SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:24
Y corría su fama por toda Siria; y le traían todos los que tenían mal; los tomados de diversas enfermedades y tormentos, y los endemoniados, y lunticos, y paralíticos, y los sanaba.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 4:24
Verse 24. Sick people] touv, kakwv econtav, those who felt ill-were afflicted with any species of malady. And torments] basanoiv, from basanizw, to examine by torture, such as cholics, gouts, and rheumatisms, which racked every joint.
Possessed with devils] Daemoniacs. Persons possessed by evil spirits.
This is certainly the plain obvious meaning of daemoniac in the Gospels.
Many eminent men think that the sacred writers accommodated themselves to the unfounded prejudices of the common people, in attributing certain diseases to the influence of evil spirits, which were merely the effects of natural causes: but that this explanation can never comport with the accounts given of these persons shall be proved as the places occur.
Our common version, which renders the word, those possessed by devils, is not strictly correct; as the word devil, diabolov, is not found in the plural in any part of the Sacred Writings, when speaking of evil spirits: for though there are multitudes of daemons, Mark 5: 9, yet it appears there is but one DEVIL, who seems to be supreme, or head, over all the rest.
diabolov signifies an accuser or slanderer, 1 Tim. iii. 11; 2 Tim. iii. 3; Tit. ii. 3. Perhaps Satan was called so, 1st. because he accused or slandered God in paradise, as averse from the increase of man's knowledge and happiness, Gen. iii. 5; John viii. 44; and 2dly. because he is the accuser of men, Rev. xii. 9, 10. See also "Job i. 2". The word comes from dia, through, and ballein, to cast, or shoot, because of the influence of his evil suggestions; compared, Eph. vi. 16, to fiery darts; and thus it is nearly of the same meaning with o peirazwn, he who pierces through. See on ver. 3.
Lunatic] Persons afflicted with epileptic or other disorders, which are always known to have a singular increase at the change and full of the moon. This undoubtedly proceeds from the superadded attractive influence of the sun and moon upon the earth's atmosphere, as, in the periods mentioned above, these two luminaries are both in conjunction; and their united attractive power being exerted on the earth at the same time, not only causes the flux and reflux of the ocean, but occasions a variety of important changes in the bodies of infirm persons, of animals in general, but more particularly in those who are more sensible of these variations. And is this any wonder, when it is well known, that a very slight alteration in the atmosphere causes the most uncomfortable sensations to a number of invalids! But sometimes even these diseases were caused by demons. See on Matthew viii. 16, 34, and chap. xvii. 15.
Palsy] Palsy is defined, a sudden loss of tone and vital power in a certain part of the human body. This may affect a limb, the whole side, the tongue, or the whole body. This disorder is in general incurable, except by the miraculous power of God, unless in its slighter stages.
