Mark will hereafter give only one (12: 1), but Luke and Matthew will give quite a number.

35-41. (Comp. Matt. 8: 23-27; Luke 8: 22-25.)

Starting across the lake. The time is very exactly given. 35. On that day, namely, the day on which the Sower and the other parables of this chapter were spoken. Now Matthew (131) shows that this was the day of the blasphemous accusation. We are here at the close of a very busy day in our Lord's ministry.

In the morning he was long teaching in a house so crowded as to prevent taking the forenoon meal (320). Then came the unwise interference of his kindred, supposing that he was "beside himself," and meantime the insulting and blasphemous charge of league with Beelzebub and all that followed. In the afternoon (as we may suppose) he spoke, with some bitterly hostile hearers, eight parables, perhaps more, and privately explained some or all of them to the disciples. The strain of all this must have been very great. The Redeemer is worn out with mental effort and mental suffering and greatly desires seclusion and rest (comp. John 4:6; Mark 6:31). Another busy day of which a full account is given will meet us in 6: 30 f. and still others in the week ending with the crucifixion. As to the place, he probably set out from Capernaum and went southeastward to Gerasa (51) which is now believed to have been about the middle of the eastern side of the lake. Let us go over. The object appears to have been partly rest, by crossing the cool lake at evening and reaching a less crowded region, and also withdrawal from the excited multitude (ver. 1), as heretofore in 1: 38, 45. 36. Leaving the multitude. They had already done this once during the afternoon by entering a house (4:10; Matt. 13: 36), but now he wishes to go quite away. Even as he was, without waiting to make any special preparation for the voyage. The boat, the same as in ver. 1, possibly the same that had been some time before procured by his direction (39). Other boats. These persons shared the benefit of his stilling the tempest, but we hear nothing further about them.

37. The tempest. A great storm of wind. The lake of Galilee lies so far below the level of the Mediterranean (Conder makes it six hundred and eighty-two feet) and has on either side such a lofty range of hills that it is subject to sudden and violent storms, especially those that rush down the ravines on the northwest. Notice Luke 8: 23, "Come down." In half an hour after you hear the first whisper of

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

38 filling. And he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we 39 perish? And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the 40 wind ceased, and 2 there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye fearful? have

wind the whole lake may be lashed into an indescribable fury. The writer once escaped to the shore when such a storm had begun and watched the scene for hours. At first the disciples had up their sail (Luke 8 : 23), but that was of course promptly lowered. The waves beat, etc., again and again, at different points, on both sides. Filling (not "full," as in King James). Matthew (8: 24) has a still stronger expression," covered with the waves.' "To chill

entirely without fear. The "cushion" is one of the pictorial touches given by Mark only. Carest thou not? They think strange and think hard of his course (comp. Luke 10: 40). The expression in Matthew (8 25), "Save, Lord; we perish," may have been employed before or after this or by others of the number. Master should be "Teacher," as in the Margin.

39. Jesus stills the tempest. Rebuked, as if addressing a living creature, some fierce

discomfort was now added imminent peril. 38. Meantime, in striking contrast to their agitation and alarm, he himself was quietly sleeping amid all the rocking of the billows and the roar of the storm. The bit of deck in the stern of the boat was probably carpeted and certainly had as part of its furniture a cushion, which might be used either as a pillow or a seat. The wearied Teacher was doubtless reclining on this deck, his head resting on the cushion. This undisturbed sleep shows both that he was worn out with spiritual labor and that he was

and roaring monster. So Peace, be still, would be, literally, "Silence, hush." A great calm. Notice the contrast. "A great storm of wind" beneath his command subsides into "a great calm."

40. How the disciples felt. They had been fearful, with a craven fear of perishing. The word is different from that in the next verse and denotes unworthy fear; here proceeding from lack of faith. Not yet (the correct Greek text). They have long witnessed his miracles and heard his teaching and ought by this time

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

41 ye not yet faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, 1 Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

to have acquired faith. 41. But now they feel a nobler fear, a reverential awe (comp. Exod. 20: 20). Who then, since to all his miraculous cures he adds this new and so wonderful miracle.

SIDE-LIGHTS.

