Matthew 8:2
Matthew 8:2 in Multiple Translations
Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And behold, there came to him a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And a leper came and gave him worship, saying, Lord, if it is your pleasure, you have power to make me clean.
A leper approached him and bowed down, worshiping him, and said, “Lord, if you're willing, please heal me.”
And loe, there came a Leper and worshipped him, saying, Master, if thou wilt, thou canst make me cleane.
and lo, a leper having come, was bowing to him, saying, 'Sir, if thou art willing, thou art able to cleanse me;'
Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
And behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And behold a leper came and adored him, saying: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
After he left the crowds, a man who had the skin disease called leprosy unexpectedly came and knelt before him. He said to Jesus, “Lord/Sir, please heal me, because I know you are able to heal me if you are willing to.”
Berean Amplified Bible — Matthew 8:2
BAB
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Matthew 8:2 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
GRK
και
ιδου
λεπρος
ελθων
προσεκυνει
αυτω
λεγων
κυριε
εαν
θελης
δυνασαι
με
καθαρισαι
και
kai
G2532
and
Conj
ιδου
horaō
G3708
to see: see
Verb-2AMM-2S
λεπρος
lepros
G3015
leprous
Adj-NSM
ελθων
erchomai
G2064
to come/go
Verb-2AAP-NSM
προσεκυνει
proskuneō
G4352
to worship
Verb-IAI-3S
αυτω
autos
G846
it/s/he
Pron-DSM
λεγων
legō
G3004
to say
Verb-PAP-NSM
κυριε
kurios
G2962
lord: God
Noun-VSM
εαν
ean
G1437
if
COND
θελης
thelō
G2309
to will/desire
Verb-PAS-2S
δυνασαι
dunamai
G1410
be able
Verb-PNI-2S
με
egō
G1473
I/we
Pron-1AS
καθαρισαι
katharizō
G2511
to clean
Verb-AAN
Greek Word Study
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Greek Word Reference — Matthew 8:2
και
kai
G2532
"and"
Conj
And or also, a connecting word used to join ideas or words, like in Matthew 2:18 and Hebrews 1:1.
Definition: καί, conj., and __I. Copulative. __1. Connecting single words; __(a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. __(b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; __(with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. __2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. __(a) where, after the simplicity of the popular language, sentences are paratactically joined (WM, §60, 3; M, Pr., 12; Deiss., LAE, 128ff.): Mat.1:21, 7:25, Mrk.9:5, Jhn.10:3, al.; __(b) joining affirmative to negative sentences: Luk.3:14, Jhn.4:11, IIIJhn.10; __(with) consecutive, and so: Mat.5:1, 23:32, Heb.3:19, al.; after imperatives, Mat.4:19, Luk.7:7, al.; __(d) = καίτοι, and yet: Mat.3:14, 6:26, Mrk.12:12, Luk.18:7 (Field, Notes, 72), 1Co.5:2, al.; __(e) beginning an apodosis (= Heb. וְ; so sometimes δέ in cl.), then: Luk.2:21, 7:12, Act.1:10; beginning a question (WM, §53, 3a): Mrk.10:26, Luk.10:29, Jhn.9:36. __3. Epexegetic, and, and indeed, namely (WM, §53, 3c): Luk.3:18, Jhn.1:16, Act.23:6, Rom.1:5, 1Co.3:5, al. __4. In transition: Mat.4:23, Mrk.5:1, 21, Jhn.1:19, al.; so, Hebraistically, καὶ ἐγένετο (וַי:הִי; also ἐγένετο δέ), Mrk.1:9 (cf. Luk.5:1; V. Burton, §§357-60; M, Pr., 14, 16). __5. καὶ . . . καί, both . . . and (for τε . . . καί, see: τε); __(a) connecting single words: Mat.10:28, Mrk.4:41, Rom.11:33, al.; __(b) clauses and sentences: Mrk.9:13, Jhn.7:28, 1Co.1:22, al. __II. Adjunctive, also, even, still: Mat.5:39, 40; Mrk.2:28, al. mult.; esp. with pron., adv., etc., Mat.20:4, Jhn.7:47, al; ὡς κ., Act.11:17; καθὼς κ., Rom.15:7; οὑτω κ., Rom.6:11; διὸ κ., Luk.1:35; ὁ κ. (Deiss., BS, 313ff.), Act.13:9; pleonastically, μετὰ κ.. (Bl., §77, 7; Deiss., BS, 265f,), Php.4:3; τί κ., 1 Co 15:29; ἀλλὰ κ., Luk.14:22, Jhn.5:18, al.; καίγε (M, Pr., 230; Burton, §437), Act.17:27; καίπερ, Heb.5:8; κ. ἐάν, see: ἐάν. ἐάν, contr. fr. εἰ ἄν, conditional particle, representing something as "under certain circumstances actual or liable to happen," but not so definitely expected as in the case of εἰ with ind. (Bl., §65, 4; cf. Jhn.13:17, 1Co.7:36), if haply, if; __1. with subjc. (cl.); __(a) pres.: Mat.6:22, Luk.10:6, Jhn.7:17, Rom.2:25, 26 al.; { __(b) aor. (= Lat. fut. pf.): Mat.4:9 16:26 (cf. ptcp. in Luk.9:25; M, Pr., 230), Mrk.3:24, Luk.14:34, Jhn.5:43, Rom.7:2, al.; = cl. εἰ, with opt., Jhn.9:22 11:57, Act.9:2; as Heb. אִם = ὅταν, Jhn.12:32 14:3, I Jhn.2:28 3:2, Heb.3:7" (LXX) . __2. C. indic, (as in late writers, fr. Arist. on; see WH, App., 171; VD, MGr. 2, App., §77; Deiss., BS, 201f., LAE, 155, 254; M, Pr., 168, 187; Bl., §65, 4); __(a) fut.: Mat.18:19 T, Luk.19:40, Act.7:7; __(b) pres.: 1Th.3:8 (see Milligan, in l.). __3. With other particles: ἐ. καί (Bl., §65, 6), Gal.6:1; ἐ. μή (M, Pr., 185, 187; Bl., l.with), with subjc. pres., Mat.10:13, 1Co.8:8, Jas.2:17, 1Jn.3:21; aor., Mat.6:15, Mrk.3:27, Jhn.3:3, Rom.10:15, Gal.1:8 2:16 (see Lft., Ellic., in ll.); ἐ. τε . . . ἐ. τε, [in LXX for אִם . . . אִם, Est.19:13, al.,] Rom.14:8. __4. = cl. ἄν (which see) after relat. pronouns and adverbs (Tdf., Pr., 96; WH, App., 173; M, Pr., 42f.; Bl., §26, 4; Mayser, 152f.; Deiss., BS, 202ff.): ὃς ἐ., Mat.5:19, Mrk.6:22, 23 Luk.17:32, 1Co.6:18, al.; ὅπου ἐ., Mat.8:19; ὁσάκις ἐ., Rev.11:6; οὗ ἐ., 1Co.16:6; καθὸ ἐ., 2Co.8:12; ὅστις ἐ., Gal.5:10. (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 5212 NT verses. KJV: and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet See also: 1 Corinthians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Corinthians 16:1.