He healed them.] Either with a word or a touch; and thus proved that all nature was under his control.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 24. And his fame went throughout all Syria , etc.] For his ministry and miracles, especially the latter; wherefore they brought to him , that is, out of Syria, the sick. Syria was in some respects reckoned as the land of Israel, though in others not. The Rabbins teach, that in three respects Syria was like to the land of Israel, and in three to the countries with out the land: the dust defiled, as without the land; he that sold his servant to (one in) Syria, was as if he sold him to one without the land; and he that brought a bill of divorce from Syria, as if he brought it from without the land: and in three things it was like to the land of Israel; it was bound to tithes, and to the observance of the seventh year; and he that would go into it, might go into it with purity and he that purchased a field in Syria, was as if he had purchased one in the suburbs of Jerusalem. All sick people, that were taken with divers diseases and torments . This expresses in general, the grievous and tormenting diseases with which the persons were afflicted, who were brought to Christ for healing: some particular ones follow; and those which were possessed with devils ; in body as well as in mind; of which there were many instances, permitted by God on purpose, that Christ might have an opportunity of showing his power over those evil spirits. And those which were lunatic ; either melancholy persons, or mad and distracted men; that retired from the conversation of men, into fields or desert places: or such, whose disorders were influenced by the change of the moon; such as those who are troubled with the falling sickness; so the Greeks call such persons selhniazo- menouv the word here used by the Evangelist. And those that had the palsy . These were each of them such disorders, as were incurable by the art of medicine; or for which rarely, and with great difficulty, any manner of relief could be obtained; and he healed them ; without any means, by a word speaking; which showed him more than a man, and truly and properly God.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 23-25 - Wherever Christ went, he confirmed his Divine mission by miracles which were emblems of the healing power of his doctrine, and the influences of the Spirit which accompanied it. We do not now find the Saviour's miraculous healing power in our bodies; but if we are cure by medicine, the praise is equally his. Three general words are her used. He healed every sickness or disease; none was too bad; none to hard, for Christ to heal with a word. Three diseases are named; the palsy, which is the greatest weakness of the body; lunacy, which is the greatest malady of the mind; and possession of the devil, which is the greatest misery and calamity of both; yet Christ healed all, and by thus curing bodily diseases, showed that his great errand into the world was to cure spiritual maladies. Sin is the sickness, disease, an torment of the soul: Christ came to take away sin, and so to heal the soul __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ απηλθεν 565 5627 V-2AAI-3S η 3588 T-NSF ακοη 189 N-NSF αυτου 846 P-GSM εις 1519 PREP ολην 3650 A-ASF την 3588 T-ASF συριαν 4947 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ προσηνεγκαν 4374 5656 V-AAI-3P αυτω 846 P-DSM παντας 3956 A-APM τους 3588 T-APM κακως 2560 ADV εχοντας 2192 5723 V-PAP-APM ποικιλαις 4164 A-DPF νοσοις 3554 N-DPF και 2532 CONJ βασανοις 931 N-DPF συνεχομενους 4912 5746 V-PPP-APM και 2532 CONJ δαιμονιζομενους 1139 5740 V-PNP-APM και 2532 CONJ σεληνιαζομενους 4583 5740 V-PNP-APM και 2532 CONJ παραλυτικους 3885 A-APM και 2532 CONJ εθεραπευσεν 2323 5656 V-AAI-3S αυτους 846 P-APM
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:24 {The report of him went forth into all Syria} (apelqen he akoe autou eis holen ten Syrian). Rumour (akoe) carries things almost like the wireless or radio. The Gentiles all over Syria to the north heard of what was going on in Galilee. The result was inevitable. Jesus had a moving hospital of patients from all over Galilee and Syria. "{Those that were sick}" (tous kak"s echontas), literally "those who had it bad," cases that the doctors could not cure. "{Holden with divers diseases and torments}" (poikilais nosois kai basanois sunecomenous). "Held together" or "compressed" is the idea of the participle. The same word is used by Jesus in #Lu 12:50 and by Paul in #Php 1:23 and of the crowd pressing on Jesus (#Lu 8:45). They brought these difficult and chronic cases (present tense of the participle here) to Jesus. Instead of "divers" say "various" (poikilais) like fever, leprosy, blindness. The adjective means literally many colored or variegated like flowers, paintings, jaundice, etc. Some had "torments" (basanois). The word originally (oriental origin) meant a touchstone, "Lydian stone" used for testing gold because pure gold rubbed on it left a peculiar mark. qen it was used for examination by torture. Sickness was often regarded as "torture." These diseases are further described "in a descending scale of violence" (McNeile) as "demoniacs, lunatics, and paralytics" as Moffatt puts it, "demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics" as Weymouth has it, (daimonizomenous kai selniazomenous kai paralutikous), people possessed by demons, lunatics or "moon-struck" because the epileptic seizures supposedly followed the phases of the moon (Bruce) as shown also in #Mt 17:15, paralytics (our very word). Our word "lunatic" is from the Latin _luna_ (moon) and carries the same picture as the Greek selniazomai from seln (moon). These diseases are called "torments."
