As many as had plagues - As many as had diseases or maladies of body or mind. The word plague, now confined to the pestilence, does not express the meaning of the original, and tends to mislead.

They pressed upon him - Rushed upon him, επιπιπτειν - through eagerness to have their spiritual and bodily maladies immediately removed.

Plagues - Rather disorders, μαϚιγας; properly such disorders as were inflicted by the Lord. The word plague also tends to mislead.

For he had healed many,.... Of various diseases, and the fame of this brought more still to him:

insomuch that they pressed upon him; or pushed upon him, with great eagerness and violence. The Arabic version renders it, "they rushed upon him, so that they fell": they pushed on, and pressed so hard to get to him, that they fell upon one another, and on him: the Persic version renders it, "they cast themselves on him, for the sake of touching him"; which must be very troublesome indeed. Though some think the phrase signifies no more, than that they fell down before him at his feet, in a submissive and petitionary way, entreating they might have the favour

for to touch him; either any part of his body, or his garments, even the hem of them: and so the Ethiopic version translates the words; "they prayed him that they might touch him"; see Mark 6:56.

As many as had plagues; of leprosy, and other diseases, which were inflicted on them by God, as scourges and chastisements for their sins, as the word signifies, and which answers to "Negaim"; concerning which, there is a whole treatise in the Misna; and which bears that name, and particularly regards the plagues of leprosy. Some versions join this with the beginning of the next verse. The Syriac version reads thus, "who had plagues of unclean spirits"; as if these plagues were their being possessed by unclean spirits. The Persic version thus, "having plagues from unclean spirits"; as if these plagues were inflicted upon them by them, and which was sometimes the case. The Arabic version after this manner, "who had diseases and unclean spirits"; both the one and the other.

Pressed upon (ἐπιπίπτειν)

Lit., fell upon.

Plagues (μάστιγας)

Lit., scourges. Compare Acts 22:24; Hebrews 11:36. Our word plague is from πληγή, Latin plaga, meaning a blow. Pestilence or disease is thus regarded as a stroke from a divine hand. Πληγή is used in classical Greek in this metaphorical sense. Thus Sophocles, "Ajax," 270: "I fear that a calamity (πληγή) is really come from heaven (θεοῦ, god)." So of war. Aeschylus, "Persae," 251: "O Persian land, how hath the abundant prosperity been destroyed by a single blow (ἐν μιᾷ πληγῇ). The word here, scourges, carries the same idea.

For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had {h} plagues.

(h) Diseases with which God scourges men as it were with whips.

3:10 Plagues or scourges (so the Greek word properly means) seem to be those very painful or afflictive disorders which were frequently sent, or at least permitted of God, as a scourge or punishment of sin.

pressed: or, rushed

3:6-12 All our sicknesses and calamities spring from the anger of God against our sins. Their removal, or the making them blessings to us, was purchased to us by the blood of Christ. But the plagues and diseases of our souls, of our hearts, are chiefly to be dreaded; and He can heal them also by a word. May more and more press to Christ to be healed of these plagues, and to be delivered from the enemies of their souls.