Luke 8:2

Certain women. One of the characteristics of the Gospel of Luke is its frequent references to Christ’s ministry for the womenfolk of Palestine and the ministry of some of them on His behalf. This was something new, for the role of Jewish women in public life had been a relatively minor one, although in isolated instances, prophets like Elisha had ministered to women and been ministered to by them.

Luke is the only gospel writer to record many of the details of the early life of Jesus, and often does so from the viewpoint of the women most concerned — Mary, Elisabeth, and Anna. In other connections he mentions also the widow of Nain, the woman at Simon’s feast, the womenfolk named here, Martha, and a certain crippled woman, as well as Jairus’ daughter and the invalid woman healed upon the same occasion. In the Acts he mentions Sapphira, Priscilla, Drusilla, Berenice, Tabitha, Rhoda, Lydia, and a number of other women. It is as if Luke were saying that the gospel of the kingdom of heaven was as much for women as for men, and that their part in its proclamation was equally important with that of their menfolk. In Jewish movements of a strictly religious character, such as those of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and others, women seem to have had no role at all. They neither received direct benefit nor imparted it.

With the Second Galilean Tour the scope of Christ’s ministry expanded rapidly, and the group of men now accompanying Him had greatly increased compared with the group who had been on the first tour. This inevitably involved considerable expense and labor, by way of providing food, keeping the clothing clean and in repair, etc. Christ never performed miracles on His own behalf (see on Matt. 4:6); it would have been contrary to His principles to do so. So far as their material needs were concerned, He and His disciples were sustained on the principle that “the workman is worthy of his meat” (Matt. 10:10). Furthermore, the throngs who pressed upon Jesus and His disciples during these months of great promise often left them little or no time even to eat or sleep (see Mark 3:7-12, 20). At times the Saviour found it necessary to hide Himself from the throngs (see Mark 1:45; 4:36; 6:31) in order to find a few hours of rest. These various circumstances created an opportunity for the womenfolk who had come to believe in Christ to assist Him in His work.

Had been healed. That is, prior to the Second Galilean Tour.

Evil spirits. At least Mary Magdalene, and perhaps others, had been set free from demons.

Infirmities. Gr. astheneiai, “weaknesses,” “feeblenesses,” “sicknesses.”

Mary called Magdalene. See Additional Note on Chapter 7. The synoptic narratives always mention Mary Magdalene first when her name is listed together with the names of other women (see Matt. 27:56, 61; 28:1; Mark 15:40, 47; 16:1; Luke 24:10). This testifies to her ardent devotion to Jesus. Her gratitude was not merely emotional (see on Luke 7:38, 44), but intensely practical. This Mary is called Magdalene in order to distinguish her from the other Marys, of whom there were several. The name Mary occurs frequently in the NT. It is derived from the Hebrew name translated “Miriam” in the OT (see on Matt. 1:16). The designation Magdalene probably indicates that Mary was living in the town of Magdala (see on Matt. 15:39) at the time Christ found her and set her free from the power of demons.