Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2.pdf

<strong>Commentary</strong> on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2
women and children. 39. And having sent away
the multitudes, he embarked, and came to the
borders of Magdala.
Whence shall any man be able to satisfy those
persons with bread in this solitary place? 5. And
he asked them, How many loaves have you? And
they said, Seven. 6. And he commanded the
multitude to sit down on the ground; and took
the seven loaves, and, when he had given thanks,
brake, and gave to his disciples to set before
them, and they set them before the multitude.
7. And they had a few small fishes; and when he
had blessed, he ordered these likewise to be set
before them. 8. And they ate, and were satisfied;
and of the fragments that remained they carried
away seven baskets full. 9. And they that had
eaten were about four thousand; and he sent them
away. 10. And immediately embarking, he came
with his disciples to the coasts of Dalmanutha.
Matthew 15:29. And Jesus departing thence. Though it is unquestionably the same journey of
Christ, on his return from the neighborhood of Sidon, that is related by Matthew and by Mark, yet
in some points they do not quite agree. It is of little moment that the one says he came to the borders
of Magdala, and the other, that he came to the coasts of Dalmanutha; for the cities were adjacent,
being situated on the lake of Gennesareth, and we need not wonder that the district which lay
between them received both names. 422
Decapolis was so called from its containing (δέκα πόλεις) ten cities; and as it was contiguous
to Phenicia and to that part of Galilee which lay towards the sea, Christ must have passed through
it, when he returned from Phenicia into Galilee of Judea. There is a greater appearance of
contradiction in another part of the narrative, where Matthew says that our Lord cured many who
labored under various diseases, while Mark takes no notice of any but of one deaf man. But this
difficulty need not detain us; for Mark selected for description a miracle which was performed
during the journey, and the report of which was no sooner circulated than it aroused the inhabitants
of every part of that country to bring many persons to Christ to be cured. Now we know that the
Evangelists are not anxious to relate all that Christ did, and are so far from dwelling largely on
miracles, that they only glance at a few by way of example. Besides, Mark was satisfied with
422 “Est nomme maintenant de l’une, maintenant de l’autre ville;” — “was named sometimes from the one, and sometimes
from the other town.”
188
John Calvin