Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
Ver. 24. What have we to do with thee?] Not to do with Christ, and yet vex a servant of Christ? Could the devil so mistake him, whom he confessed? It is an idle misprision, to sever the sense of an injury done to any of the members, from the head.
Thou Jesus of Nazareth] Though the devils confessed Christ to be the Holy One of God, yet they call him Jesus of Nazareth; to nourish the error of the multitude that thought he was born there, and so not the Messiah. Neither did the devil's cunning fail him herein, as appears, John 7:44 .
Art thou come to destroy us?] Before the time: such is the infinite goodness of God that he respites even wicked men and spirits the utmost of their torments.
I know thee who thou art] This he spake, not to honour Christ, but to denigrate him, as commended by so lying a spirit. Laudari ab illaudalo, non est laus, saith Seneca.
The Holy One of God] Some rest in praising the sermon, and speaking fair to the preacher. The devil here did as much to Christ, to be rid of him. So did Herod, Mark 6:20 .