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As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!”
When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.”
Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” Their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.”
Matthew 9:27-30 sits inside this longer paragraph.
As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!”
When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.”
Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” Their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.
As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!”
When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.”
Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”
Their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.”
And as Iesus departed thence two blynde men folowed hym crying and saying: O thou sonne of David have mercy on vs.
And when he was come to housse the blynd came to hym And Iesus sayde vnto them: Beleve ye that I am able to do thys? And they sayde vnto hym: ye Lorde.
Then touched he their eyes saying: acordynge to youre faythe be it vnto you.
And their eyes were opened. And Iesus charged the saying: Se that no man knowe of it.
And as Iesus departed thence, two blinde men followed him, crying, and saying, O sonne of Dauid, haue mercie vpon vs.
And when hee was come into the house, the blinde came to him, and Iesus saide vnto them, Beleeue yee that I am able to doe this? And they sayd vnto him, Yea, Lord.
Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it vnto you.
And their eyes were opened, and Iesus gaue them great charge, saying, See that no man knowe it.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v27 By healing these two blind, Christ showeth that he…
By healing these two blind, Christ showeth that he is the light of the world.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv27–30 27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men…
27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
Ver. 27. Two blind men followed him] Misery makes unity. These two could the better agree to go together, because their cases were alike. Hooper and Ridley left jarring when they both were in prison.
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Thou Son of David] Thou that art a true man, as we are; and seemest to say unto us, as David did to the men of Judah, "Ye are my brethren, my bone and my flesh," 2Sa 19:12; "Have mercy on us." So the Church in Isaiah, when invaded and infested by the Assyrian, cries out, "The stretching out of his wings doth fill thy land, O Immanuel:" q.d. O thou that art also a man, and hast the heart of a man in thee, see to our safety. Necessity makes men beg many times of mere strangers, yea, of deadly enemies; as the Israelites did of the Egyptians, as Benhadad did of Ahab, and as the poor Jews of the Assyrians, Lam 5:6. How much more boldly should we beg of Christ, our near kinsman! &c.
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.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On v27 This miracle is reported only by St. Matthew, though…
This miracle is reported only by St. Matthew, though the other evangelists tell us of some others of the same kind. They
followed him in the way,
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crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. These are the first we read of in this Gospel, that made their applications to Christ under the notion of the Messiah (for so much that compellation, Thou Son of David, importeth). He was to open the blind eyes, Isa 35:5; 42:7, and was to be the Son of David, according to the prophecies of him; nor can any reason be given, why they called him the Son of David, but this their belief that he was the true Messias.
Have mercy on us: their petition is general, though without doubt they had a particular respect to their want of sight, and so our Saviour understood them. Others, that came to Christ for cure before, looked upon Christ as a man to whom God had given great power, and glorified God upon that account, as in Mat 9:8. Their courage and boldness in the faith also appeared, in that they feared not the Pharisees decree made, as appeareth from Joh 9:22; for the Christ and the Son of David amongst the Jews at this time signified the same person, as appears by Mat 22:42. Christ listens not unto them till he came into the house; there he saith,
Believe ye that I am able to do this? Christ forgetteth not the prayer of faith, though he doth not give a present answer according to our expectation, that he may continue us in our duty, and quicken us yet to further importunity. Our Lord puts the common test upon them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? There is no absolute particular promise for good things of a temporal concern; it is enough for us in those cases to believe that God is able to do the thing, and that he will do it if he seeth it be for our good; he only therefore questions their faith as to his power. In their former owning him as the Messiah, the Son of David, they had declared that they believed his kindness to the sons of men.
They said unto him, Yea, Lord, we believe thou art able; and we believe thee the Messiah, come to do good, and we have a trust in thee thou wilt do it; for this cause we are come, we cry unto thee.
Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. See the mighty power of the prayer of faith.
Their eyes were opened, that is, their visive faculty was restored, or given to them.
And Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. It was known they were blind, and men must know that they now saw; but he charges them not to publish it as done by him. The word used signifieth to command with authority, and with a threatening annexed: we have met with several such commands to persons cured, and none of them observed, nor the persons blamed by Christ for not observing them. We must say the parties sinned in publishing the things, unless the command was with some limitations not mentioned by the evangelists; but we are not able, either to give a just account why or how Christ commanded them, nor how they published the things, or were excusable in doing of it.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain On v27 The ruler, and others who came to Christ for…
The ruler, and others who came to Christ for cure and healing, believed him to be a man unto whom Almighty God had communicated divine power.
But it is observable, that these poor blind men did believe him to be the Messiah, by their calling him the Son of David; and according to their faith, so was their success: their faith capacitated them for a cure.
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But why did our Lord enjoin the blind men silence, and straitly charge them to tell no man of the cure? Herein the great modesty and humility of Christ appeared, in avoiding all ostentation and commendation; as also a due care of his own safety, lest the publishing of his miracles should create him untimely danger from the Pharisees.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v27 In these verses we have an account of two…
In these verses we have an account of two more miracles wrought together by our Saviour.
