And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities - 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.
Mary called Magdalene [ Magdaleenee (G3094 ) probably 'of Magdala,' as to which see the note at Mark 8:10 ], out of whom went [ exeleeluthei (G1831 ) rather, 'had gone,'] seven devils. The same thing being said in Mark 16:9, it seems plain that this was what distinguished her among the different Mary's. It is a great wrong to this female to identify her with the once profligate, though afterward marvelously changed, woman who is the subject of the preceding section (Luke 7:37, etc.), 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 inflicted as a punishment for the other-for which there is not the least scriptural ground. See the notes Luke 13:1-9, Remark 2, at the close of that section.