Luke 5:14

To tell no man (mhdeni eipein). This is an indirect command after the verb "charged" (parhggeilen). But Luke changes (constructio variata) to the direct quotation, a common idiom in Greek and often in Luke ( Acts 1:4 ). Here in the direct form he follows Mark 1:43 ; Matthew 8:4 . See discussion there about the direction to go to the priest to receive a certificate showing his cleansing, like our release from quarantine ( Leviticus 13:39 ; Leviticus 14:2-32 ). For a testimony unto them (ei marturion autoi). The use of autoi (them) here is "according to sense," as we say, for it has no antecedent in the context, just to people in general. But this identical phrase with absence of direct reference occurs in Mark and Matthew, pretty good proof of the use of one by the other. Both Matthew 8:4 ; Luke 5:14 follow Mark 1:44 .