He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spat on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.
Parallel Translations
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He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spat on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.
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And he caught the blynde by the honde and leade him out of the toune and spat in his eyes and put his hondes apon him and axed him whether he saw ought.
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Then he tooke the blinde by the hand, and ledde him out of the towne, and spat in his eyes, and put his handes vpon him, and asked him, if he sawe ought.
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Cross-references (9)
Passages linked to Mark 8:23 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Mark 7:33 He took him aside from the multitude, privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue.
- John 9:6-7 When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.
- Mark 5:23 and begged him much, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live.”
- Acts 9:8 Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
- Isaiah 44:2 This is what Yahweh who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: “Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
- Isaiah 51:18 There is no one to guide her among all the sons to whom she has given birth; and there is no one who takes her by the hand among all the sons who she has brought up.
- Jeremiah 31:32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which covenant of mine they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says Yahweh.
- Hebrews 8:9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they didn’t continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them,” says the Lord.
- Revelation 3:18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 23 And he took the blind man by the…
23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
Ver. 23. He took the blind man by the hand] He could have delivered him to his friends, to lead him; but he did it himself, as holding it an honour, a pleasure, to do men in misery any office of courtesy.
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And led him out of the town] Either that the miracle he wrought might be the less noticed, or as holding the inhabitants unworthy to behold it. All Israel might see Moses go towards the rock of Rephidim; none but the elders might see him strike it. Their unbelief made them unworthy this privilege; so might their unthankfulness the men of Bethsaida. Woe to thee, Bethsaida! It is no small favour of God to make us witnesses of his great works.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he took the blind man by the hand,....…
And he took the blind man by the hand,.... Not for the sake of touching him, in order to heal him, as they desired, but to be his guide:
and led him out of the town; to shun all appearance of vain glory and popular applause, being willing to do the miracle in a private manner; and because of the obstinacy and unbelief of the inhabitants of this place, who were not worthy to be witnesses of such a cure; see Mat 11:21;
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and when he had spit on his eyes; not as a cause of healing him; for whatever use spittle may be of to such that have weak eyes, it can have no causal influence upon, or be of any service, in a natural way, to a blind man to restore his sight unto him:
and put his hands upon him; as he sometimes did, when he healed persons of any disorder:
he asked him, if he saw ought; any object whatever, whether he could perceive he had any sight at all. Christ's taking the blind man by the hand, and leading him out or the town, and spitting on his eyes, and putting his hands upon him, and then asking him if he saw ought, are emblematical of what he does in spiritual conversion, when he turns men from darkness to light: he takes them by the hand, which expresses his condescension, grace, and mercy, and becomes their guide and leader; and a better, and safer guide they cannot have; he brings them by a way they know not, and leads them in paths they had not known before; makes darkness light before them, and crooked things straight, and does not forsake them: he takes them apart, and separates them from the rest of the world; he calls them out from thence to go with him, teaching them, that, when enlightened by him, they should have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, and the workers of them; for what communion has light with darkness? his putting spittle upon his eyes, may signify the means of grace, the eye salve of the word, which, when attended with a divine power, enlightens the eyes; and which power may be represented here by Christ's putting his hands upon the man; for the Gospel, without the power of Christ, Is insufficient to produce such an effect; but when it is accompanied with that, it always succeeds.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain He led him out of the town - It…
He led him out of the town - It was in just displeasure against the inhabitants of Bethsaida for their obstinate infidelity, that our Lord would work no more miracles among them, nor even suffer the person he had cured, either to go into the town, or to tell it to any therein.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 23. And he took the blind man by…
Verse 23. And he took the blind man by the hand] Giving him a proof of his readiness to help him, and thus preparing him for the cure which he was about to work.
Led him out of the town] Thus showing the inhabitants that he considered them unworthy of having another miracle wrought among them. He had already deeply deplored their ingratitude and obstinacy: See Clarke on Mt 11:21. When a people do not make a proper improvement of the light and grace which they receive from God, their candlestick is removed - even the visible Church becomes there extinct; and the candle is put out - no more means of spiritual illumination are afforded to the unfaithful inhabitants: Re 2:5.
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When he had spit on his eyes] There is a similar transaction to this mentioned by John, Joh 9:6. It is likely this was done merely to separate the eyelids; as, in certain cases of blindness, they are found always gummed together. It required a miracle to restore the sight, and this was done in consequence of Christ having laid his hands upon the blind man: it required no miracle to separate the eyelids, and, therefore, natural means only were employed - this was done by rubbing them with spittle; but whether by Christ, or by the blind man, is not absolutely certain. See Clarke on Mr 7:33. It has always been evident that false miracles have been wrought without reason or necessity, and without any obvious advantage; and they have thereby been detected: on the contrary, true miracles have always vindicated themselves by their obvious utility and importance; nothing ever being effected by them that could be performed by natural means.
