The Meaning of Matthew 8:15 Explained

Matthew 8:15

KJV: And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

YLT: and he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she arose, and was ministering to them.

Darby: and he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she arose and served him.

ASV: And he touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose, and ministered unto him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he touched  her  hand,  and  the fever  left  her:  and  she arose,  and  ministered  unto them. 

What does Matthew 8:15 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 8:15

Touched her hand [ηπσατο της χειρος αυτης]
In loving sympathy as the Great Physician and like any good doctor today. [source]
Ministered [διηκονει]
“Began to minister” (conative imperfect) at once to Jesus at table in gratitude and love. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 8:15

Luke 4:39 He stood over her [επιστας επανω αυτης]
Second aorist active participle. Only in Luke. Surely we are not to take Luke to mean that Jesus here took the exorcist‘s position and was rebuking a malignant personality. The attitude of Jesus is precisely that of any kindly sympathetic physician. Mark 1:31; Matthew 8:15 mention the touch of her hand rather than the tender look over her head. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 8:15 mean?

And He touched the hand of her left her the fever she arose was ministering to them
καὶ ἥψατο τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῆς ἀφῆκεν αὐτὴν πυρετός ἠγέρθη διηκόνει αὐτῷ

ἥψατο  He  touched 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἅπτω  
Sense: to fasten one’s self to, adhere to, cling to.
χειρὸς  hand 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: χείρ  
Sense: by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.
αὐτῆς  of  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἀφῆκεν  left 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀφίημι 
Sense: to send away.
αὐτὴν  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
πυρετός  fever 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πυρετός  
Sense: fiery heat.
ἠγέρθη  she  arose 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐγείρω  
Sense: to arouse, cause to rise.
διηκόνει  was  ministering 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διακονέω  
Sense: to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon.
αὐτῷ  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.