34

my

33 And he answered them saying, "Who is my mother, or brethren?" And he looked round on those who sat about 35 him, and saith, "Behold, my mother, and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and [my] sister, and mother."

CH. IV. And again he began to teach by the side of the lake:

and a great multitude was gathered together unto him; so that he went into a ship, and sat therein in the lake; and the 2 whole multitude was near the lake, on the land. And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them 3 in his teaching, "Hearken: Behold, a sower went out to 4 sow and it came to pass as he sowed, that some seed fell by 5 the way-side, and the fowls' came and devoured it. And some fell on a rocky place, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had not depth of 6 earth. But when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and, 7 because it had not root, it withered. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded 8 no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and yielded fruit, which sprang up, and increased, and brought forth, some 9 thirty fold, and some sixty, and some an hundred"." Then he said, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

10

And when he was apart, those that were about him, and 11 the Twelve, asked him concerning the parable. And he said unto them, "Unto you it is given [to know] the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto those that are without all 12 things are spoken in parables; so that seeing they see, and

do not perceive; and hearing they hear, and do not understand, neither are they converted, nor their [sins] forgiven 5." 13 And he saith unto them, "Know ye not this parable? how 14 then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way-side, where the word is ' of heaven, R.T. 2 by thirty, by sixty, and by a hundred fold. Mss. 3 he said to them, R.T. 4 Gr. that seeing they may see and not perceive; and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they should be converted, and should be forgiven. 5 converted and forgiven, N.

sown: now when they have heard, Satan' cometh immediately, and taketh away the word which was sown in their 16 hearts. And these are they in like manner that are sown on stony places; who, when they have heard the word, im17 mediately receive it with joy: yet have not root in themselves, but endure for a short time: and afterward when affliction or persecution ariseth because of the word, they 18 immediately fall away 3. And [these are] they that are sown 19 among thorns'; who hear the word and the anxious cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires of other things entering in, choke the word, and 20 it becometh unfruitful. And these are they that are sown on good ground, who hear the word, and receive it, and bear fruit, some thirty-fold, some sixty, and some an hundred "."

21

He said also unto them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a measure, or under a couch? and not to be set on a 22 stand? For there is nothing hidden, which is not to be manifested; nor hath any thing been kept secret, but that it 23 should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."

24

He said also unto them, "Take heed concerning what ye hear: : with what measure ye deal out', it shall be mea25 sured to you. For whosoever hath much, to him shall be given and whosoever hath little, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.”

26

:

He said also, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man 27 should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep and rise night and day; and the seed should spring and grow up, he 28 knoweth not how. (For the earth bringeth forth fruit of itself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in

2

1i. e, the enemies of truth and goodness. Est. vii. 4; 1 Cor. v. 13; Matt. xiii, 19. Simpson Ess. ii. in them, Mss. 3 offend, N. t. 4 And those sown among thorns are they who, R. T. 5 this world, R. T. 6 by thirty, &c. as ver. 8. Mss. 7 Gr. measure, 8 The received text adds, "and to you that hear shall more be given,"

29 the ear.) But when the grain appeareth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."

30

He said also, “Whereunto may we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison may we compare it1? 31 It is like a grain of mustard-seed, which, when it is sown in the ground, is less than all the seeds that are in the 32 ground. But when it is sown, it shooteth up, and becometh the greatest of all herbs, and spreadeth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air can lodge under its shadow."

33

And in many such parables he spake the word unto them, 34 as they were capable of hearing it. But without a parable he spake not unto them: and in private he explained all things to his disciples.

35

2

Now on that day, when the evening was come, he saith unto them, "Let us pass over to the other side of the lake." 36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they take him, even as he was, into a ship. And there were with him other 37 ships also. And a great storm of wind riseth: and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now filled with water. 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow and they awake him, and say unto him, "Teacher3, 39 carest thou not that we perish?" And he arose, and re

:

buked the wind, and said to the sea, "Be silent, be still." 40 And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye 41 have not faith?" And they feared greatly, and said one to another, "Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

CH. V. And they came to the other side of the lake, into the 2 country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of

the ship, immediately there met him out of the sepulchres 3 a man with an unclean spirit *, who had his dwelling among 'Or, by what parable may we represent i? N. m. 2 little ships, R. T. 3 Master, N.

This man was raving mad, and imagined himself possessed by a legion of demons, whose organ he was compelled to be. When healed, he is said, ver. 15,

the tombs, and no man was able to bind him, not even with 4 chains: for he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been rent asunder by him, and the fet5 ters broken: nor was any man able to tame him. And he was always, night and day, in the tombs, and in the moun6 tains', crying out, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus at a distance, he ran and did him obei: 7 sance; and cried out with a loud voice, and said, "What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God! I adjure thee by God, that thou torment mé not.” 8 (For Jesus had said unto him, "Come out of the man, thou 9 unclean spirit.") Then Jesus asked him "What is thy name?" And he saith unto Jesus, "My name is Legion; 10 for we are many *." And he besought Jesus much, that he 11 would not send them away out of the country. Now a [great] 12 herd of swine was feeding there, toward the mountain. And

3

[the demons1] besought him, saying, "Send us into the swine, 13 that we may enter into them." And immediately Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine +: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, ([now they were] about two thousand,) 14 and were drowned in the lake. And those who kept them3 fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And the 15 people went out to see what had been done. And they come to Jesus, and see the demoniac [who before had the legion,]

in the mountains and in the tombs, R.T. 2 Or, What hast thou to do with me? N. m. 3 he answered, saying, R. T. 4 all the demons, R. T. 5 the swine, R. T. and N. t. 6 This is Griesbach's reading; but the redundant clause, "who had the legion," which is wanting in some Mss., was probably a marginal note. "and see him who before had the demons," N. t.

to be in his right mind; which implies that his disorder was insanity. See Farmer on Dem. p. 100.

* A very natural answer for a madman, who thought himself possessed by a legion of demons, but such as no being possessed of reason would have returned, +i. e. the insanity passed from the man into the swine. What could be more absurd than to suppose that six thousand devils, or human ghosts, entered into and possessed two thousand brutes¦ God, who enabled Christ to perform

sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were 16 afraid. And those who saw it told them how it had befallen

him that had the demons; and also concerning the swine. 17 And they began to entreat Jesus that he would depart out 18 of their borders. And when Jesus had gone into the ship,

he who before had the demons besought Jesus that he might 19 be with him. And he' suffered him not; but saith unto

him, "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done unto thee, and that he hath had 20 pity on thee." And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done unto him: and all men wondered.

.21

And when Jesus had again passed over in the ship to the other side, a great multitude gathered together unto him: 22 and he was near the lake. And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, named Jairus; and when he 23 saw Jesus, he falleth down at his feet, and besought him greatly, saying, "My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray that thou wouldest come and put thine hands : 24 on her, that she may be cured, and she will live." And Jesus went with him; and a great multitude followed him, 25 and thronged him. And a [certain] woman, having an issue 26 of blood twelve years, and that had suffered many things

by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and 27 was in no wise relieved, but rather became worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the crowd behind him, and touch28 ed his garment. For she said, "If I may touch but his gar29 ments, I shall be well." And immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she knew in her body that she 30 was cured of that disease. And Jesus immediately knew in himself the power which had gone out of him, and turned

this miracle, had an unquestionable right to take away the lives of those animals in this extraordinary way, but the immediate reason of this miracle is not apparent.