8:1 the kingdom of God Jesus signals that His life represents God’s reign being established in a new way. See Matt 3:2 and note; note on Mark 1:15.

the twelve Refers to the apostles (see Luke 6:13–16).

8:2 some women In a patriarchal culture, such as Jesus’, women were often mistreated and undervalued; in contrast, Jesus welcomes them among His followers. This seems to have been unusual for a rabbi; it seems rabbis mainly had male disciples.

Mary (who was called Magdalene) Apparently from the town of Magdala on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, not far from Capernaum.

8:3 many others The Greek phrase used here appears in the feminine form, indicating that Luke is referring specifically to women.

helping to support them from their possessions Refers to financial support, as well as food and lodging (compare Matt 27:55).

Parables of Jesus Table

8:6 because it did not have moisture Matthew states that the soil was shallow (see Matt 13:5 and note). Luke clarifies the statement, but the meaning is the same: The plants did not have sufficient root depth to absorb moisture.

8:8 let him hear With this closing phrase, Jesus is calling on His audience to do more than hear; He wants them to understand and apply His teaching. The Greek verb used here, meaning “to hear” (akouō), is closely related to the verb meaning “to obey” (hypakouō).

8:10 Seeing they may not see In another quotation of Isaiah, Jesus compares His ministry with that of the ot prophets (see Isa 6:9–10; compare Jer 5:21; Ezek 12:2). In the same way that Israel rejected Isaiah’s message centuries earlier, many Jews reject Jesus’ teaching. They are unable to see the truth about God’s kingdom concealed within His parables.

8:11 word of God In the context of Jesus’ ministry in the Gospels, “God’s word” or “word of God” typically refers to Jesus’ teaching about God’s kingdom.

8:12 those beside the path The seed described in Luke 8:5. The enemy who devours the seed is the devil, who is successful in preventing some people who hear Jesus’ proclamation from believing it.

8:13 those on the rock The seed described in v. 6. They initially receive the kingdom message but quickly abandon it when testing comes.

8:14 seed that fell into the thorn plants The seed described in v. 7. For these people, the cares and pursuits of their culture prevent their growth and choke out their faith.

8:15 the seed on the good soil The seed described in v. 8. These people receive Jesus’ message and give evidence of it in their lives.

8:16 no one, after lighting a lamp In Matt 5:14–16 Jesus uses this analogy to encourage His disciples to show their belief through their actions. It may indicate something similar here, although the lamp also could represent the mysteries of God’s kingdom (Luke 8:10) or the word of God (v. 11).

8:17 nothing is secret that will not become evident Likely refers to the mysteries of the kingdom of God (v. 10). Compare Matt 10:26 and note.

8:18 whoever has, to him more will be given Compare Matt 13:12 and note; Matt 25:29 and note.

8:19 brothers During Jesus’ ministry, His brothers do not believe that He is the Messiah. They appear to understand later and are counted among the disciples after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:14).

8:21 the ones who hear the word The people in God’s family are identified by their obedience to God’s will (see Luke 2:49). He emphasizes that devotion to God is more important than earthly relationships (compare 14:26 and note).

8:22 the lake Refers to the Sea of Galilee.

8:24 and it became calm In the ancient Near East, the sea represented the forces of chaos; Jews believed the sea could only be controlled by Yahweh. Jesus’ command over the storm signals His divine authority.

8:25 Who then is this Questions about Jesus’ identity are a recurring theme in Luke (see Luke 4:22 and note).

8:26 the region of the Gerasenes Refers to Gadara, southeast of the Sea of Galilee.

8:28 Son of the Most High God In contrast to Jesus’ disciples (Luke 8:25), the demons are well aware of Jesus’ divine identity and authority.

8:30 “Legion,” because many demons had entered into him A Roman legion consisted of 5,000–6,000 troops, thus indicating a massive horde of demons. Luke and Mark include this detail, but Matthew omits it.

New Testament Terms for Unseen Divine Beings

8:31 abyss By the end of the first century ad—when much of the nt probably reached its final form—the abyss became known as the place where God confines demons (see Rev 9:1–2; 2 Pet 2:4 and note; Jude 6 and note; compare Rev 11:7; 17:8; 20:1).

8:33 and were drowned The demons apparently meet their demise along with the pigs.

8:35 at the feet of Jesus Luke describes the man taking the place and posture of a learning disciple.

8:37 seized with great fear Luke’s narrative notes that the people are afraid (compare Matt 8:34). It is not clear whether they are afraid of Jesus or perhaps of further conflict with demons should He remain in the area.

8:39 all that Jesus had done for him The man spread the news about God’s saving power and the arrival of the Messiah.

8:42 an only daughter The Greek text implies that she was Jairus’ only child and heir, not merely his only daughter.

8:43 suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years The exact nature of the woman’s condition is unknown, but it would have rendered her unclean according to the law (see Lev 15:25–31). Luke, a physician himself, notes that no doctors were able to heal her. An ongoing discharge and perpetual impurity would have made the woman an outcast.

8:47 she came trembling The woman might have feared that Jesus would be angry, since she did not ask permission—especially if touching Jesus made Him ceremonially unclean (see note on Luke 8:43). Alternatively, her trembling may simply indicate an appropriate level of awe and reverence at the display of Jesus’ healing power.

8:48 your faith has saved you See note on 5:20.

8:51 except Peter and John and James These three disciples are portrayed as Jesus’ inner circle, with an up-close view of His power and authority (compare 9:28–29).

8:55 her spirit returned This is the second person raised from the dead by Jesus in Luke’s Gospel (compare 7:15).

8:56 he ordered them to tell no one The reason behind this instruction is not clear. Earlier in the chapter, after Jesus drove out the legion of demons, He gave the opposite advice, encouraging the man to tell everyone what God had done (v. 39). The different approaches might be due to the nature of the miracle (casting out demons as opposed to raising the dead), or it might be due to the location and audience (a non-Jewish region east of the Sea of Galilee versus the mostly Jewish area around Capernaum).