I. The giving of sight to two blind men, Mat 9:27-31. Christ is the Fountain of light as well as life; and as, by raising the dead, he showed himself to be the same that at first breathed into man the breath of life, so, by giving sight to the blind, he showed himself to be the same that at first commanded the light to shine out of darkness. Observe,
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1. The importunate address of the blind men to Christ. He was returning from the ruler's house to his own lodgings, and these blind men followed him, as beggars do, with their incessant cries, Mat 9:27. He that cured diseases so easily, so effectually, and, withal, at so cheap a rate, shall have patients enough. As for other things, so he is famed for an Oculist. Observe,
(1.) The title which these blind men gave to Christ; Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. The promise made to David, that of his loins the Messiah should come, was well known, and the Messiah was therefore commonly called the Son of David. At this time there was a general expectation of his appearing; these blind men know, and own, and proclaim it in the streets of Capernaum, that he is come, and that this is he; which aggravates the folly and sin of the chief priests and Pharisees who denied and opposed him. They could not see him and his miracles, but faith comes by hearing. Note, They who, by the providence of God, are deprived of bodily sight, may yet, by the grace of God, have the eyes of their understanding so enlightened, as to discern those great things of God, which are hid from the wise and prudent.
(2.) Their petition, Have mercy on us. It was foretold that the Son of David should be merciful (Psa 72:12, Psa 72:13), and in him shines the tender mercy of our God, Luk 1:78. Note, Whatever our necessities and burthens are, we need no more for supply and support, than a share in the mercy of our Lord Jesus. Whether he heal us or no, if he have mercy on us, we have enough; as to the particular instances and methods of mercy, we may safely and wisely refer ourselves to the wisdom of Christ. They did not each of them say for himself, Have mercy on me, but both for one another, Have mercy on us. Note, It becomes those that are under the same affliction, to concur in the same prayers for relief. Fellow-sufferers should be joint-petitioners. In Christ there is enough for all.
(3.) Their importunity in this request; they followed him, crying. It seems, he did not take notice of them at first, for he would try their faith, which he knew to be strong; would quicken their prayers, and make his cures the more valued, when they did not always come at the first word; and would teach us to continue instant in prayer, always to pray, and not to faint: and, though the answer do not come presently, yet to wait for it, and to follow providence, even in those steps and outgoings of it which seem to neglect or contradict our prayers. Christ would not heal them publicly in the streets, for this was a cure he would have kept private (Mat 9:30), but when he came into the house, they followed him thither, and came to him. Note, Christ's doors are always open to believing and importunate petitioners; it seemed rude in them to rush into the house after him, when he desired to retire; but, such is the tenderness of our Lord Jesus, that they were not more bold than welcome.
2. The confession of faith, which Christ drew from them upon this occasion. When they came to him for mercy, he asked them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? Note, Faith is the great condition of Christ's favours. They who would receive the mercy of Christ, must firmly believe the power of Christ. What we would have him do for us, we must be fully assured that he is able to do. They followed Christ, and followed him crying, but the great question is, Do ye believe? Nature may work fervency, but it is only grace that can work faith; spiritual blessings are obtained only by faith. They had intimated their faith in the office of Christ as Son of David, and in his mercy; but Christ demands likewise a profession of faith in his power. Believe ye that I am able to do this; to bestow this favour; to give sight to the blind, as well as to cure the palsy and raise the dead? Note, It is good to be particular in the exercise of faith, to apply the general assurances of God's power and good will, and the general promises, to our particular exigencies. All shall work for good, and if all, then this. "Believe ye that I am able, not only to prevail with God for it, as a prophet, but that I am able to do it by my own power?" This will amount to their belief of his being not only the Son of David, but the Son of God; for it is God's prerogative to open the eyes of the blind (Psa 146:8); he makes the seeing eye, Exo 4:11. Job was eyes to the blind (Job 29:15); was to them instead of eyes, but he could not give eyes to the blind. Still it is put to us, Believe we that Christ is able to do for us, by the power of his merit and intercession in heaven, of his Spirit and grace in the heart, and of his providence and dominion in the world? To believe the power of Christ is not only to assure ourselves of it, but to commit ourselves to it, and encourage ourselves in it.
To this question they give an immediate answer, without hesitation: they said, Yea, Lord. Though he had kept them in suspense awhile, and had not helped them at first, they honestly imputed that to his wisdom, not to his weakness, and were still confident of his ability. Note, The treasures of mercy that are laid up in the power of Christ, are laid out and wrought for those that trust in him, Psa 31:19.
