Matthew 9:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the report of this went through all that district.

NIV: News of this spread through all that region.

NASB: And this news spread throughout that land.

CSB: Then news of this spread throughout that whole area.

NLT: The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.

KJV: And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

NKJV: And the report of this went out into all that land.

Jesus has just restored a girl—understood by all observers to be dead—back to life. He simply took her by the hand, told her to rise, and she did.

This is perhaps Jesus' greatest miracle so far. It connects Him to the prophets Elijah (1 Kings 17:17–24) and Elisha (2 Kings 4:17–37), who were both used by God to raise to life children who had died. The difference between them and Jesus was that neither Elijah nor Elisha claimed to the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus will again raise the dead, in even more dramatic fashion and before far more witnesses, when His friend Lazarus is resurrected (John 11).

Mark and Luke conclude the story of Jesus raising this girl to life by quoting Jesus as telling her parents to give her some food and then instructing them to tell no one about this (Mark 5:43; Luke 8:56). Either these amazed parents disobeyed that command or the mourners who had been removed figured it out. According to this verse, the report of this girl's return to life spread through the entire district.

Jesus likely asked the parents to keep the miracle quiet because the crowds following Him were already nearly unmanageable. Jesus' mission was to die for the sins of humanity, not to lead a revolution against the Romans. If the crowds following Him became too frenzied, it might bring trouble with the Romans sooner than He was planning (John 6:15). Still, Jesus' commands to keep quiet about miraculous events rarely kept news from getting out.

Matthew 9:18–26 begins with the arrival of a ruler of the synagogue. He tells Jesus that his daughter has just died, but that she will live if Jesus comes and lays His hand on her (Mark 5:21–24). Jesus and the disciples are following the man to his house when a woman in the crowd touches the edge of Jesus' garment. As also indicated in the gospel of Mark, she is immediately healed from a 12-year illness (Mark 5:25–29). Arriving at the home of the man, Jesus sends away the professional mourners. He takes the dead girl's hand, and she is restored to life (Mark 5:35–43).

Matthew 9 continues to show how Jesus authenticated His claims to be the Messiah by powerful miracles of healing and casting out demons. He heals a paralyzed man after telling the man his sins are forgiven. He calls Matthew to follow Him and eats dinner with Matthew and other tax collectors. He answers questions from Pharisees and others. A woman who touches His cloak is healed from a 12–year illness, and Jesus raises a dead girl back to life. He restores sight to blind men and speech to one who is demon oppressed. He is filled with compassion for the crowds.

Matthew 9 follows the same pattern of Matthew 8, showing through miraculous works of healing that Jesus is truly the Messiah. Christ forgives the sins of a paralyzed man and heals him. He calls Matthew to follow Him and eats with tax collectors and sinners. A woman is healed by touching His garment and a dead girl is given life by the touch of His hand. Two blind men see, and Jesus casts out a demon, restoring speech to its victim. Finally, Jesus declares that the harvest is plentiful and tells His followers to pray for workers. Chapter 10 builds on this compassion as Jesus commissions the Twelve to go and deliver His gospel to the people.

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.