Matthew 8:17

Matthew 8:17

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

a. NLT: This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said,
“He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.”

b. NIV: This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

c. Amplified Bible: And thus He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, He Himself took [in order to carry away] our weaknesses and infirmities and bore away our diseases.

d. A.S. Worrell Translation: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “Himself took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses.”

1. “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying…”

a. That [it might] [Strong: 3704. hopos hop'-oce from 3739 and 4459; what(-ever) how, i.e. in the manner that (as adverb or conjunction of coincidence, intentional or actual):--because, how, (so) that, to, when.]

b. [be] fulfilled [Strong: 4137 pleroo play-ro'-o  to make replete, i.e. (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.:--accomplish, X after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply.]

1). Concerning the Greek word for “fulfilled” it is necessary to post this wonderful commentary. 

a). Bodily Healing and the Atonement, Dr. T.J. McCrossan, Re-Edited by Dr. Roy Hicks & Dr. Kenneth E. Hagin, pp.14-16: “Because of this 17th verse, “That it might be fulfilled [plerothe, 1st Aorist passive, subjective, 3rd person singular of pleroo] which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,” one scholar asks: “When did our Lord bear these diseases and carry these pains?...It was before He came to the cross and not while He was on the cross that this prediction was fulfilled.” Of Matthew 8:17, “That it might be fulfilled [plerothe]…” other scholars argue, “Then this prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in the day when our Lord Jesus Christ healed the great multitude. It was fulfilled about three years before the Lord died on the cross. The prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in His divine ministry of healing, and not when he hung on the cross.” Most, if not all, opponents of healing in the Atonement today declare that Matthew 8:16 was completely fulfilled before Christ died on the cross, and while He was yet alive; therefore, this prediction has nothing whatever to do with us today. It was a prediction only for the people of Christ’s day. Let us now see a few of the awlful conclusions we would be compelled to draw if this foolis and unscholarly reasoning were correct. Matthew 12:14 tells of a meeting of the Jewish Council to destroy our Lord. The Master then quietly withdrew from the city, but great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them. Then Matthew tells us why he withdrew quietly away from these angry Pharisees. Matthew 12:17-21 “That it might be fulfilled [plerothe, same word as in Matthew 8:17] which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew [apaggelei, declare] judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.  A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.  And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.” This wonderful prediction is found in Isaiah 42:1-4. Isaiah here predicted, as Matthew asserts (Matthew 12:17): (1) That God would put His Spirit upon Christ. (2) That Christ would then declare judgment (krisis) to the Gentiles. (3) That Christ would be kind, patient, and loving toward the very weakest of men, for “A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench.” (4) That Christ will yet hurl forth (ekbale) judgment unto victory. This refers, of course to the horrors of the Tribulation, and to the time when Christ shall come forth to destroy all His enemies and set up His kingdom. (5) “And in his name shall the Gentiles hope.” Here, then, is a great prediction from Isaiah that in the future, (1) the Gentile nations would yet hear the Gospel and find hope in Christ, and (2) that Christ would yet hurl forth judgment unto victory (referring to His coming in vengeance to destroy all His enemies); and yet—wonderful to narrate—Matthew here declares that this prophecy of Isaiah was then fulfilled, even before the Gentiles had yet heard the Gospel; and he uses the very same word to express this fulfillment that he used in matthew 8:17; vis., plerothe, the 1st Aorist passive, subjunctive, 3rd person singular of the verb pleroo, I fulfill. Matthew asserts in Matthew 12:17 that Christ did what He did on this occasion, “That it might be fulfilled [plerothe], which was spoken by Esaias the prophet,” and he here uses the very same word for “fulfilled” (plerothe) that he uses in Matthew 8:17 regarding the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4…Although Matthew here declares that this prediction of Isaiah 42:1-4 had been fulfilled, who is so foolish as to say Christ is not still declaring judgment to the Gentiles; that He is not still patient, kind, loving, and forgiving to the very weakest of men? Has Christ yet hurled forth (ekbale) judgment unto victory? No! Are all the Gentile nations yet trusting in His name? No! Yet Matthew asserts that this great prediction had been fulfilled just as soon as Christ began His blessed ministry looking to this end, and uses the very same word for “might be fulfilled” (plerothe) that he employs in Mfatthew 8:17. This, then, is positive proof to every real Greek scholar and to all unprejudiced minds that Matthew 8:16, 17 is a prediction which will not be completely fulfilled until the end of this Church Age.”

c. [Strong: 3588. [to] ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [to] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.]

