean no more than the…”

Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped.

“It should be, "so that the ship was getting covered by the waves." So we must translate the word used in Luke (Lu 8:23) --not as in our version--"And there came down a storm on the lake, and they were filled [with water]"--but "they were…”

But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?”

“Matthew (Mt 8:25) has it, "Lord, save us, we perish." When those accustomed to fish upon that deep thus spake, the danger must have been imminent.”

Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.

“And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm--The sudden hushing of the wind would not at once have calmed the sea, whose commotion would have settled only after a considerable time. But the word of command was given to both elements at once.”

“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”

“In Matthew (Mt 8:26) it is, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" Faith they had, for they applied to Christ for relief: but little, for they were afraid, though Christ was in the ship.”

When the man saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees before Him.

“But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him--not with the spontaneous alacrity which says to Jesus, "Draw me, we will run after thee," but inwardly compelled, with terrific rapidity, before the Judge, to receive sentence of expulsion.”

And he shouted in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You before God not to torture me!”

“I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not--or, as in Mt 8:29, "Art Thou come to torment us before the time?" (See on Mr 1:24). Behold the tormentor anticipating, dreading, and entreating exemption from torment!”

For Jesus had already declared, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!”

“For he said unto him--that is, before the unclean spirit cried out. Come out of the man, unclean spirit!--Ordinarily, obedience to a command of this nature was immediate.”

There on the nearby hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding.

“In Mt 8:30, they are said to have been "a good way off." But these expressions, far from being inconsistent, only confirm, by their precision, the minute accuracy of the narrative.”

He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea…

“And forthwith Jesus gave them leave--In Matthew (Mt 8:32) this is given with majestic brevity--"Go!" The owners, if Jews, drove an illegal trade; if heathens, they insulted the national religion: in either case the permission was just.”

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.

“And they that fed the swine fled, and told it--"told everything, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils" (Mt 8:33). in the city, and in the country.”

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

“This is a striking case of what are called Undesigned Coincidences amongst the different Evangelists; one of them taking a thing for granted, as familiarly known at the time, but which we should never have known but for one or more of the others, and…”

And the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region.

“And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts--Was it the owners only of the valuable property now lost to them that did this?”

But Jesus would not allow him. “Go home to your own people,” He said, “and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy He has…

“Howbeit, Jesus suffered him not, &c.--To be a missionary for Christ, in the region where he was so well known and so long dreaded, was a far nobler calling than to follow Him where nobody had ever heard of him, and where other trophies not…”

When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him beside the sea.

“Perhaps they witnessed at a distance the sudden calming of the tempest. The tide of our Lord's popularity was now fast rising. and he was nigh unto the sea.”

A synagogue leader named Jairus arrived, and seeing Jesus, he fell at His feet

“Jairus by name--or "Jaeirus." It is the same name as Jair, in the Old Testament (Nu 32:41; Es 2:5). and when he saw him, he fell at his feet--in Matthew (Mt 9:18), "worshipped Him." The meaning is the same in both.”

and pleaded with Him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.”

“In one of the class to which this man belonged, so steeped in prejudice, such faith would imply more than in others. The Woman with an Issue of Blood Healed (Mr 5:24-34).”

When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up through the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak.

“But there was an instinct in the faith which brought her to Jesus, which taught her, that if that touch could set her free from the defiling disease itself, it was impossible to communicate defilement to Him, and that this wondrous Healer must be above…”

Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

“And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up--Not only was her issue of blood stanched (Lu 8:44), but the cause of it was thoroughly removed, insomuch that by her bodily sensations she immediately knew herself perfectly cured.”

At once Jesus was aware that power had gone out from Him. Turning to the crowd, He asked, “Who touched My garments?”

“And Jesus immediately knowing in himself that virtue--or "efficacy." had gone out of him--He was conscious of the forthgoing of His healing power, which was not--as in prophets and apostles--something foreign to Himself and imparted merely, but what He had dwelling within Him as "His…”