ιδου
horaō
G3708
"to see: see"
Verb-2AMM-2S
This word means 'to see' or 'to perceive', and can also mean 'to attend to' or 'to experience', like in Mark 6:38 and John 1:46. It's a key word for understanding and perceiving things.
Definition: ὁράω, -ῶ, [in LXX chiefly for ראה, also for חזה, etc. ;] in "durative" sense (hence aor. act., εἶδον, pass., ὤφθην, fut., ὄψομαι, from different roots; see M, Pr., 110f.), to see (in colloq. even the present is rare, its place being generally taken by θεωρέω, see BL, §24). __1. Of bodily vision, to see, perceive, behold: absol., Mrk.6:38, al.; ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε, Jhn.1:46, al.; before ὅτι, Mrk.2:16, al.; with accusative, Mat.2:2, Mrk.1:10 16:7, Gal.1:19, al.; θεόν, Jhn.1:18, 1Jn.4:20, al. __2. to see with the mind, perceive, discern: absol, Rom.15:21; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.9:2 27:54, Act.8:23, Col.2:18, al. __3. to see, take heed, beware: ὅρα μή, with aor. subjc., Mat.8:4 18:10, Mrk.1:44, 1Th.5:15; id., sc. μὴ ποήσῃς, Rev.19:10 22:9 (Bl., §81, 1); before imperat. Mat.9:30 16:6, Mrk.8:15 __4. to experience: τ. θάνατον, Luk.2:26, Heb.11:5; ζωήν, Jhn.3:36; τ. διαφθοράν, Act.2:27. __5. to visit: with accusative of person(s), Luk.8:20, Jhn.12:21, Rom.1:11, al.; with accusative loc, Act.19:21. __6. to see to, care for: Mat.27:4, Act.18:15 (cf. ἀφ-, καθ-, προ-, συν-οράω). SYN.: see: βλέπω. (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 605 NT verses. KJV: behold, perceive, see, take heed See also: 1 Corinthians 2:9; Acts 16:40; 1 Peter 1:8.
λεπρος
lepros
G3015
"leprous"
Adj-NSM
This word refers to someone with leprosy, a serious skin disease, as seen in Matthew 8:2 and Mark 1:40. Jesus healed many lepers, showing his power and compassion. The term is often used to describe people suffering from this condition.
Definition: λεπρός, -ά, -όν (λεπίς), [in LXX for צָרַע ;] __1. (in cl.) scaly, rough. __2. leprous; chiefly as subst., ὁ λ., a leper: Mat.8:2 10:8 11:5, Mrk.1:40, Luk.4:27 7:22 17:12; of Simon, formerly a leper, Mat.26:6, Mrk.14:3.† (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 9 NT verses. KJV: leper See also: Luke 4:27; Mark 14:3; Matthew 26:6.
ελθων
erchomai
G2064
"to come/go"
Verb-2AAP-NSM
To come or go is the meaning of this word, used in many applications, such as in Matthew 8:9 and Romans 9:9. The KJV translates it in various ways, including come, go, and enter.
Definition: ἔρχομαι, [in LXX very frequently for בּוֹא, also for הלךְ ni., אתה, etc., 34 words in all ;] __1. to come; __(a) of persons, either as arriving or returning from elsewhere: Mat.8:9, Mrk.6:31, Luk.7:8, Jhn.4:27, Rom.9:9, al.; before ἀπό, Mrk.5:35 7:1, Jhn.3:2, al.; ἐκ, Luk.5:17, Jhn.3:31, al.; εἰς, Mrk.1:29, al.; διά before εἰς, Mrk.7:31; ἐν (Cremer, 263f., but see: ἐν), Rom.15:29, 1Co.4:21; ἐπί, with accusative, Mrk.6:53 11:13, Jhn.19:33, al.; κατά, with accusative, Luk.10:33 Act.16:7; παρά, with genitive, Luk.8:49; with accusative, Mat.15:29, Mrk.9:14, al.; with dative comm., incomm. (M, Pr., 75, 245), Mat.21:5, Rev.2:5, 16; with adverbs: πόθεν, Jhn.3:8, al.; ἄνωθεν, Jhn.3:31; ὄπισθεν, Mrk.5:27; ὧδε, Mat.8:29; ἐκεῖ, Jhn.18:3; ποῦ, Heb.11:8; before ἕως, Luk.4:42; ἄχρι, Act.11:5; with purpose expressed by inf., Mrk.5:14, Luk.1:59, al.; by fut. ptcp., Mat.27:49; ἵνα, Jhn.12:9; εἰς τοῦτο, ἵνα, Act.9:21; διά, with accusative, Jhn.12:9; before verbs of action, ἔρχεται καί, ἦλθε καί, etc.: Mrk.2:18, Jhn.6:15, al.; ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε, Jhn.1:47 11:34; ἐλθών (redundant; Dalman, Words, 20 f.), Mat.2:8 8:7, Mrk.7:25, Act.16:39, al.; similarly ἐρχόμενος, Luk.15:25, al.; of coming into public view: esp. of the Messiah (ὁ ἐρχόμενος, Mat.11:3, al.; see Cremer, 264), Luk.3:16, Jhn.4:25; hence, of Jesus, Mat.11:19, Luk.7:34, Jhn.5:43, al.; of the second coming, Mat.10:23, Act.1:11, 1Co.4:5, 1Th.5:2, al.; __(b) of time: ἔρξονται ἡμέραι (present for fut.: Bl., §56, 8), Luk.23:29, Heb.8:8" (LXX) ; fut., Mat.9:15, Mrk.2:20, al.; ἔρξεται ὥρα, ὅτε, Jhn.4:21, 23. al.; ἦλθεν, ἐλήλυθε ἡ ὥρα, Jhn.13:1 16:32 17:1; ἡ ἡμέρα τ. κυρίου, 