What Does Matthew 8:3 Mean in the King James?

And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Matthew 8:3 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The touch reaches the man before the cleansing, placing contact within the healing rather than after it.

THE MEANING

A visible condition does not put a person beyond reach: Jesus says, “I will,” touches him, and the cleansing follows at once. Need is met while the condition is still present; contact is not postponed until afterward.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

The belief that a person must become clean before they can be touched is undone here: the touch comes first.

THE ROOT

ἐκαθαρίσθη

ekatharísthē

GROWS FROM

καθαρ

The Greek stem kathar- means clean or pure.

The form ⁨ἐκαθαρίσθη⁩ (ekatharísthē, “was cleansed”) presents the change as something received. Its word family connects the act of cleansing with the state of being clean, and that change follows a touch already given.

ALSO GROWS

katharós: clean, pure

καθαρός

The adjective names the state that the cleansing verb brings about.

katharismós: cleansing, purification

καθαρισμός

This noun carries the same ⁨καθαρ⁩ (kathar) stem, holding the act of cleansing close to the resulting state.

THE PATTERN

Cleansing reaches what is marked unclean and brings about a changed condition.

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

Ezekiel 36:25 · KJVCleansing is described as reaching what is unclean and making a new condition present.

And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

Luke 17:14 · KJVThe same Greek cleansing word family appears as the men’s bodily condition changes.

THE THREAD

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

John 15:3 · KJV

The same ⁨καθαρ⁩ (kathar, “clean”) word family moves from “was cleansed” in Matthew to “clean” here. Matthew shows the change arriving through touch and speech; John names the clean state through the spoken word.

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