Luke 8:2

certain women . . . healed, &c.--on whom He had the double claim of having brought healing to their bodies and new life to their souls. Drawn to Him by an attraction more than magnetic, they accompany Him on this tour as His almoners--ministering unto Him of their substance. Blessed Saviour! It melts us to see Thee living upon the love of Thy ransomed people. That they bring Thee their poor offerings we wonder not. Thou hast sown unto them spiritual things, and they think it, as well they might, a small thing that Thou shouldst reap their material things (Co1 9:11). But dost Thou take it at their hand, and subsist upon it? "Oh, the depth of the riches" (Rom 11:33) --of this poverty of His! Mary Magdalene--that is, probably, of Magdala (on which see Mat 15:39; see on Mar 8:10). went--rather, "had gone." seven devils-- (Mar 16:9). It is a great wrong to this honored woman to identify her with the once profligate woman of Luk 7:37, and to call all such penitents Magdalenes. The mistake has arisen from confounding unhappy demoniacal possession with the conscious entertainment of diabolic impurity, or supposing the one to have been afflicted as a punishment for the other--for which there is not the least scriptural ground.

Most of this chapter is a repetition of divers passages of Christ's preaching and miracles which we had before in Matthew and Mark; they are all of such weight, that they are worth repeating, and therefore they are repeated, that out of the mouth not only of two, but of three, witnesses every word may be established. Here is, I. A general account of Christ's preaching, and how he had subsistence for himself and his numerous family by the charitable contributions of good people (Luk 8:1-3). II. The parable of the sower, and the four sorts of ground, with the exposition of it, and some inferences from it (Luk 8:4-18). III. The preference which Christ gave to his obedient disciples before his nearest relations according to the flesh (Luk 8:19-21). IV. His stilling a storm at sea, with a word's speaking (Luk 8:22-25). V. His casting a legion of devils out of a man that was possessed by them (Luk 8:26-40). VI. His healing the woman that had the bloody issue, and raising Jairus's daughter to life (v. 41-56).

8:2-3 along with some women: Rabbis of Jesus’ day did not have women disciples, so this was unusual. Some of these women, like Joanna, were from wealthy families and contributed financially to Jesus’ ministry. 8:2 Magdalene means “from Magdala,” a village north of Tiberias on the western side of the Sea of Galilee. Mary figures prominently in the burial and resurrection accounts (24:10; Mark 15:40, 47; John 19:25; 20:1, 18). Some have said that Mary Magdalene was the woman of Luke 7:36-38, leading to the belief that she was a former prostitute. There is no basis for this speculation.