1Th.5:2; καιροί, Act.3:19; __(with) of things and events: κατακλυσμός, Luk.17:27; λιμός, Act.7:11; ἡ ὀργή, 1Th.1:10; ὁ λύχνος, Mrk.4:21 (see Swete, in l.). Metaphorical, τ. ἀγαθά, Rom.3:8; τ. τέλειον, 1Co.13:10; ἡ πίστις, Gal.3:23, 25; ἡ ἐντολή, Rom.7:9; with prepositions: ἐκ τ. θλίψεως, Rev.7:14; ἐις τ. χεῖρον, Mrk.5:26; εἰς πειρασμόν, ib. 14:38, al. __2. to go: ὀπίσω, with genitive (Heb. הָלַךְ אַחֲרֵי), Mat.16:24, Mrk.8:34, Luk.9:23; σύν, Jhn.21:3; ὁδόν, Luk.2:44. (Cf. ἀν-, ἐπ-αν-, ἀπ-, δι-, εἰς, ἐπ-εἰσ-, συν-εἰσ-, ἐξ-, δι-εξ-, ἐπ-, κατ-, παρ-, ἀντι-παρ-, περι-, προ-, προσ-, συν-έρχομαι.) SYN.: πορεύομαι, χωρέω (v, Thayer, see word ἔρξομαι). (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 603 NT verses. KJV: accompany, appear, bring, come, enter, fall out, go, grow, X light, X next, pass, resort, be set See also: 1 Corinthians 2:1; Acts 22:11; Hebrews 6:7.
προσεκυνει
proskuneō
G4352
"to worship"
Verb-IAI-3S
To worship means to show respect and honor, often by bowing down or kneeling, as seen in John 4:20 and Revelation 11:1. It involves giving reverence to God, Christ, or other heavenly beings. This act is a sign of devotion and humility.
Definition: προσ-κυνέω, -ῶ (κυνέω, to kiss), [in LXX chiefly for שָׁחָה hith. ;] to make obeisance, do reverence to, worship; __(a) prop. (as in cl., of the gods: Hdt., Æsch., Plat., al.), of God, Christ and supra-mundane beings: absol., Jhn.4:20 12:20, Act.8:27 24:11, Heb.11:21 (Westc., in l), Rev.11:1; πίπτειν καὶ π., Rev.5:14; with dative (of the significance of this constr. as compared with the usual cl., with accusative, see Abbott, JG, 78 f.; JV, 133 ff.), Jhn.4:21, 23, Act.7:43, 1Co.14:25, Heb.1:6, Rev.4:10 7:11 11:16 13:4, 15 14:7 16:2 19:4, 10 19:20 22:8-9; with accusative (see supr.), Mat.4:10, Luk.4:8 24:52 (WH, R, mg., om.), Jhn.4:22, 24, Rev.9:20 13:4, 8 13:12 14:9, 11 20:4; Seq. ἐπώπιον, Luk.4:7, Rev.15:4; __(b) as in cl., of homage to human superiors (cf. MM, xxi): absol., Mat.20:20, Act.10:25; with dative (see supr.), Mat.2:2, 8 8:2 9:18 14:33 15:25 18:26 28:9, Mrk.15:19, Jhn.9:38; πεσὼν., Mat.2:11 4:9; ἐνώπιον τ. ποδῶν, Rev.3:9; with accusative, Mrk.5:6 (dative T).† (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 54 NT verses. KJV: worship See also: 1 Corinthians 14:25; Matthew 15:25; Hebrews 1:6.
αυτω
autos
G846
"it/s/he"
Pron-DSM
This pronoun refers to a person or thing, like 'he', 'she', or 'it'. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a person or thing, like in John 2:25 where it says 'he himself knew'.
Definition: αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). __1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); __(1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; MM, see word); __(2) emphatic, he, she, it (M, Pr., 86; Bl., §48, 1, 2, 7), Mat.1:21, 12:50, Luk.6:35, al.; pointing to some one as master (cl.), Mat.8:24, Mrk.4:38, al.; αὐ., καὶ αὐ. = οὗτος, ὁ δε (BL, §48, 1), Mat.14:2, Mrk.14:15, 44, Luk.1:22, 2:28, al. __2. In oblique cases (cl.), for the simple pron. of 3rd of person(s), he, she, it, Mat.7:9, 10:12, 26:44, al.; with ptcp. in genitive absol., Mat.9:18, Mrk.13:1, al. (for irreg. constructions, V. Bl., §74, 5); pleonastically after the relative (cf. Heb. אֲשֶׁר לוֹ; WM, 184ff.; Bl., §50, 4; MM, see word), Mrk.7:25, Rev.3:8, 7:2, al.; in constr. ad sensum, without proper subject expressly indicated, Mat.4:23, Act.8:5, 2Co.2:13, al.; genitive αὐτοῦ = ἐκείνου, Rom.11:11, 1Th.2:19, Tit.3:5, Heb.2:4. __3. ὁ, ἡ, τὸ αὐ., the same: Heb.1:12, 13:8; τὸ αὐ., ποιεῖν, Mat.5:46, 47, al.; φρονεῖν, Rom.12:16, 15:5, Php.2:2, al.; τὰ αὐ., Act.15:27, Rom.2:1, al.; κατὰ τὸ (τὰ) αὐ. (MM, see word), Act.14:1, Luk.6:23, al.; ἐπὶ τὸ αὐ., together (MM, see word), Mat.22:34, Act.1:15, al.; ἓν κ. τὸ αὐ., 1Co.11:5, 12:11; with dative (cl.), 1Co.11:5; with a noun, λόγος, Mrk.14:39; μέτρος, Php.1:30; πνεῦμα, 1Co.12:4. (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 3773 NT verses. KJV: her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which See also: 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 John 3:10; 1 Peter 1:3.
