Matthew 8:1–4

Cleansing a Leper

8:1 After he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. 8:2 And a leper1 approached, and bowed low before him, saying,2 “Lord, if3 you are willing, you can make me clean.” 8:3 He stretched out his hand and touched4 him saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 8:4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you do not speak to anyone,5 but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering6 that Moses commanded,7 as a testimony to them.”8

1	tn Grk “And behold, a leper came.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1). sn The ancient term for leprosy covers a wider array of conditions than what we call leprosy today. A leper was totally ostracized from society until he was declared cured (Lev 13:45–46).
2	tn Grk “a leper approaching, bowed low before him, saying.”
3	tn This is a third class condition. The report portrays the leper making no presumptions about whether Jesus will heal him or not.
4	sn Touched. This touch would have rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean (Lev 14:46; also Mishnah, m. Nega’im 3.1; 11.1; 12.1; 13.6–12).
5	sn The command for silence was probably meant to last only until the cleansing took place with the priests and sought to prevent Jesus’ healings from becoming the central focus of the people’s reaction to him. See also 9:30, 12:16, 16:20, and 17:9 for other cases where Jesus asks for silence concerning him and his ministry.
6	tn Grk “gift.”
7	sn On the phrase bring the offering that Moses commanded see Lev 14:1–32.
8	tn Or “as an indictment against them.” The pronoun αὐτοῖς (autois) may be a dative of disadvantage.