Matthew 8:17 · Bible study
Matthew 8:17 Commentary: Christ Bears Our Infirmities and Diseases
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine how Jesus' healings in Matthew 8 fulfill Isaiah 53:4, and what this means for our understanding of suffering, atonement, and faith.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus’ healings fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy that the Servant would bear human infirmities and diseases.
- Key words: ἐβάστασεν (ebastasen, “bore”), to carry a burden; ἀσθενείας (astheneias, “infirmities”), bodily weakness; νόσους (nosous, “diseases”), sicknesses.
- Main debate: Whether this verse promises physical healing for all believers as part of the atonement, or whether the healings are signs pointing primarily to spiritual salvation.
- Theological theme: Christ’s identification with human suffering; the relationship between physical restoration and spiritual redemption.
- Best use: To show Jesus’ compassion and power while pointing to the cross as the ultimate solution for sin and suffering.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took on our infirmities and carried our diseases.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”
KJV King James Version 1769
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, `Himself took our infirmities, and the sicknesses he did bear.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
so that that should be fulfilled which was spoken through Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities and bore our diseases.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
That it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet Isaias, saying: He took our infirmities, and bore our diseases.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Para que se cumpliese lo que fué dicho por el profeta Isaías, que dijo: El mismo tomó nuestras enfermedades, y llevó nuestras dolencias.
Para que se cumprisse o que havia sido dito pelo profeta Isaías, que disse: Ele tomou sobre si as nossas enfermidades, e levou as nossas doenças.
afin que s’ accomplît ce qui avait été annoncé par Ésaïe, le prophète: Il a pris nos infirmités, et il s’ est chargé de nos maladies.
auf das erfüllt würde, was gesagt ist durch den Propheten Jesaja, der da spricht: “ Er hat unsere Schwachheiten auf sich genommen, und unsere Seuchen hat er getragen.”
Opdat vervuld zou worden, dat gesproken was door Jesaja, den profeet, zeggende: Hij heeft onze krankheden op Zich genomen, en onze ziekten gedragen.
affinché si adempisse quel che fu detto per bocca del profeta Isaia: Egli stesso ha preso le nostre infermità, ed ha portato le nostre malattie.
Aby się wypełniło, co powiedziano przez Izajasza proroka, mówiącego: On niemocy nasze na się wziął, a choroby nasze nosił.
да сбудется реченное через пророка Исаию, который говорит: Он взял на Себя наши немощи и понес болезни.
這是要 應驗 先知 以賽亞 的話，說：他 代替 我們的 軟弱， 擔當 我們的疾病。
So that the word of Isaiah the prophet might come true: He himself took our pains and our diseases.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 8:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Matthew applies Isaiah 53:4 to Jesus’ healings as a fulfillment in a specific sense, though they diverge on the exact scope. The Greek verb ἐβάστασεν (ebastasen, “bore”) means to carry a burden, not simply to remove it, Vincent stresses this. Calvin argues that Isaiah speaks of sin-bearing, not miracles, so Matthew uses the healings as signs pointing to the greater work of the cross. Clarke and Wesley see a double meaning: the physical healings are emblems of the soul’s salvation. Gill, drawing on rabbinic tradition, shows that ancient Jews already understood the Messiah as one who bears infirmities. The aorist tense of both verbs (ἔλαβεν, ἐβάστασεν) points to a definitive, once-for-all act, but the passage is read differently: some see a direct promise of physical healing in the atonement, while others treat the healings as confirmatory signs of Christ’s power over sin and its effects. All agree that Matthew presents Jesus as the servant who takes human weakness upon himself.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Direct promise of physical healing: The literal application of Isaiah's prophecy to bodily healings; the verbs 'took' and 'bore' in a physical sense.
- Typological / spiritual fulfillment: Isaiah 53 originally speaks of sin-bearing; Matthew applies it to healings as signs that point to the cross, where sin and all its effects are finally dealt with.
- Double fulfillment (both physical and spiritual): Healings are real and anticipate the complete restoration at the resurrection, but they also signify the deeper spiritual healing of the atonement.