λεγων
legō
G3004
"to say"
Verb-PAP-NSM
This word means to say or speak, and it is used by Jesus and others in the New Testament to share teachings and tell stories. It appears in Matthew 9:34 and John 1:29.
Definition: λέγω, [in LXX very freq., chiefly for אמר; λέγει for נְאֻם, Gen.22:16, al. ;] __1. in Hom., to pick out, gather, reckon, recount. __2. In Hdt. and Att., to say, speak, affirm, declare: absol., Act.13:15, 24:10; before orat. dir., Mat.9:34, Mrk.3:11, Jhn.1:29, al.; before ὅτι recit., Mrk.3:21, Luk.1:24, Jhn.6:14, al.; accusative and inf., Luk.11:18, Jhn.12:29, al.; after another verb of speaking, προσφωνεῖν κ. λέγειν, Mat.11:17, al.; ἀπεκρίθη (ἐλάλησεν) λέγων (καὶ λέγει; Dalman, Words, 24 ff.), Mat.25:9, Mrk.3:33, 7:28, Luk.24:6, 7, al.; of unspoken thought, λ. ἐν ἑαυτῷ, Mat.3:9, Luk.3:8, al.; of writing, 2Co.8:8, Php.4:11, al.; λέγει ἡ γραφή, Rom.4:3, Jas.2:23, al.; with accusative of thing(s), Luk.8:8, 9:33, Jhn.5:34, al.; σὺ λέγεις (a non-committal phrase; Swete, Mk., 359, 369f.), Mat.27:11, Mrk.15:2, Luk.23:3, Jhn.18:37; with dative of person(s), before orat. dir., Mat.8:20, Mrk.2:17, al. mult.; id. before ὅτι, Mat.3:9, al.; with prep., πρός, μετά, περί, etc., Mrk.4:41, Jhn.11:56, Heb.9:5, al.; to mean (cl.), Mrk.14:71, Jhn.6:71, 1Co.10:29, al.; to call, name, Mrk.10:18; pass., Mat.9:9, Mrk.15:7, al (cf. ἀντι-, δια- (-μαι), προ-, συλ-λέγω). SYN.: λαλέω, which refers to the utterance, as λέγω to the meaning of what is said, its correspondence with thought (Tr., Syn., Ixxvi; Thayer, see word λαλέω). (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 1988 NT verses. KJV: ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say(-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter See also: 1 Corinthians 1:10; Acts 6:2; Acts 19:3.
κυριε
kurios
G2962
"lord: God"
Noun-VSM
The Greek word for lord or master, used to address God or a person in authority, showing respect and power. In the New Testament, it appears in Matthew 9:38 and Mark 12:9. It signifies a controller or ruler.
Definition: κύριος, -α, -ον (also -ος, -ον), [in LXX (subst.) chiefly for יהוה, also for בַּעַל ,אָדוֹן, etc. ;] having power (κῦρος) or authority; as subst., ὁ κ., lord, master; __1. in general: with genitive of thing(s), Mat.9:38 20:8, Mrk.12:9 13:35, Luk.19:33; τ. σαββάτου, Mat.12:8, Mrk.2:28, Luk.6:5; with genitive of person(s), δούλου, etc., Mat.10:24, Luk.14:21, Act.16:16, al.; absol, opposite to οἱ δοῦλοι, Eph.6:5, 9 al.; of the Emperor (Deiss., LAE, 161), Act.25:26; θεοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ κ. πολλοί, 1Co.8:5; of a husband, 1Pe.3:6; in voc, as a title of respect to masters, teachers, magistrates, etc., Mat.13:27 16:22 27:63, Mrk.7:28, Luk.5:12, Jhn.4:11, Act.9:5, al. __2. As a divine title (frequently in π.; Deiss., LAE, 353 ff.); in NT, __(a) of God: ὁ κ., Mat.5:33, Mrk.5:19, Luk.1:6, Act.7:33, Heb.8:2, Jas.4:15, al.; anarth. (Bl., §46, 6), Mat.21:9, Mrk.13:20, Luk.1:17, Heb.7:21, 1Pe.1:25, al.; κ. τ. οὐρανοῦ καὶ τ. γῆς, Mat.11:25; τ. κυριευόντων, 1Ti.6:15; κ. ὁ θεός, Mat.4:7, 10 al.; id. before παντοκράτωρ, Rev.4:8; κ. σαβαώθ, Rom.9:29; (ὁ) ἄγγελος κυρίου, Mat.1:20 2:13, Luk.1:11, al.; πνεῦμα κυρίου, Luk.4:18, Act.8:39; __(b) of the Christ: Mat.21:3, Mrk.11:3, Luk.1:43 20:44, al.; of Jesus after his resurrection (Dalman, Words, 330), Act.10:36, Rom.14:8, 1Co.7:22, Eph.4:5, al.; ὁ κ. μου, Jhn.20:28; ὁ κ. Ἰησοῦς, Act.1:21, 1Co.11:23, al.; id. before Χριστός, Eph.1:2, al.; ὁ κ. ἡμῶν, 1Ti.1:14, Heb.7:14, al.; id. before Ἰησοῦς, 1Th.3:11, Heb.13:20, al.; Χριστός, Rom.16:18; Ἰ Χ., 1Co.1:2, 1Th.1:3, al.; Ἰ. Χ. (Χ. Ἰ) ὁ κ. (ἡμῶν), Rom.1:4, Col.2:6, Eph.3:11, al.; ὁ κ. καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ, 2Pe.3:2; id. before Ἰ. Χ., ib. 18; anarth., 1Co.7:22, 25 Jas.5:4, al.; κ. κυρίων, Rev.19:16; with prep., ἀπὸ (κατὰ, πρὸς, σὺν, etc.) κ., Col.3:24, al. SYN: see: δεσπότης. (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 686 NT verses. KJV: God, Lord, master, Sir See also: 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Peter 1:3.
