The Meaning of Matthew 8:14 Explained

Matthew 8:14

KJV: And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.

YLT: And Jesus having come into the house of Peter, saw his mother-in-law laid, and fevered,

Darby: And when Jesus had come to Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law laid down and in a fever;

ASV: And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother lying sick of a fever.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  when Jesus  was come  into  Peter's  house,  he saw  his  wife's mother  laid,  and  sick of a fever. 

What does Matthew 8:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 8:11-17 - The Great Physician
A feast was the Hebrew conception of heaven. The Jews thought they were secure of it, because of their descent from Abraham. Grace is not hereditary; to receive it, every man has to exercise a personal faith in Christ. Let us see to it that our religion is absolutely true, lest it land us in hopeless disappointment.
Notice that faith is the measure of divine performance-as"¦ so"¦. Our Lord can deliver from the fever-heat of passion and make the soul calm, quiet and pure. It was a wonderful thing that the patient could at once arise and minister in Peter's humble home to their great Guest, but it is even more wonderful when a helpless spirit suddenly emerges from the dominion of passion into strength and beauty.
The key to all true service is furnished in Matthew 8:17. We must take to ourselves the infirmities, sorrows and sins of those whom we would really help. This is the law of Christ, Galatians 6:1-4. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 8

1  Jesus cleanses the leper;
5  heals the centurion's servant,
14  Peter's mother in law,
16  and many others;
18  shows the cost of following him;
23  stills the storm on the sea;
28  drives the demons out of two men possessed;
31  and tells them to go into the pigs

Greek Commentary for Matthew 8:14

Lying sick of a fever [βιβλημενην και πυρεσσουσαν]
Two participles, bedridden (perfect passive of βαλλω — ballō) and burning with fever (present active). How long the fever had had her we have no means of knowing, possibly a sudden and severe attack (Mark 1:30), as they tell Jesus about her on reaching the house of Peter. We are not told what kind of fever it was. Fever itself was considered a disease. “Fever” is from German feuer (fire) like the Greek πυρ — pur f0). [source]
Sick of a fever [πυρέσουσαν]
Derived from πῦρ , fire. Our wordfever comes through the German feuer. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 8:14

