Matthew 8:4

And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

And {G2532} Jesus {G2424} saith {G3004} unto him {G846}, See {G3708} thou tell {G2036} no man {G3367}; but {G235} go thy way {G5217}, shew {G1166} thyself {G4572} to the priest {G2409}, and {G2532} offer {G4374} the gift {G1435} that {G3739} Moses {G3475} commanded {G4367}, for {G1519} a testimony {G3142} unto them {G846}.

Then Yeshua said to him, "See that you tell no one; but as a testimony to the people, go and let the cohen examine you, and offer the sacrifice that Moshe commanded."

Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”

And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Commentary

Matthew 8:4 presents a fascinating moment immediately following Jesus' miraculous healing of a leper. This verse highlights Jesus' approach to the established religious and social order, even as He demonstrates unparalleled divine authority.

Context

This command from Jesus comes directly after He had compassionately touched and healed a man suffering from leprosy, a highly contagious and debilitating disease in ancient times that rendered individuals ritually unclean and socially ostracized (Matthew 8:2-3). According to the Mosaic Law, contact with a leper made a person unclean (Leviticus 13:45-46). Jesus' willingness to touch the leper showed His profound love and power to cleanse both physically and ceremonially. The instructions given in verse 4 are crucial for understanding Jesus' respect for the Law and His strategic ministry.

Key Themes

  • Obedience to the Mosaic Law: Jesus instructs the healed man to "shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded." This demonstrates Jesus' deep respect for the Law of Moses (Leviticus 14:1-32 outlines the purification rites for lepers). Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, as He stated in Matthew 5:17. By sending the man to the priest, Jesus affirmed the validity of the priestly system and the Law's requirements for ceremonial cleansing and reintegration into society.
  • A Public Testimony: The phrase "for a testimony unto them" (Greek: eis marturion autois) is significant. The priest's examination and the required offering served as an official, public verification of the miraculous healing. This act would undeniably prove to the religious authorities that a man, once declared unclean by their own standards, was now perfectly clean. It served as an irrefutable witness to Jesus' divine power and authority, even if they chose to reject it.
  • The "Messianic Secret": Jesus' command, "See thou tell no man," is an example of what scholars call the "Messianic Secret," a recurring theme in the Gospels, particularly Mark (Mark 1:44). Several reasons are often proposed for this secrecy:
    • To prevent premature public clamor or political misunderstanding of His mission, which was spiritual, not political.
    • To allow His true identity as the Messiah to be revealed at the proper time through His teaching and sacrificial death, rather than solely through sensational miracles.
    • To avoid hindering His ability to move freely and teach effectively due to overwhelming crowds seeking only physical healing.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "the gift that Moses commanded" directly refers to the specific purification offerings required in Leviticus 14 for someone healed of leprosy. These included two live clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop for the initial ritual, followed by lambs and fine flour for a later sacrifice. This detail underscores Jesus' meticulous adherence to the Law.

Practical Application

Matthew 8:4 offers several timeless lessons:

  • Obedience to Authority: Even with divine power, Jesus models respect for established laws and authorities. This encourages believers to honor and obey rightful civil and spiritual authorities, provided they do not contradict God's higher law.
  • Verification and Witness: The need for public verification highlights the importance of credible witness. Our lives, transformed by Christ, can be powerful testimonies to His work.
  • God's Restoration: The healing of the leper symbolizes God's power to cleanse and restore us from the spiritual leprosy of sin, making us whole and bringing us back into fellowship with Him and His community.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Leviticus 14:2

    This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:

  • Leviticus 14:32

    This [is] the law [of him] in whom [is] the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get [that which pertaineth] to his cleansing.

  • Luke 17:14

    And when he saw [them], he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

  • Luke 5:14

    And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

  • Mark 7:36

    And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published [it];

  • Matthew 9:30

    And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See [that] no man know [it].

  • Mark 6:11

    And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
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