εαν
ean
G1437
"if"
COND
This word means 'if' and is used to show uncertainty or possibility, as in Matthew 6:22 and Romans 2:25, to express conditions or circumstances.
Definition: ἐάν, contr. fr. εἰ ἄν, conditional particle, representing something as "under certain circumstances actual or liable to happen," but not so definitely expected as in the case of εἰ with ind. (Bl., §65, 4; cf. Jhn.13:17, 1Co.7:36), if haply, if; __1. with subjc. (cl.); __(a) pres.: Mat.6:22, Luk.10:6, Jhn.7:17, Rom.2:25, 26 al.; { __(b) aor. (= Lat. fut. pf.): Mat.4:9 16:26 (cf. ptcp. in Luk.9:25; M, Pr., 230), Mrk.3:24, Luk.14:34, Jhn.5:43, Rom.7:2, al.; = cl. εἰ, with opt., Jhn.9:22 11:57, Act.9:2; as Heb. אִם = ὅταν, Jhn.12:32 14:3, I Jhn.2:28 3:2, Heb.3:7" (LXX) . __2. C. indic, (as in late writers, fr. Arist. on; see WH, App., 171; VD, MGr. 2, App., §77; Deiss., BS, 201f., LAE, 155, 254; M, Pr., 168, 187; Bl., §65, 4); __(a) fut.: Mat.18:19 T, Luk.19:40, Act.7:7; __(b) pres.: 1Th.3:8 (see Milligan, in l.). __3. With other particles: ἐ. καί (Bl., §65, 6), Gal.6:1; ἐ. μή (M, Pr., 185, 187; Bl., l.with), with subjc. pres., Mat.10:13, 1Co.8:8, Jas.2:17, 1Jn.3:21; aor., Mat.6:15, Mrk.3:27, Jhn.3:3, Rom.10:15, Gal.1:8 2:16 (see Lft., Ellic., in ll.); ἐ. τε . . . ἐ. τε, [in LXX for אִם . . . אִם, Est.19:13, al.,] Rom.14:8. __4. = cl. ἄν (which see) after relat. pronouns and adverbs (Tdf., Pr., 96; WH, App., 173; M, Pr., 42f.; Bl., §26, 4; Mayser, 152f.; Deiss., BS, 202ff.): ὃς ἐ., Mat.5:19, Mrk.6:22, 23 Luk.17:32, 1Co.6:18, al.; ὅπου ἐ., Mat.8:19; ὁσάκις ἐ., Rev.11:6; οὗ ἐ., 1Co.16:6; καθὸ ἐ., 2Co.8:12; ὅστις ἐ., Gal.5:10. (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 317 NT verses. KJV: before, but, except, (and) if, (if) so, (what-, whither-)soever, though, when (-soever), whether (or), to whom, (who-)so(-ever) See also: 1 Corinthians 4:15; Hebrews 13:23; 1 Peter 3:13.
θελης
thelō
G2309
"to will/desire"
Verb-PAS-2S
To will or desire something, as seen in Romans 9:16 and 1 Corinthians 12:6, where it describes a person's intentional choice or preference. This word is about making a conscious decision.
Definition: θέλω (the strengthened form ἐθέλω is found in Hom., and is the more frequently in Attic; see Rutherford, NPhr., 415f.), [in LXX for חפץ ,אבה; with neg., מאן pi., etc. ;] to will, be willing, wish, desire (more frequently than βούλομαι, which see, in vernac. and late Gk., also in MGr.; for various views as to its relation to β., see Thayer, 286; but see also BL, §24, see word): absol., Rom.9:16, 1Co.4:19 12:18, Jas.4:15; τ. θεοῦ θέλοντος, Act.18:21; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.20:21, Mrk.14:36, Jhn.15:7, Rom.7:15, 16 1Co.4:21 7:36, Gal.5:17; with inf., Mat.5:40, Mrk.10:43, Jhn.6:21, 67 Rom.7:21, Gal.4:9; with accusative and inf., Mrk.7:24, Luk.1:62, Jhn.21:22, 23 Rom.16:19, 1Co.14:5, Gal.6:13; οὐ θέλω, Mat.18:30, al.; id. with inf., Mat.2:18, Mrk.6:26, Jhn.5:40, 1Co.16:7; before ἵνα, Mat.7:12, Mrk.6:25, Jhn.17:24; opposite to ποιέω, πράσσω, ἐνεργέω, Rom.7:15, 19 2Co.8:10, 11 Php.2:13; before ἤ (ICG, in l.; Deiss., LAE, 179:24), 1Co.14:19; θέλων ἐν ταπεινοφροσυνῄ (of his own mere will, by humility, R, mg), Col.2:18; in OT quotations, for Heb. חפץ, with accusative of person(s), Mat.27:43; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.9:13 12:7, Heb.10:5, 8; with inf., 1Pe.3:10; for אמר, with inf., Act.7:28 (see Cremer, 726ff.). θέλω (the strengthened form ἐθέλω is found in Hom., and is the more frequently in Attic; see Rutherford, NPhr., 415f.), [in LXX for חפץ ,אבה; with neg., מאן pi., etc. ;] to will, be willing, wish, desire (more frequently than βούλομαι, which see, in vernac. and late Gk., also in MGr.; for various views as to its relation to β., see Thayer, 286; but see also BL, §24, see word): absol., Rom.9:16, 1Co.4:19 12:18, Jas.4:15; τ. θεοῦ θέλοντος, Act.18:21; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.20:21, Mrk.14:36, Jhn.15:7, Rom.7:15, 16 1Co.4:21 7:36, Gal.5:17; with inf., Mat.5:40, Mrk.10:43, Jhn.6:21, 67 Rom.7:21, Gal.4:9; with accusative and inf., Mrk.7:24, Luk.1:62, Jhn.21:22, 23 Rom.16:19, 1Co.14:5, Gal.6:13; οὐ θέλω, Mat.18:30, al.; id. with inf., Mat.2:18, Mrk.6:26, Jhn.5:40, 1Co.16:7; before ἵνα, Mat.7:12, Mrk.6:25, Jhn.17:24; opposite to ποιέω, πράσσω, ἐνεργέω, Rom.7:15, 19 2Co.8:10, 11 Php.2:13; before ἤ (ICG, in l.; Deiss., LAE, 179:24), 1Co.14:19; θέλων ἐν ταπεινοφροσυνῄ (of his own mere will, by humility, R, mg), Col.2:18; in OT quotations, for Heb. חפץ, with accusative of person(s), Mat.27:43; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.9:13 12:7, Heb.10:5, 8; with inf., 1Pe.3:10; for אמר, with inf., Act.7:28 (see Cremer, 726ff.). (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 200 NT verses. KJV: desire, be disposed (forward), intend, list, love, mean, please, have rather, (be) will (have, -ling, - ling(-ly)) See also: 1 Corinthians 4:19; Luke 12:49; 1 Peter 3:10.