d. [which was] spoken [Strong:  4483. rheo hreh'-o, for certain tenses of which a prolonged form ereo er-eh'-o is used; and both as alternate for 2036 perhaps akin (or identical) with 4482 (through the idea of pouring forth); to utter, i.e. speak or say:--command, make, say, speak (of).]

e. by [Strong: 1223. dia dee-ah' a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):--after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) ... fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general importance.]

f. Esaias [Strong: 2268. Hesaias hay-sah-ee'-as of Hebrew origin (3470); Hesaias (i.e. Jeshajah), an Israelite:--Esaias.]

g. the [Strong: 3588. [tou] ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tou] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.]

h. prophet [Strong: 4396. prophetes prof-ay'-tace from a compound of 4253 and 5346; a foreteller ("prophet"); by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet:--prophet.]

i. saying [Strong: 3004. lego leg'-o a primary verb; properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas 2036 and 5346 generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while 4483 is properly to break silence merely, and 2980 means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean:--ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say(-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter.]

1). Notice carefully what Peter writes concerning the prophets which include Isaiah’s writings.

a). 1 Peter 1:10-12 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

b). The “glory that should follow” concerns the proclamation of the benefits of the New Covenant that would begin on the Day of Pentecost and would never end.

2. “…Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”

a. Himself [Strong: 846. autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

b. took [Strong: 2983 lambano lam-ban'-o  a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in certain tenses; to take (in very many applications, literally and figuratively (properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas 1209 is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while 138 is more violent, to seize or remove)):--accept, + be amazed, assay, attain, bring, X when I call, catch, come on (X unto), + forget, have, hold, obtain, receive (X after), take (away, up).]

c. our [Strong: 2257. hemon hay-mone' genitive case plural of 1473; of (or from) us:--our (company), us, we.

d. infirmities [Strong: 769. astheneia as-then'-i-ah from 772; feebleness (of mind or body); by implication, malady; morally, frailty:--disease, infirmity, sickness, weakness.

e. and [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

f. bare [Strong: 941. bastazo bas-tad'-zo perhaps remotely derived from the base of 939 (through the idea of removal); to lift, literally or figuratively (endure, declare, sustain, receive, etc.):--bear, carry, take up.]

g. sicknesses [Strong: 3554. nosos nos'-os of uncertain affinity; a malady (rarely figuratively, of moral disability):--disease, infirmity, sickness.]

1). When Jesus, “…cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick…”, it was a fulfillment of Isaiah. This was not just Jesus healing the sick but it was a part of the redemptive process that Matthew & Peter declares fulfilled the New Covenant.

a). 1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.   

2). This citation by Matthew is of course is a quote from Isaiah 53:4, a verse found in the great and wonderful chapter prophesying of our redemption in Christ Jesus. Isaiah 53 deals with both physical and spiritual healing. The following two citations are from scholarly believers who teach the truth. 

a). Christ the Healer, F.F. Bosworth, Revell Publishing, 1973. Chapter 2, p.26: “In the 4th verse, the word “borne” (nasa) means to lift up, to bear away, to convey, or to remove to a distance. It is a Levitical word, and is applied to the scapegoat, that bare away the sins of the people. “The goat shall bear (nasa) upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited; and he shall let go the goat into the wilderness” (Leviticus 16:22. So Jesus bore my sins and sicknesses away “without the camp” to the cross. Sin and sickness have passed from me to Calvary—salvation and health have passed from Calvary to me. Again, in this 4th verse of the Redemption Chapter the Hebrew verbs for “borne” and “carried” (nasa and sabal) are both the same as are used in the 11th and 12th verses for the substitutionary bearing of sin, “He shall bear (carry) their iniquities”, and “He shall bear the sin of many””.

b). Bodily Healing and the Atonement, Dr. T.J. McCrossan, Re-Edited by Dr. Roy Hicks & Dr. Kenneth E. Hagin, pp. 11 & 12 “The Hebrew verb nasa [In Isaiah 53:4]means to bear in the sense of “suffering punishment for something”. Leviticus 5:1, “And if a soul sin…then he shall bear (nasa) his iniquity.” In Isaiah 53:12 we have the true meaning of nasa set forth: “And he (Christ) was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare (nasa) the sin of many.” Now how did Christ bear our sins? Vicariously, as our Substitute. But this is the same verb used in Isaiah 53:4, “Surely he [Christ] hath borne [nasa] our sicknesses. We all admit that this verb (nasa) in Isaiah 53:12 teaches us that Christ bore our sins vicariously; so all unprejudiced minds must admit that this very same verb (nasa) in Isaiah 53:4 teaches us that He (Christ) bore (nasa) our sicknesses vicariously…The clear teaching, therefore, is that Christ bore our sicknesses in the same way that He bore our sins. There can be no other conclusion.”