Matthew 8:1 - Exposition

Matthew only. When he was come down from the mountain ( Matthew 5:1 , note), great multitudes followed him , A transitional verse. It carries on the thought of the ὄχλοι in the last verse of the preceding chapter, and serves to introduce the following examples of sick folk; or, perhaps, it may be connected with the "great multitudes" ( ὄχλοι πολλοί ) of Matthew 4:25 , coming, as the plural suggests (cf. also Matthew 12:23 ) from the various places there enumerated. If we must combine this verse with Luke 5:12 , we must suppose our Lord to have descended the mountain, and to be passing through "one of the cities," coming (our Luke 5:5 ) afterwards to Capernaum, the "great multitudes" (cf. Luke 5:15 )being drawn from the various cities through which he passed. The verse reminds us that the two sides of the Lord's life, preaching and work, were intimately connected. Men not only wondered at what they heard ( Matthew 7:28 , Matthew 7:29 ), they also followed him, and this led to occasions for the exercise of his practical activity. The result was that they wondered at his work ( Matthew 9:33 ), as they wondered at his preaching.