Matthew 8:16 When even was come [οπσιας γενομενης]
Genitive absolute. A beautiful sunset scene at the close of the Sabbath day (Mark 1:21). Then the crowds came as Jesus stood in the door of Peter‘s house (Mark 1:33; Matthew 8:14) as all the city gathered there with the sick, “all those who had it bad” (see note on Matthew 4:24) and he healed them “with a word” It was a never to be forgotten memory for those who saw it. [source]
Mark 1:29 The house of Simon and Andrew [την οικιαν Σιμωνος και Ανδρεου]
Peter was married and both he and Andrew lived together in “Peter‘s house” (Matthew 8:14) with Peter‘s wife and mother-in-law. Peter was evidently married before he began to follow Jesus. Later his wife accompanied him on his apostolic journeys (1 Corinthians 9:5). This incident followed immediately after the service in the synagogue on the sabbath. All the Synoptics give it. Mark heard Peter tell it as it occurred in his own house where Jesus made his home while in Capernaum. Each Gospel gives touches of its own to the story. Mark has “lay sick of a fever “ (κατεκειτο πυρεσσουσα — katekeito puressousa), lay prostrate burning with fever. Matthew puts it “stretched out (βεβλημενην — beblēmenēn) with a fever.” Luke has it “holden with a great fever” (ην συνεχομενη πυρετωι μεγαλωι — ēn sunechomenē puretōi megalōi), a technical medical phrase. They all mention the instant recovery and ministry without any convalescence. Mark and Matthew speak of the touch of Jesus on her hand and Luke speaks of Jesus standing over her like a doctor. It was a tender scene. [source]
Luke 4:38 He rose up [αναστας]
Second aorist active participle of ανιστημι — anistēmi a common verb. B. Weiss adds here “from the teacher‘s seat.” Either from his seat or merely leaving the synagogue. This incident of the healing of Peter‘s mother-in-law is given in Mark 1:29-34 and Matthew 8:14-17, which see note in Mark and see note in Matthew for details. [source]
Luke 4:38 Into the house of Simon [εις την οικιαν Σιμωνος]
“Peter‘s house” (Matthew 8:14). “The house of Simon and Andrew” (Mark 1:29). Paul‘s reference to Peter‘s wife (1 Corinthians 9:5) is pertinent. They lived together in Capernaum. This house came also to be the Capernaum home of Jesus.Simon‘s wife‘s mother (πεντερα του Σιμωνος — penthera tou Simōnos). The word πεντερα — penthera for mother-in-law is old and well established in usage. Besides the parallel passages (Mark 1:30; Matthew 8:14; Luke 4:38) it occurs in the N.T. only in Luke 12:53. The corresponding word πεντερος — pentheros father-in-law, occurs in John 18:13 alone in the N.T.Was holden with a great fever Periphrastic imperfect passive, the analytical tense accenting the continuous fever, perhaps chronic and certainly severe. Luke employs this verb nine times and only three others in the N.T. (Matthew 4:24 passive with diseases here; 2 Corinthians 5:14 active; Philemon 1:23 passive). In Acts 28:8 the passive “with dysentery” is like the construction here and is a common one in Greek medical writers as in Greek literature generally. Luke uses the passive with “fear,” Luke 8:37, the active for holding the hands over the ears (Acts 7:57) and for pressing one or holding together (Luke 8:45; Luke 19:43; Luke 22:63), the direct middle for holding oneself to preaching (Acts 18:5). It is followed here by the instrumental case. Hobart (Medical Language of Luke, p. 3) quotes Galen as dividing fevers into “great” (μεγαλοι — megaloi) and “small” (σμικροι — smikroi). [source]
Luke 4:38 Simon‘s wife‘s mother [πεντερα του Σιμωνος]
The word πεντερα — penthera for mother-in-law is old and well established in usage. Besides the parallel passages (Mark 1:30; Matthew 8:14; Luke 4:38) it occurs in the N.T. only in Luke 12:53. The corresponding word πεντερος — pentheros father-in-law, occurs in John 18:13 alone in the N.T. [source]
John 21:18 Young [νεώτερος]
Literally, younger. Peter was apparently of middle age. See Matthew 8:14. [source]
John 14:2 House [οἰκίᾳ]
The dwelling-place. Used primarily of the edifice (Matthew 7:24; Matthew 8:14; Matthew 9:10; Acts 4:34). Of the family or all the persons inhabiting the house (Matthew 12:25; John 4:53; 1 Corinthians 16:15; Matthew 10:13). Of property (Matthew 23:14; Mark 12:40). Here meaning heaven. [source]
1 Corinthians 9:5 A sister, a wife []
Wrong. Sister means a christian woman, a fellow-member of the Church, as Romans 16:1; 1 Corinthians 7:15; James 2:15. It is in apposition with wife: A wife that is a sister or believer. So Rev. Such an one has also the right, like her husband, to be maintained by the Church. Some of the fathers claimed that not a wife was meant, but a female attendant, serviens mantrona, who contributed to the maintenance of the apostles as certain women ministered to Christ. There is no foundation for this. It is contradicted by the example of Peter cited at the end of this verse; compare Matthew 8:14; and besides, the point of the argument is that these companions should be maintained. Such a practice, however, did grow up in the Church, but was abolished by the Council of Nicaea on account of its abuses. Stanley remarks that the fact of these women accompanying their husbands, may be explained by the necessity of females to gain access to and to baptize the female converts in Greece and in oriental countries; the same necessity which gave rise to the order of deaconesses. [source]
1 Corinthians 9:5 To lead about a wife that is a believer? [αδελπην γυναικα περιαγειν]
Old verb περιαγω — periagō intransitive in Acts 13:11. Two substantives in apposition, a sister a wife, a common Greek idiom. This is a plea for the support of the preacher‘s wife and children. Plainly Paul has no wife at this time. And Cephas (και Κηπας — kai Kēphās). Why is he singled out by name? Perhaps because of his prominence and because of the use of his name in the divisions in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:12). It was well known that Peter was married (Matthew 8:14). Paul mentions James by name in Galatians 1:19 as one of the Lord‘s brothers. All the other apostles were either married or had the right to be. [source]
1 Corinthians 9:5 And Cephas [και Κηπας]
Why is he singled out by name? Perhaps because of his prominence and because of the use of his name in the divisions in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:12). It was well known that Peter was married (Matthew 8:14). Paul mentions James by name in Galatians 1:19 as one of the Lord‘s brothers. All the other apostles were either married or had the right to be. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 8:14 mean?

And having come - Jesus to the house of Peter He saw mother-in-law of him lying sick fevering
Καὶ ἐλθὼν Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν Πέτρου εἶδεν πενθερὰν αὐτοῦ βεβλημένην πυρέσσουσαν

ἐλθὼν  having  come 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
οἰκίαν  house 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: οἰκία  
Sense: a house.
Πέτρου  of  Peter 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
εἶδεν  He  saw 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
πενθερὰν  mother-in-law 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: πενθερά  
Sense: mother-in-law, a wife’s mother.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
βεβλημένην  lying  sick 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: βάλλω 
Sense: to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.
πυρέσσουσαν  fevering 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: πυρέσσω  
Sense: to be sick with a fever.