What is clear: Matthew intends to show that Jesus, by healing the sick, fulfills the prophetic pattern that the Messiah would bear human frailties—and that this act points to his ultimate mission of dealing with sin.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4 | Matthew intentionally connects Jesus’ healings to the Servant passage in Isaiah, showing Jesus as the promised Messiah. | Whether the fulfillment is direct (physical healing for all believers) or indirect (healings as signs of the greater spiritual atonement). |
| Meaning of 'bore our diseases' | The verb βαστάζω (bastazō) means to carry a burden, not merely to remove or take away. | Some argue this is a definitive removal of sickness (faith-healing view); others maintain it refers to Christ’s sympathetic bearing of our suffering, with ultimate removal at the resurrection. |
| Relationship between physical healing and atonement | Christ’s healings are an integral part of his ministry and demonstrate his divine authority. | Whether the atonement includes guaranteed physical healing for all believers (the so-called ‘healing in the atonement’ view) or whether physical healing is a provisional sign that awaits eschatological fullness. |
| Efficacy for believers today | Jesus continues to heal in response to prayer and faith, as evidenced throughout church history. | Christians differ on whether sickness is always God’s will, whether healing is a covenantal right, and how to reconcile unanswered prayer with this passage. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits at the end of a day of healings in Capernaum. Matthew has just recorded the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (vv. 14, 15) and then, in the evening, a large gathering of demon-possessed and sick people (v. 16). The location is Peter’s house, where Jesus is staying during his Galilean ministry. That Peter was married (v. 14) and had settled in Capernaum, originally from Bethsaida, shows the domestic setting of the miracle.
Matthew’s fulfillment formula (“that it might be fulfilled”) is a trademark of his Gospel, used eleven times to connect events in Jesus’ life to Old Testament prophecy. Here he quotes Isaiah 53:4, a verse from the fourth Servant Song. In its original context, Isaiah describes the Servant bearing the consequences of the people’s sin, affliction, grief, and punishment. The Hebrew verb nasa (lift up, carry) and sabal (bear a burden) both suggest taking something heavy upon oneself. Matthew uses aorist indicatives (ἔλαβεν, ἐβάστασεν) to narrate the healings as a single, decisive act by Christ.
First-century Judaism understood illness and disability as connected to sin, though not always directly. By healing diseases, Jesus was tackling the effects of the fall. The evening healings, after the Sabbath (Luke 4:38, 40 notes the timing), show the crowds pressing in as word spreads. Matthew’s point is that Jesus’ power over physical affliction is not an end in itself; it points to his identity as the Servant who will ultimately deal with sin itself on the cross.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Matthew 8:17. The quotation of Isaiah 53:4 matches the Septuagint closely, and the Greek text is stable across the major manuscript traditions.
Reception History
In the early church, this verse was read typologically: the healings of Jesus showed his divine authority and fulfilled Isaiah’s vision of the Servant. Augustine and Chrysostom saw the healings as signs of Christ’s power over sin and death, not as a blanket promise of physical restoration. During the Reformation, Calvin and others emphasized that the primary fulfillment is spiritual, Christ bearing the guilt of sin, while the healings are illustrative. Later traditions, especially within Pentecostal and charismatic movements, used this verse to argue that physical healing is part of the atonement and therefore available to all believers. The broader historic Christian view holds that while Jesus heals today, the definitive removal of all suffering will occur at the resurrection. Matthew’s placement of this quote at the close of a healing narrative has made the verse a touchpoint for both comfort and controversy.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Jesus sees what others overlook. He notices Peter’s mother-in-law with a fever (v. 14), the possessed, the sick (v. 16). He does not wait to be asked; he responds to the need before him.
- Jesus personally carries our burdens. The verbs “took” and “bore” (ἔλαβεν, ἐβάστασεν) are active and aorist, Christ willingly takes our infirmities onto himself. This is not a distant sympathy but a real, cost-bearing identification.
- Healing is a sign of something greater. Matthew ties five healings to a prophecy about sin-bearing. Physical restoration points to spiritual salvation, the ultimate removal of sin’s power and presence.
Five-point outline
- The context of need: A fever, demon possession, chronic illness, all represent the brokenness Jesus came to address.
- The initiative of Christ: In each case, Jesus acts without being coerced. His compassion is self-generated.
- The mechanism of healing: A touch, a word, a command, the means vary, but the authority is constant.
- The fulfillment of prophecy: Matthew insists these healings are not random; they are exactly what Isaiah promised the Servant would do.
