Matthew 14:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick

NIV: And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him

NASB: And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding region and brought to Him all who were sick;

CSB: When the men of that place recognized him, they alerted the whole vicinity and brought to him all who were sick.

NLT: When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed.

KJV: And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;

NKJV: And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick,

Crowds of people seem to show up everywhere Jesus goes in the region of Galilee (Matthew 5:1; 14:13–21; Mark 2:4; Luke 5:1). The people might not understand, as the disciples do, that Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew 14:33). They do know, though, that Jesus can miraculously, powerfully, instantly heal those who are sick or disabled or in pain. This is one of the predicted signs of the Messiah, according to the Old Testament (Matthew 11:2–5; Isaiah 35:5–6).

When the disciples and Jesus land their boat at Gennesaret, some men quickly recognize Him and recognize an opportunity to find healing for the hurting people in their region. The word spreads, and the people come. This happens again and again in Jesus' ministry (Matthew 12:15; 19:2; Mark 6:56; Luke 6:17–19). Sadly, many who come in search of healing or food (Matthew 14:13–21), have no interest in Jesus' deeper message. While Matthew does not deal with that issue, in this passage, it is seen in other incidents during Jesus' ministry (John 6:26, 66).

Matthew 14:34–36 finds Jesus and the disciples finally arriving at Gennesaret after their long night on the Sea of Galilee. The people of the region recognize Jesus and gather the sick and afflicted to be healed by Him. They beg Jesus to allow them to touch the fringe of His garment so they can be healed. All who do so are made well.

Matthew 14 begins with a backstory about the arrest and execution of John the Baptist by Herod the tetrarch, the Jewish ruler of the region. Jesus and the disciples take a boat to a desolate place only to find crowds waiting. Jesus heals many and then feeds as many as twenty thousand people with five loaves and two fish. Later, the disciples row against a strong wind until Jesus walks on the water to meet them and calm the wind. Peter walks on water briefly and then doubts and begins to sink. The disciples worship Jesus. On the other side of the lake, Jesus continues to heal the sick.

Matthew 13 included more of Jesus' parables and an unfortunate incident where His own hometown rejected His ministry. Chapter 14 begins with news that Herod the tetrarch—the man who killed John the Baptist—is aware of Jesus' fame and power. Jesus and the disciples intend to withdraw to somewhere desolate, but a crowd is waiting for them. Jesus heals people, miraculously feeds thousands, and walks on water. When they reach the other side, Jesus heals more people. Chapter 15 sees Jesus once again debating with His critics and performing more healings.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 4/28/2024 4:46:08 AM