Lamps. The lamps used by the common people in ancient times were made of earthenware. The wealthy had them of brass, silver, gold, and bronze, in every variety of style. Some of them were of the highest artistic design and workmanship and cost large sums. The shape of the common lamp was that of a small plate or saucer, with the edge turned up at one side to hold the

MUSTARD PLANT.

wick. Olive oil was used in them and they gave a light that was superior to the candles "of other days," but that would seem very dull and smoky to those accustomed to modern gas or kerosene.

Lamp stands. These were of wood or brass and among the rich were ornamental and artistic, in keeping with the lamps. They raised the lamps to a sufficient height, as the people sat on the floor or reclined on their couches at meals. The modern Orientals use them as did their ancestors. Of the common houses, from which Jesus' illustration was doubtless drawn, Cook says that "in each there was one principal room, in which they ate and slept. The lamp stand, with its single light, the flour bin and

the bed, with a few seats (or dinner couches), were all its furniture." The bed here meant was probably not the mat or mattress which, spread on the floor, formed the night's sleeping place, but rather the Roman triclinium, or raised couch used at formal meals, when the guests reclined at three sides of a central table. So the words of Jesus would be equivalent to our saying that " a lamp is not brought to put under the table, but on it."

Mustard seed. The mustard plant (sinapis orientalis, or nigra) was, says Lange, a shrub, bearing pods, but in Eastern countries and in the south of Europe it is cultivated for its seed. The Jews grew mustard in their gardens. Its round seed-corns, from four to six in a pod, were proverbial among them as the smallest thing, which indeed holds true so far as the various kinds of seed corn used in Jewish husbandry are concerned, though not the smallest known to scientific botany. The illustration was the most forcible one, therefore, that Jesus could use for his hearers and for his purpose.

When grown, the mustard plant attained almost to the dignity of a tree. Doctor Hooker measured one in the Jordan Valley ten feet high. Thomson says it grew into a herbaceous plant as tall as a horse and his rider. Professor Hackett found on the plains of Akka a little forest of mustard trees, of which he says: "It was then in blossom, full grown, in some cases six, seven, and nine feet high, with a stem or trunk an inch or more in thickness, throwing out branches on every side. I was now satisfied in part. I felt that such a plant might well be called a tree, and, in comparison with the seed producing it, a great tree. But still the branches, or stems of the branches, were not very large or apparently very strong. Can the birds, I said to myself, rest upon them? Are they not too slight and flexible? Will they not bend or break beneath the superadded weight? At that very instant, as I stood and revolved the thought, lo! one of the fowls of heaven stopped in its flight through the air, alighted on one of the branches, which hardly moved beneath the shock, and then began, perched there before my eyes, to warble forth a strain of the richest music. All my doubts were now charmed away. I was delighted at the incident. It seemed to me at the moment as if I enjoyed

1 AND they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

1 1 AND they came to the other side of the sea, 2 into the country of the Gerasenes. And when he was come out of the boat, straightway there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean

PRACTICAL LESSONS.

1. The best illustrations for teaching religious truth are those drawn from common life (ver. 3). In observing nature and human affairs let us constantly ask ourselves, What is this like? What religious truth or duty will it impress on us?

2. The same truth of God which greatly blesses when rightly received, will greatly harm if rejected (ver. 12, and comp. 2 Cor. 2: 16). Men are sometimes "gospel-hardened," yet not because they have heard the gospel too much, but because they have heeded it too little.

3. If the word of God produces little or no good effect in us, let us thoughtfully consider what is the matter. Are we wayside hearers or rocky-ground hearers or thorn-patch hearers? Alas! are some of us all three by turns?

4. Among those who are really producing some fruit of good living, why is it that some are so much more benefited by a sermon or a lesson than others? (Ver. 20.)

5. Whatever we know of Christian truth we must gladly impart to others (ver. 21, 22). Thus our knowledge will grow, otherwise it will decay (ver. 24, 25).

6. It is ours to sow the word, but we cannot make the seed grow, and must humbly and hopefully wait for the harvest (ver. 26-29; comp. Eccl. 11: 6).

7. We must not think strange if Christianity had small beginnings and seems to have grown slowly in the world. The Saviour predicted that so it would be (ver. 30-32).

8. We sometimes think ourselves neglected and perishing when the dear Lord is on the point of giving us a most blessed deliverance (ver. 38; comp. John 11: 21, 32).