δυνασαι
dunamai
G1410
"be able"
Verb-PNI-2S
To be able or have power, as in Matthew 6:24 and Mark 2:7, meaning to have the capability or strength to do something.
Definition: δύναμαι, depon., [in LXX chiefly for יָכֹל ;] to be able, have power, whether by personal ability, permission, or opportunity: with inf. (M, Pr., 205; WM, §44, 3) pres., Mat.6:24, Mrk.2:7, Jhn.3:2, 1Co.10:21, al.; with inf. aor., Mat.3:9, Mrk.1:45, Jhn.3:3, 4 Rom.8:39, al.; with accusative, to be able to do something: Mrk.9:22, Luk.12:26; 2Co.13:8; absol., to be able, capable, powerful: 1Co.3:2 10:13. (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 199 NT verses. KJV: be able, can (do, + -not), could, may, might, be possible, be of power See also: 1 Corinthians 2:14; John 15:4; Hebrews 2:18.
με
egō
G1473
"I/we"
Pron-1AS
This is a pronoun meaning I or me, used by the speaker to refer to themselves. It is often used in the Bible to emphasize the speaker's identity.
Definition: ἐγώ, genitive, etc., ἐμοῦ, ἐμοί, ἐμέ (enclitic μου, μοι, με), pl. ἡμεῖς, -ῶν, -ῖν, -ᾶς, of person(s) pron. I. __(a) The nom. is usually emphatic, when expressed as subjc, as in Mat.3:11, Mrk.1:8, Luk.3:16, al. But often there is no apparent emphasis, as Mat.10:16, Jhn.10:17; ἰδοὺ ἐ. (= Heb. הִנֵּנִי, cf. 1Ki.3:8), Act.9:10; ἐ. (like Heb. אֲנִי), I am, Jhn.1:23 (LXX), Act.7:32 (LXX). __(b) The enclitic forms (see supr.) are used with nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, where there is no emphasis: ἐν τ. πατρί μου, Jhn.14:20; μου τ. λόγους, Mat.7:24; ὀπίσω μου, Mat.3:11; ἰσχυρότερός μου, ib.; λέγει μοι, Rev.5:5; also with the prep. πρός, as Mrk.9:19, al. The full forms (ἐμοῦ, etc.) are used with the other prepositions, as δι᾽ ἐμοῦ, ἐν ἐμοί, εἰς ἐμέ, etc., also for emphasis, as Luk.10:16, Jhn.7:23, Mrk.14:7, al. __(with) The genitive μου and ἡμῶν are often used for the poss. pronouns ἐμός, ἡμέτερος: τ. λαόν μου, Mat.2:6; μου τῂ ἀπιστιᾳ, Mrk.9:24. __(d) τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί ( = Heb. מַה־לִי וָלָךְ, Jdg.11:12, al.), i.e. what have we in common: Mat.8:29, Mrk.1:24, 5:7, Luk.8:28, Jhn.2:4; τί γάρ μοι, 1Co.5:2. __(e) The interchange of ἐγώ and ἡμεῖς, common in π., appears in Pauline Epp. (see M, Pr., 86f., M, Th., 131f.). __(f) κἀγώ (= καὶ ἐγώ), and I, even I, I also: Mat.2:8, Luk.2:48, Jhn.6:56, Rom.3:7, 1Co.7:40, al.; κἀγώ . . . καί, both . . . and, Jhn.7:28. (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 1872 NT verses. KJV: I, me See also: 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 16:24; 1 Peter 1:3.
καθαρισαι
katharizō
G2511
"to clean"
Verb-AAN
To clean or cleanse something, like when Jesus healed a leper in Matthew 8:3. It can also mean to purify or make something clean morally.
Definition: καθαρίζω (Hellenistic-FlJ, Inscr.-for Attic καθαίρω, which see, on the vulgar -ερ-, Mat.8:3, Mrk.1:42, see Bl., § 6, 1; Thackeray, Gr., 74) [in LXX chiefly for טָהֵר ;] to cleanse, make clean. __1. In physical sense: with accusative of thing(s), figuratively, Mat.23:25-26, Luk.11:39; of disease (leprosy), with accusative of person(s), Mat.8:2-3 10:8 11:5, Mrk.1:40-42 Luk.4:27 5:12-13 7:22 17:14, 17; ἡ λέπρα ἐκαθερίσθη (on the spelling see supr.), Mat.8:3. __2. In ethical sense: τ. καρδίας, Act.15:9 (cf. Sir.38:10); τ. χεῖρας, Jas.4:8; λαὸν ἑαυτῷ, Tit.2:14; τ. ἐκκλησίαν, Eph.5:26; with accusative of person(s) (of thing(s)), before ἀπό (131., § 36, 9; Deiss., BS, 216 f.), 2Co.7:1, Heb.9:14, 1Jn.1:7 Jn 1:9. __3. In ceremonial sense: Mrk.7:19, Act.10:15 11:9, Heb.9:22-23 10:2 (cf. δια-καθαρίζω).† (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 29 NT verses. KJV: (make) clean(-se), purge, purify See also: 1 John 1:7; Luke 7:22; Hebrews 9:14.
Study Notes — Matthew 8:2
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Matthew 8:2 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Matthew 8:2
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 8:2
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Matthew 8:2
- Trapp's Commentary on Matthew 8:2
- Ellicott's Commentary on Matthew 8:2
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Matthew 8:2
- Cambridge Bible on Matthew 8:2
- Barnes' Notes on Matthew 8:2
- Whedon's Commentary on Matthew 8:2
- Sermons on Matthew 8:2
Context — The Leper’s Prayer
1When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.
2Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
3Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew 15:25 | The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said. |
| 2 | Luke 17:12–19 | As He entered one of the villages, He was met by ten lepers. They stood at a distance and raised their voices, shouting, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were on their way, they were cleansed. When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice. He fell facedown at Jesus’ feet in thanksgiving to Him—and he was a Samaritan. “Were not all ten cleansed?” Jesus asked. “Where then are the other nine? Was no one found except this foreigner to return and give glory to God?” Then Jesus said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well! ” |
| 3 | Matthew 18:26 | Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ |
| 4 | Mark 1:40–45 | Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed. Jesus promptly sent him away with a stern warning: “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” But the man went out and openly began to proclaim and spread the news. Consequently, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view, but He stayed out in solitary places. Yet people came to Him from every quarter. |
| 5 | Leviticus 13:44–46 | the man is diseased; he is unclean. The priest must pronounce him unclean because of the infection on his head. A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp. |
| 6 | Luke 5:12–14 | While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell facedown and begged Him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. “Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” |
| 7 | Acts 10:25 | As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet to worship him. |
| 8 | Mark 9:22–24 | “It often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” “If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!” Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” |
| 9 | 1 Corinthians 14:25 | and the secrets of his heart will be made known. So he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is truly among you!” |
| 10 | Numbers 5:2–3 | “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a skin disease, anyone who has a bodily discharge, and anyone who is defiled by a dead body. You must send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.” |
Matthew 8:2 Summary
In Matthew 8:2, a man with a serious skin disease called leprosy came to Jesus and asked for His help. The man showed humility and faith by saying 'if You are willing', which means he recognized Jesus' power to heal, but also acknowledged that Jesus had the right to choose whether or not to heal him. This verse reminds us that we can come to Jesus with our own struggles and imperfections, and He is willing to help and heal us (Psalm 103:2-3, Isaiah 53:5). Just like the leper, we can trust in Jesus' power to transform and heal us, and we can demonstrate humility and faith in our interactions with Him.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of disease did the leper have in Matthew 8:2?
The leper in Matthew 8:2 had a skin disease that made him unclean according to the laws in Leviticus 13:1-46, and as a result, he was likely shunned by society.
Why did the leper say 'if You are willing' in Matthew 8:2?
The leper said 'if You are willing' because he recognized Jesus' power to heal, but also acknowledged that Jesus had the right to choose whether or not to heal him, much like the centurion in Matthew 8:8-10 who also showed humility and faith.
What does the leper's actions in Matthew 8:2 reveal about his character?
The leper's actions in Matthew 8:2, such as coming and kneeling before Jesus, show that he was humble, desperate, and willing to seek help from Jesus, which is similar to the attitude of the woman who touched Jesus' cloak in Matthew 9:20-22.
How does this verse relate to our own lives and struggles?
This verse reminds us that, like the leper, we can come to Jesus with our own struggles and imperfections, and He is willing to help and heal us, as seen in Psalm 103:2-3 and Isaiah 53:5.
Reflection Questions
- What are the things in my life that I feel are 'unclean' or unworthy, and how can I bring them before Jesus like the leper did?
- In what ways can I, like the leper, demonstrate humility and faith in my interactions with Jesus?
- How can I apply the leper's willingness to seek help from Jesus to my own life and relationships?
- What are some areas where I need to acknowledge Jesus' power and willingness to act, just like the leper did?
- How can I, like the leper, trust in Jesus' power to transform and heal me?
Gill's Exposition on Matthew 8:2
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, Lu 5:12 "when he was in a certain city"; in one of the cities of Galilee;
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 8:2
And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And, behold, there came a leper - "a man full of leprosy," says Luke 5:12.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Matthew 8:2
Ver. 1,2. We heard of Christ’ s going up into the mountain, ; and of great multitudes that followed him from Decapolis, and from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from beyond Jordan: whether the same multitude, or others, followed him upon his coming down, is not said. But behold, ( saith the evangelist), there came a leper: both Mark and Luke have the same story, or one very like to it, . Of the plague, or leprosy, we read much in the books of Moses. It was a white scab in the flesh, which gradually consumed the body, and was contagious. The leper, and he who touched him, or any thing he came near, was legally unclean: thrice we read of it inflicted as a severe punishment; upon Gehazi, for lying and taking bribes, and upon king Uzziah, for offering sacrifice. It was a disease of very difficult cure. This leper comes and worshippeth Christ. Mark saith that he kneeled down to him: whether he only kneeled down, or prostrated himself, is not much material, for either of them might be done according to the fashion of those countries, in token either of a civil respect, paid to him as a great and eminent prophet, or a piece of religious homage (if he had so early a revelation that he was the Son of God, which some doubt). Saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
The term Lord will not conclude his recognizing Christ as the Son of God, being a term used by Sarah to Abraham, and afterwards to Elijah. The words import his desire, though they be not a form of prayer, but an acknowledgment of the power of Christ. The leper acknowledging Christ’ s power, submits himself to his will, and so with the same breath declareth his faith and modesty. He indeed declareth no faith in the will of God, nor can any person exercise any such faith as to any temporal mercy, any further than as God shall judge it for our good.
Trapp's Commentary on Matthew 8:2
2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Ver. 2. And, behold, there came a leper] This leprosy was most rife in our Saviour’ s time; God so ordering that Judea was sickest when her Physician was nearest. The Jews are still a nasty people; and this kind of leprosy seems to have been proper to them, as Plica Polonica, Morbus Gallicus, Sudor Anglicus. No stranger in England was touched with this disease, and yet the English were chased therewith, not in England only, but in other countries abroad; which made them like tyrants, both feared and avoided wherever they came. So were these Jewish lepers. Hence that fable in Tacitus, that the Israelites were driven out of Egypt for that loathsome disease. This, said one malevolent heathen, is the cause why they rest every seventh day. Bodinus observes it for a special providence of God, that in Arabia (which bordereth upon Judea) there are no swine to be found, lest that most leprous creature, saith he, should more and more infest and infect that people, who are naturally subject to the leprosy. And another good author is of the opinion that God did therefore forbid the Jews to eat either swine’ s flesh or hare’ s flesh, quod ista caro facile in male affectis corporibus putrescat, because in diseased bodies it easily corrupts and turns to ill humours.