- The forward look to the cross: The same verb “bore” (bastazo) appears in 1 Peter 2:24 for bearing sins on the tree. Healing bodies prepares us to see him heal souls.
Illustration hooks
- A parent up all night with a sick child, choosing to sit up and carry the worry, not just medicate the fever. That kind of presence mirrors Christ’s taking our infirmities.
- A volunteer at a hospice who sits with the dying. They cannot cure, but they bear witness to suffering. Jesus bears more: he actually takes the disease onto himself.
- A cancelled MRI because the symptoms resolved. The relief is real, but the question remains: what caused it? Healings hint at a Giver, not just a fix.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If this verse promises healing, why are so many believers still sick?
- Does my sickness mean I lack faith, or does Jesus still love me in it?
- How do I hold onto hope for physical healing while trusting God in chronic pain?
Leading a Discussion
This verse raises a question every Christian faces: does Jesus still heal today? And if he does, how do we make sense of the many prayers for healing that seem unanswered? The healings in Matthew 8 are real, fever leaves, spirits flee, the sick are restored. But Matthew does not call them a guarantee. He calls them a fulfillment. Something deeper is happening: the Servant of Isaiah is present, and he is taking the weight of our broken world onto himself. As you study together, let the passage shape not just your hope for healing but your trust in the Healer.
Discussion questions
- Read Matthew 8:14, 17. What do you notice about Jesus’ actions and words in these verses? How does he heal?
- Why do you think Matthew connects these healings to Isaiah 53:4, a chapter about suffering and sin? What does that connection say about Jesus’ purpose?
- The Greek word for “bore” (ebastasen) means to carry a burden, not just to remove it. How does that change how you understand Jesus’ involvement in your physical pain?
- Calvin says healings are signs pointing to spiritual grace, while Clarke calls them emblems of soul-salvation. Which view resonates with your experience? Why?
- How does this passage challenge or comfort someone who is chronically ill or living with disability?
- Does Matthew promise all believers physical healing now? If not, what does he promise?
- In what ways can we “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2) as an extension of Christ’s work in this passage?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 53:4 | Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted. |
| Matthew 1:22 | Now all this has happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, |
| Matthew 2:15 | and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” |
| Matthew 2:23 | and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets that he will be called a Nazarene. |
| I Peter 2:24 | He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke distinguishes the original meaning of Isaiah 53:4, where bearing sin points to atonement, from Matthew's application to physical healing. For him, Matthew treats the healing of bodies as an emblem pointing to the deeper reality of the soul's salvation through Christ.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the Hebrew and Greek words for "griefs" and "infirmities" refer to physical diseases, which Jesus removed by his healing power. The words for "sorrows" and "sicknesses" mean mental anguish, which he carried by sympathizing and by removing sin, the root of all sorrow, through the atonement.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that Matthew is not misusing Isaiah's prophecy about spiritual salvation. The physical healings were not mere temporary benefits but intentional signs: Christ healed bodies to show He is the light of the world and the resurrection, sent to relieve humanity from all evils and miseries.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that Christ's healing of physical diseases directly fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy about bearing our infirmities and sicknesses. For these commentators, the passage proves that Jesus took upon himself not only spiritual burdens but actual bodily weaknesses, demonstrating the literal nature of this prophetic fulfillment.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill addresses the apparent tension between Isaiah's prophecy about bearing sins and Matthew's application to physical healing. He explains that Christ's healing of bodily diseases was both a symbol of his bearing sin and a demonstration that he had the power to do so.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that Christ's healing of Peter's mother-in-law demonstrates his special care for the families of his disciples. He observes that Peter was married and had a house, and he argues that Christ's kindness to his wife's relations is a clear endorsement of the marriage state, directly opposing the Roman Catholic ban on clerical marriage.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent insists the Greek word means "bore as a burden," not "took away." He argues that translating it "took away" misreads the passage and underlies a mistaken theory. Matthew, citing Isaiah, understood the original sense and would not have used this word if removal were intended.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley explains that the prophet Isaiah spoke in a higher sense about Christ bearing sins on the cross, while the Gospel writer alludes to those same words in a lower sense, referring to Christ healing physical diseases. He calls this a deliberate elegance in Scripture, not a flaw.