9. Jesus as man, worn out and sleeping; as more than man, stilling the tempest with a word (ver. 38, 41).

Chap. 5. 1-20. (Comp. Matt. 8: 28-34; Luke 8: 26-39.) After stilling the tempest our Lord with

his disciples arrived on the eastern shore of the lake, and immediately upon landing encountered the dreadful demoniac. This is the end of that busy and sorrowful day which (as we have heretofore seen) began with the blasphemous accusation of the scribes and the foolish effort of "his friends" to interrupt his work (3 : 20 f.), and includes his giving the Sower and other parables, till he finally crossed the lake to withdraw from the multitudes and find rest.

I. A DREADFUL DEMONIAC, 1-5. 1. The Gerasenes. There can be little doubt that this is the correct reading here and in Luke 8: 26, and "Gadarenes " in Matt. 8: 28. (See Tischendorf, and Westcott and Hort's Appendix on Matt. 8: 28.) Our American Doctor Thomson ("The Land and the Book") discovered on the eastern shore, six miles from the mouth of the Jordan, a ruin called Kersa, or Gersa, and not far from it a steep place corresponding quite exactly with the requirements of the passage. This is probably the site of Gerasa. We have only to make the very natural supposition that this district belonged at the time to the important city of Gadara, southeast of the lake, and Matthew's term is explained. The little town of Gerasa being unknown to distant students of the early Christian centuries, the word was changed to "Gergesenes" (as in King James' version of Matt. 8: 28), and the text of all three passages fell into utter confusion. It used to be urged as a grave difficulty in the narrative that Jesus could not have gone to Gadara, or to another Gerasa, which are both too far from the lake; but like many other difficulties this seems to be quite cleared up by better knowledge of the Bible text and the Bible lands. It may be well to mention that several recent writers adopt Thomson's suggestion as to Kersa. (See Renan, Herzog, ed. 2; Merrill.) 2. A man. So Luke. Matthew (8: 28) has "two" throughout, just as he has two blind men at Jericho, and not merely Bartimæus. We need only suppose that one of the two was less conspicuous and famous. Robinson ("Harmony") gives an excellent illustration: "In 1824 Lafayette visited the United States, and was everywhere welcomed with honor and pageants. Historians will describe these as noble incidents in his life. Other historians

3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,

7 And cried 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 me not.

8 (For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.)

3 spirit, 1 who had his dwelling in the tombs: and no man could any more bind him, no, not 4 with a chain; because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been rent asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: and no man had strength to 5 tame him. And always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, 6 and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and 2 worshipped 7 him; and crying out with a loud voice, he saith, 4 What have I to do with thee, Jesus, 5 thou Son of the Most High God? 7I adjure thee by God, 8 torment me not. For he said unto him, Come

will relate the same visit as made, and the same honors as enjoyed, by two persons, namely, Lafayette and his son. Will there be any contradiction between these two classes of writers?

TOMB AT GADARA.

Will not both record the truth?" 3. His dwelling in the tombs. Ancient tombs are still found in the mountain east of Kersa, as almost everywhere in Palestine. The demoniacal possessions of the Gospels must be regarded as real; for the evangelists, and the Saviour him

self, are fully committed to their reality. They appear to have been sometimes accompanied by bodily or mental disease, as by epilepsy in 9: 20-22, and here by insanity-whether as prep

aration for the possession or as result of it, we need not attempt to determine. But mere epilepsy or insanity could not be suddenly transferred to a distant herd of brutes (ver. 13). The superhuman strength described in ver. 3 and 4 is a frequent result of extraordinary nervous excitement. The vivid description of ver. 5 is matter given by Mark only.

II. THE DEMONIAC DELIVERED, 6-13. 6, 7. The demoniac recognizes Jesus and worships him. This knowledge superior to that of others is naturally ascribed to the possessing demon (comp. 1: 34; 3: 11, 12).

8. Jesus addresses the demon, and commands him to come out a clear proof of real possession. The designation, unclean spirit, we find frequently, especially in Mark.

7-12. The demon implores: (1) Torment me not. As said by the unhappy man, this would imply fear that dispossession would be attended by severe suffering; but it seems really to be the demon's utterance, as in the following expressions. (2) Would not send them away out of the country. This implies local attachment on the part of demons, or special