Matthew 8:34 (DBY)

Passage

And behold, the whole city went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged [him] to go away out of their coasts.

Nearby Context

Matthew 8:32 And he said to them, Go. And they, going out, departed into the herd of swine; and lo, the whole herd [of swine] rushed down the steep slope into the sea, and died in the waters.

Matthew 8:33 But they that fed them fled, and went away into the city and related everything, and what had happened as to those possessed by demons.

Matthew 8:34 And behold, the whole city went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged [him] to go away out of their coasts.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "whole", "city", "went", "meet", "jesus", "begged", and "away". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "whole", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "But they that fed them fled and...", giving immediate footing for "behold" and "whole". In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "behold" and "whole" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.