And worshipped him] Which he would hardly ever have done, haply, had he not been a leper. Morbi sunt vlrtutum officina: diseases, saith St Ambrose, are the shop of virtues. King Alfred found himself ever best when he was worst; and therefore prayed God to send him always some sickness; Gehazi’ s leprosy cured him, his white forehead made him a white soul. If thou wilt, thou canst, &c.] So another came with, "If thou canst do anything, help us." We never doubt of Christ’ s will to do us good (saith a great divine), but, in some degree, we doubt also his power. True faith doubts neither, but believes against sense in things invisible, and against reason in things incredible. Sense corrects imagination, reason corrects sense, but faith corrects both. Summa Dei bonitate id factum est, ne populos ad lepram proclives, animal leprosissimum magis, ac magis infestaret. Jo. Bodin.
Ellicott's Commentary on Matthew 8:2
(2) A leper.—The discussion of leprosy, as to its nature, symptoms, and causes, would be at once long and difficult. The word, which is Greek and not Hebrew in its origin, has probably been used with varying extent of meaning, sometimes including elephantiasis, or even cancer. Even in its narrower meaning, as used by Hippocrates, leprosy was subdivided into three kinds: (1) the mealy, (2) the white, (3) the black, according to the appearance presented by the portions of diseased flesh. Confining ourselves to the Biblical form of the disease, we note (1) its probable origin in the squalor and wretchedness of the Egyptian bondage. It was the “botch,” or plague “of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 28:27). In the Egyptian legends of the Exodus, indeed, the Israelites were said to have been expelled because they were lepers. (2) Its main features were the appearance of a bright spot on the flesh, whiter than the rest, spreading, in flaming, cracking; an ichorous humour oozing from the cracks, the skin becoming hard, scaly, “as white as snow” (Exodus 4:6; 2 Kings 5:27). One so affected was regarded as unclean; his touch brought defilement (Leviticus 13:3; Leviticus 13:11; Leviticus 13:15). He was looked upon as smitten with a divine plague, and cases like those of Miriam and Gehazi gave strength to the belief. He had to live apart from his fellows, to wear on his brow the outward sign of separation, to cry out the words of warning, “Unclean, unclean” (Leviticus 13:45).
The idea which lay at the bottom of this separation seems to have been one of abhorrence rather than precaution. The disease was loathsome, but there is no evidence that it was contagious, or even believed to be contagious. At the stage in which it reached its height, and the whole body was covered with the botch and scabs, the man was, by a strange contrast, declared to be ceremonially clean (Leviticus 13:13), and in this state, therefore, the leper might return to his kindred, and take his place among the worshippers of the synagogue. In the case now before us, the man would appear to have been as yet in the intermediate stage. St. Luke describes him, however, as “full of leprosy.” Worshipped him—i.e., as in St. Mark, “falling on his knees,” or in St. Luke, “falling on his face,” in the highest form of Eastern homage. The act gave to the word “Lord” the emphasis of one, at least, of its higher meanings. If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.—The words imply either that he had seen or heard of our Lord’s works of healing, or that His words had impressed him with the belief that the Teacher must have a power extending to acts also.
There does not appear to have been any previous case of leprosy miraculously cleansed. The words of the man involve a singular mingling of faith and distrust. He believes in the power, he does not as yet believe in the will. Can it stoop to one so foul as he?
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Matthew 8:2
Verse 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 Lev. 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; 2Kg 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. See Clarke on Exodus 4:6, and on Lev. 13: and 14. 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.
Cambridge Bible on Matthew 8:2
2. a leper] St Luke has “full of leprosy,” a term implying the gravity of the disease,—not that it covered the whole body, in which case the leper was pronounced clean, Leviticus 13:12-13; Leviticus 13:16-17. See Our Lord’s Miracles of Healing, ch. 4 (Belcher). Leprosy is to be regarded as especially symbolic of sin: the beginning of the disease is almost unnoticed, it is contagious (this point is disputed, but see in confirmation of the note Belcher, Our Lord’s Miracles of Healing, ch. 4, also Meyer ad loc. who takes the same view), in its worst form it is incurable except by the touch of Christ; it separated a man and classed him with the dead. worshipped him] The imperfect in the original marks that persistency in prayer, which Jesus had just promised should win acceptance; while the leper’s words imply a faith which is another condition of acceptance.
Barnes' Notes on Matthew 8:2
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.
Whedon's Commentary on Matthew 8:2
§ 29. — FIRST MIRACLE — THE LEPER, Matthew 8:2-4.2. Behold… a leper — A living instance of the receptive faith alluded to in the closing lines of our comment on the last chapter, now steps forward in the person of a leper.
Sermons on Matthew 8:2
| Sermon | Description | |
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God's Joy in Us by John McGregor | In this sermon, the speaker shares stories of individuals who experienced the joy of serving God. He mentions a dear old saint named Hutchinson who encouraged a young girl by telli |
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The Touch of Christ by Kevin M. Pearson | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having our spiritual senses exercised in order to discern good and evil. He uses the example of a blind man who, after bein |
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My Expectation Is From the Lord - Part 2 by Joshua Daniel | This sermon by Joshua Daniel emphasizes the importance of placing our expectation and trust solely in God, highlighting the impact of faith and unwavering belief in God's power to |
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Experiencing Radical True Christianity by Shane Idleman | This sermon addresses the controversial topic of healing, emphasizing the need to seek God's will in this area. It discusses the extremes of strange practices and lack of spiritual |
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All That Jesus Taught Bible Study - Part 31 by Zac Poonen | This sermon focuses on the importance of understanding and following all that Jesus taught, emphasizing the need to not only listen to His words but also observe His actions and th |
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Will I Ever Be Free? by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the preacher opens the book and reads from the scripture about the anointing of Jesus to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, and set the captives |
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Jesus Is Alive by Michael Koulianos | Michael Koulianos emphasizes the power of Jesus' resurrection and His victory over death, encouraging believers to overcome their fears, particularly the fear of death. He draws pa |