Mat 8:14-17 | RWP | e4.org | Lying sick of a fever ( βιβλημενην κα πυρεσσουσαν ). Two participles, bedridden (perfect passive of βαλλω ) and burning with fever (present active). How long the fever had had her we have no means of knowing, possibly a sudden and severe attack ( ), as they tell Jesus about her on reaching the house of Peter. We are not told what kind of fever it was. Fever itself was considered a disease. "Fever" is from German feuer (fire) like the Greek πυρ .

‏ Matthew 8:14-17

Lying sick of a fever ( βιβλημενην κα πυρεσσουσαν ). Two participles, bedridden (perfect passive of βαλλω ) and burning with fever (present active). How long the fever had had her we have no means of knowing, possibly a sudden and severe attack (Mr 1:30), as they tell Jesus about her on reaching the house of Peter. We are not told what kind of fever it was. Fever itself was considered a disease. "Fever" is from German feuer (fire) like the Greek πυρ.

Touched her hand ( ηψατο της χειρος αυτης ). In loving sympathy as the Great Physician and like any good doctor today.

Ministered ( διηκονε ). "Began to minister" (conative imperfect) at once to Jesus at table in gratitude and love.

When even was come ( οψιας γενομενης ). Genitive absolute. A beautiful sunset scene at the close of the Sabbath day (Mr 1:21). Then the crowds came as Jesus stood in the door of Peter's house (Mr 1:33; Mt 8:14) as all the city gathered there with the sick, "all those who had it bad" (see on Mt 4:24) and he healed them "with a word" ( λογω ). It was a never to be forgotten memory for those who saw it.

Himself took our infirmities and bare our diseases ( αυτος τας ασθενειας ελαβεν κα τας νοσους εβαστασεν ). A quotation from Isa 53:4. It is not clear in what sense Matthew applies the words in Isaiah whether in the precise sense of the Hebrew or in an independent manner. Moffatt translates it: "He took away our sicknesses, and bore the burden of our diseases." Goodspeed puts it: "He took our sickness and carried away our diseases." Deissmann (Bible Studies, pp. 102f.) thinks that Matthew has made a free interpretation of the Hebrew, has discarded the translation of the Septuagint, and has transposed the two Hebrew verbs so that Matthew means: "He took upon himself our pains, and bore our diseases." Plummer holds that "It is impossible, and also unnecessary, to understand what the Evangelist understood by 'took ' ( ελαβεν ) and 'bare' ( εβαστασεν ). It at least must mean that Christ removed their sufferings from the sufferers. He can hardly have meant that the diseases were transferred to Christ." Βασταζω occurs freely in the papyri with the sense of lift, carry, endure, carry away (the commonest meaning, Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary), pilfer. In Mt 3:11 we have the common vernacular use to take off sandals. The Attic Greek did not use it in the sense of carrying off. "This passage is the cornerstone of the faith-cure theory, which claims that the atonement of Christ includes provision for bodily no less than for spiritual healing, and therefore insists on translating 'took away'" (Vincent). We have seen that the word βασταζω will possibly allow that meaning, but I agree with McNeile: "The passage, as Mt. employs it, has no bearing on the doctrine of the atonement." But Jesus does show his sympathy with us. "Christ's sympathy with the sufferers was so intense that he really felt their weaknesses and pains." In our burdens Jesus steps under the load with us and helps us to carry on.