For he had healed many
Of various diseases, and the fame of this brought more still to him:
insomuch that they pressed upon him;
or pushed upon him, with great eagerness and violence. The Arabic version renders it, "they rushed upon him, so that they fell": they pushed on, and pressed so hard to get to him, that they fell upon one another, and on him: the Persic version renders it, "they cast themselves on him, for the sake of touching him"; which must be very troublesome indeed. Though some think the phrase signifies no more, than that they fell down before him at his feet, in a submissive and petitionary way, entreating they might have the favour
for to touch him;
either any part of his body, or his garments, even the hem of them: and so the Ethiopic version translates the words; "they prayed him that they might touch him"; see ( Mark 6:56 ) .
As many as had plagues;
of leprosy, and other diseases, which were inflicted on them by God, as scourges and chastisements for their sins, as the word signifies, and which answers to (Myegn) , "Negaim"; concerning which, there is a whole treatise in the Misna; and which bears that name, and particularly regards the plagues of leprosy. Some versions join this with the beginning of the next verse. The Syriac version reads thus, "who had plagues of unclean spirits"; as if these plagues were their being possessed by unclean spirits. The Persic version thus, "having plagues from unclean spirits"; as if these plagues were inflicted upon them by them, and which was sometimes the case. The Arabic version after this manner, "who had diseases and unclean spirits"; both the one and the other.