Matthew 8:34 (GNV)

Passage

And beholde, all ye citie came out to meete Iesus: and when they sawe him, they besought him to depart out of their coastes.

Nearby Context

Matthew 8:32 And he said vnto them, Go. So they went out and departed into the heard of swine: and beholde, the whole heard of swine ranne headlong into the sea, and died in the water.

Matthew 8:33 Then the heardmen fled: and when they were come into the citie, they tolde all things, and what was become of them that were possessed with the deuils.

Matthew 8:34 And beholde, all ye citie came out to meete Iesus: and when they sawe him, they besought him to depart out of their coastes.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beholde", "citie", "came", "meete", "iesus", "sawe", "besought", and "depart". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beholde" and "citie", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "Then the heardmen fled and when they...", giving immediate footing for "beholde" and "citie". In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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