If he saw aught.] ει, if, is wanting in the Syriac, all the Persic and Arabic, and in the AEthiopic; and τιβλεπεις, Dost thou see any thing? is the reading of CD, Coptic, AEthiopic, all the Arabic and Persic.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Led him out of the town - Why this…
Led him out of the town - Why this was done the sacred writers have not told us. It might have been to avoid the collecting of a multitude, and thus to have escaped the designs of the Pharisees who were attempting to take his life, and chiefly on a charge of sedition and of exciting the people. On this account Jesus chose to perform the miracle alone, thus showing that while he did good, he desired to do it in such a way as to avoid the “appearance” of evil, and to prevent, at the same time, ostentation and the malice of his enemies.
Spit on his eyes - Why this was done is not known. It was evidently not intended to perform the cure by any natural effect of the spittle. It was to the man a “sign,” an evidence that it was the power of Jesus. The eyes were probably closed. They were perhaps “gummed” or united together by a secretion that had become hard. To apply spittle to them - to wet them - would be a “sign,” a natural expression of removing the obstruction and opening them. The power was not in the spittle, but it attended the application of it.
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Saw aught - Saw anything.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain It may be asked, why our Lord led the…
It may be asked, why our Lord led the man from the multitude before he cured him? --- It may be answered, that he did it not to seem to perform his prodigies through vain glory; and thence to teach us to shun the empty praises of men: 2dly, to facilitate recollection, and to give himself to prayer, before he cured the blind man; and lastly, he went out of the city because the inhabitants of Bethsaida had already rendered themselves unworthy of the miracles of Christ. For among them our Saviour had wrought many miracles, yet they would not believe. (St. Matthew xi. 21.) (Tirinus) (Theophylactus) --- Dionysius says, that Jesus led him from the multitude to shew that if a sinner, figured by the blind man, wishes to be converted from his evil ways, he must first leave all immediate occasions and inducements to sin. (Dionysius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 23. Spit on his eyes — See notes on…
23. Spit on his eyes — See notes on Mar_7:33. Asked him if he saw aught — Our Lord in this whole process of half curing and then wholly curing, shows that the result is completely at his command. He can, as at some times, perform the work without word or sign; at others with an instantaneous word; at others still with a word and sign; and finally, as here, with word and sign, arresting the completion as he pleases. Disease shall start, and depart forthwith, or go by lingering delays, as he permits.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 23. he took the blind man] Even as He…
23. he took the blind man] Even as He did with the other sufferer, whose case came before us in Mar_7:33. As then, so now, the Lord was pleased to work gradually and with external signs: (i) He leads the man out of the town; (ii) anoints his eyes with the moisture of His mouth; (iii) lays His hands upon him twice (Mar_8:23; Mar_8:25); (iv) inquires of the progress of his restoration.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (23) He took the blind man by the hand.—We…
(23) He took the blind man by the hand.—We note in the act the same considerate adaptation of the method of healing to the man’s infirmities as in the case of the deaf man in Mar_7:33. As far as the first three Gospels are concerned, these are the two instances of the “spitting” here recorded, but it is one of the links that connect St. Mark with the fourth Gospel (Joh_9:6).
If he saw ought.—The better MSS. give the very words, “Dost thou see ought?”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And he took (epilabomenov) literally, took hold of the…
And he took (epilabomenov) literally, took hold of the blind man by the hand, and led him this is the rendering of exhgagen ; but a great weight of manuscript authority points to exhnegken as the better reading, brought himout of the village (exw thv kwmhv). This Bethsaida was a village; but Philip had raised it to the rank of a city (poliv), though it still seems to have retained its old appellation. Our Lord "led" or "brought" the blind man out of Beth-saida, for the same reason that he led the deaf and dumb man (Mar_7:33) away from the multitude:
(1) for the sake of prayer, that he might collect his mind, and unite himself more closely to God, and pray more intently and earnestly;
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(2) that he might shun vain-glory and human praise, and teach us to shun it also. And when he had spit on his eyes this act had a mystical meaning; it was the instrument by which his Deity operatedand laid his hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught?
Here were three acts
(1) the spitting,
(2) the laying of the hands on him,
(3) the questioning of him.
We gather from ver. 25 that our Lord"s hands were applied to the blind man"s eyes. From the analogy of the miracle in the last chapter, (Mar_7:33) we may perhaps infer that our Lord touched the man"s eyes with saliva on his finger, and that the hands were withdrawn before he asked him if he saw aught.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 23. Led him out of the town. As he…
23. Led him out of the town. As he had taken the deaf man out of the crowd (Mark 7:33). The Lord often sought to escape publicity. When he had spit on his eyes. I suppose that this unusual course was intended to develop in the man the faith which the Lord made the usual condition of healing.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain And he took
And he took
Our Lord’s action here is most significant, Having abandoned Bethsaida to judgment Mat 11:12-24. He would neither heal in that village, nor permit further testimony to be borne there Mar 8:26. The probation of Bethsaida as a community was ended, but He would still show mercy to individuals. Cf Rev 3:20.
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Christ is outside the door of that church, but "If any man hear My voice," etc.
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 8:23 spitting on the man’s eyes: See 7:33; cp.…
8:23 spitting on the man’s eyes: See 7:33; cp. John 9:6-7. Attempts to diagnose the man’s exact medical condition are speculative and unprofitable, diverting attention from the miracle.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.