Matthew 8:18

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he told his followers to go to the other side of the lake.

Matthew 8:18 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 8:18

Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him
Who got together, partly out of novelty to see his person, of whom they had heard so much; and partly to see the miracles he wrought: some came to have their bodily diseases healed; few, if any, to hear the Gospel preached by him, and for the good of their immortal souls: the most part came with some sinister, selfish, and carnal views, wherefore

he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
Different were the reasons, which at certain times moved Christ to depart from the multitude; as that he might have an opportunity of private prayer, or to preach, to others, or to show he sought not popular applause, and to avoid seditions: his reasons here seem to be with respect to himself, that being wearied as man, with the work of the day, he might have an opportunity of refreshing himself with sleep; with respect to his disciples, that he might have a trial of their faith, when in danger at sea; and with respect to the multitude, because of their carnality, and sole concern for their temporal, and worldly good. The persons he gave commandment to, must be either the multitude, or the disciples; not the former, because he studiously avoided their company, and his concern was to be rid of them; but the latter, and so the Vulgate Latin and Munster's Hebrew Gospel read, "he commanded his disciples". The place he would have them go to was, the other side of the lake of Tiberias, or Genesareth; not over the river Euphrates, as says the author of the old Nizzachon F25.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 Pesikta in Abkath Rochel, l. 1. par. 2. p. 205. Ed. Huls.

Matthew 8:18 In-Context

16 That evening people brought to Jesus many who had demons. Jesus spoke and the demons left them, and he healed all the sick.
17 He did these things to bring about what Isaiah the prophet had said: "He took our suffering on him and carried our diseases."
18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he told his followers to go to the other side of the lake.
19 Then a teacher of the law came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, I will follow you any place you go."
20 Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes to live in, and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest his head."
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.