Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

He could see that the disciples were straining to row, because the wind was against them.

“He "saw" this from His mountain top, and through the darkness of the night, for His heart was all with them: yet would He not go to their relief till His own time came.”

but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost—

“But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out--"for fear" (Mt 14:26).”

Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. And the disciples were utterly astounded,

“"And immediately," adds the beloved disciple, "they were at the land whither they went," or "were bound." This additional miracle, for as such it is manifestly related, is recorded by the fourth Evangelist alone.”

for they had not understood about the loaves, but their hearts had been hardened.

“For they considered not the miracle of the loaves; for their heart was hardened--What a singular statement! The meaning seems to be that if they had but "considered [reflected upon] the miracle of the loaves," wrought but a few hours before, they would have wondered…”

When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat.

“And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret--from which the lake sometimes takes its name, stretching along its western shore. Capernaum was their landing-place (Joh 6:24, 25).”

And wherever He went—villages and towns and countrysides—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak.

“The time corresponds to that mentioned (Joh 7:1), when He "walked in Galilee," instead of appearing in Jerusalem at the passover, "because the Jews," that is, the rulers, "sought to kill Him"--while the people sought to enthrone Him!”

Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit soon heard about Jesus, and she came and fell at His feet.

“For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit--or, as in Matthew (Mt 15:22), "was badly demonized." heard of him--One wonders how; but distress is quick of hearing. and fell at his feet:”

Then Jesus told her, “Because of this answer, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.”

“And he said unto her--"O woman, great is thy faith" (Mt 15:28). As BENGEL beautifully remarks, Jesus "marvelled" only at two things--faith and unbelief (see Lu 7:9).”

Immediately the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly.

“And straightway his ears were opened--This is mentioned first as the source of the other derangement. and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain--The cure was thus alike instantaneous and perfect.”

The people were utterly astonished and said, “He has done all things well! He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!”

“And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well--reminding us, says TRENCH, of the words of the first creation (Ge 1:31, Septuagint), upon which we are thus not unsuitably thrown back, for Christ's work is in the truest sense "a new creation,"…”

“I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat.

“I have compassion on the multitude--an expression of that deep emotion in the Redeemer's heart which always preceded some remarkable interposition for relief.”

If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a great distance.”

“And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way--In their eagerness they seem not to have thought of the need of provisions for such a length of time; but the Lord thought of it.”

His disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could anyone find enough bread to feed all these people?”

“From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?--Though the question here is the same as when He fed the five thousand, they evidently now meant no more by it than that they had not the means of feeding the…”

And about four thousand men were present. As soon as Jesus had dismissed the crowd,

“It might be added, that in the one case the people, in a frenzy of enthusiasm, would have taken Him by force to make Him a king; in the other case no such excitement is recorded.”

So they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.

“And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread--But a little while ago He was tried with the obduracy of the Pharisees; now He is tried with the obtuseness of His own disciples.”

Then He asked them, “Do you still not understand?”

“Even the different kind of baskets used at the two miraculous feedings, so carefully noted in the two narratives, are here also referred to; the one smaller, of which there were twelve, the other much larger, of which there were seven.”

Once again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly.

“After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up; and he was restored, and saw every man clearly--Perhaps the one operation perfectly restored the eyes, while the other imparted immediately the faculty of using them.”

As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were filled with awe and ran to greet Him.

“There can hardly be any doubt that His countenance still retained traces of His transfiguration-glory. So BENGEL, DE WETTE, MEYER, TRENCH, ALFORD. No wonder, if this was the case, that they not only ran to Him, but saluted Him.”

Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.

“And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away--rather, "becomes withered," "dried up," or "paralyzed"; as the same word is everywhere else rendered in the New Testament.”

“O unbelieving generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”

“He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation--"and perverse," or "perverted" (Mt 17:17; Lu 9:41). how long shall I be with you?”

“If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!”

“Seeing the case stood still, waiting not upon the Lord's power but his own faith, the man becomes immediately conscious of conflicting principles, and rises into one of the noblest utterances on record.”

Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

“Second, His appeal to Christ for help against his felt unbelief--a feature in the case quite unparalleled, and showing, more than all protestations could have done, the insight he had attained into the existence of a power in Christ more glorious them any he had…”

After shrieking and convulsing him violently, the spirit came out. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He is dead.”

“But the Lord of life was there; the Healer of all maladies, the Friend of sinners, the Seed of the woman, "the Stronger than the strong man armed," was there.”

Jesus answered, “This kind cannot come out, except by prayer.”

“"Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting" (Mt 17:21), that is, though nothing is impossible to faith, yet such a height of faith as is requisite for such triumphs is not to be reached either in a moment or without effort--either…”

because He was teaching His disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men.

“For he taught his disciples, and said unto them--"Let these sayings sink down into your ears" (Lu 9:44); not what had been passing between them as to His grandeur, but what He was now to utter.”