3. The cure that Christ wrought on them; he touched their eyes, Mat 9:29. This he did to encourage their faith, which, by his delay, he had tried, and to show that he gives sight to blind souls by the operations of his grace accompanying the word, anointing the eyes with eye-salve: and he put the cure upon their faith, According to your faith be it unto you. When they begged for a cure, he enquired into their faith (Mat 9:28), Believe ye that I am able? He did not enquire into their wealth, whether they were able to pay him for a cure; nor into their reputation, should he get credit by curing them; but into their faith; and now they had professed their faith he referred the matter to that: "I know you do believe, and the power you believe in shall be exerted for you; According to your faith be it unto you." This speaks, (1.) His knowledge of the sincerity of their faith, and his acceptance and approbation of it. Note, It is a great comfort to true believers, that Jesus Christ knows their faith, and is well pleased with it. Though it be weak, though others do not discern it, though they themselves are ready to question it, it is known to him. (2.) His insisting upon their faith as necessary; "If you believe, take what you come for." Note, They who apply themselves to Jesus Christ, shall be dealt with according to their faith; not according to their fancies, nor according to their profession, but according to their faith; that is, unbelievers cannot expect to find any favour with God, but true believers may be sure to find all that favour which is offered in the gospel; and our comforts ebb or flow, according as our faith is stronger or weaker; we are not straitened in Christ, let us not then be straitened in ourselves.
4. The charge he gave them to keep it private (Mat 9:30), See that no man know it. He gave them this charge, (1.) To set us an example of that humility and lowliness of mind, which he would have us to learn of him. Note, In the good we do, we must not seek our own praise, but only the glory of God. It must be more our care and endeavour to be useful, than to be known and observed to be so, Pro 20:6; Pro 25:27. Thus Christ seconded the rule he had given, Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. (2.) Some think that Christ, in keeping it private, showed his displeasure against the people of Capernaum, who had seen so many miracles, and yet believed not. Note, The silencing of those who should proclaim the works of Christ is a judgment to any place or people: and it is just in Christ to deny the means of conviction to those that are obstinate in their infidelity; and to shroud the light from those that shut their eyes against it. (3.) He did it in discretion, for his own preservation; because the more he was proclaimed, the more jealous would the rulers of the Jews be of his growing interest among the people. (4.) Dr. Whitby gives another reason, which is very considerable, why Christ sometimes concealed his miracles, and afterwards forbid the publishing of his transfiguration; because he would not indulge that pernicious conceit which obtained among the Jews, that their Messiah should be a temporal prince, and so give occasion to the people to attempt the setting up of his kingdom, by tumults and seditions, as they offered to do, Joh 6:15. But when, after his resurrection (which was the full proof of his mission), his spiritual kingdom was set up, then that danger was over, and they must be published to all nations. And he observes, that the miracles which Christ wrought among the Gentiles and the Gadarenes, were ordered to be published, because with them there was not that danger.
But honour is like the shadow, which, as it flees from those that follow it, so it follows those that flee from it (Mat 9:31); They spread abroad his fame. This was more an act of zeal, than of prudence; and though it may be excused as honestly meant for the honour of Christ, yet it cannot be justified, being done against a particular charge. Whenever we profess to direct our intention to the glory of God, we must see to it that the action be according to the will of God.
II. The healing of a dumb man, that was possessed with a devil. And here observe,
1. His case, which was very sad. He was under the power of the devil in this particular instance, that he was disabled from speaking, Mat 9:32. See the calamitous state of this world, and how various the afflictions of the afflicted are! We have no sooner dismissed two blind men, but we meet with a dumb man. How thankful should we be to God for our sight and speech! See the malice of Satan against mankind, and in how many ways he shows it. This man's dumbness was the effect of his being possessed with a devil; but it was better he should be unable to say any thing, than be forced to say, as those demoniacs did (Mat 8:29), What have we to do with thee? Of the two, better a dumb devil than a blaspheming one. When the devil gets possession of a soul, it is made silent as to any thing that is good; dumb in prayers and praises, which the devil is a sworn enemy to. This poor creature they brought to Christ, who entertained not only those that came of themselves in their own faith, but those that were brought to him by their friends in the faith of others. Though the just shall live eternally by his faith, yet temporal mercies may be bestowed on us with an eye to their faith who are intercessors on our behalf. They brought him in just as the blind man went out. See how unwearied Christ was in doing good; how closely one good work followed another! Treasures of mercy, wondrous mercy, are hid in him; which may be continually communicated, but can never be exhausted.
2. His cure, which was very sudden (Mat 9:33), When the devil was cast out, the dumb spake. Note, Christ's cures strike at the root, and remove the effect by taking away the cause; they open the lips, by breaking Satan's power in the soul. In sanctification he heals the waters by casting salt into the spring. When Christ, by his grace, casts the devil out of a soul, presently the dumb speaks. When Paul was converted, behold, he prays; then the dumb spake.
3. The consequences of this cure.
(1.) The multitudes marvelled; and well they might; though few believed, many wondered. The admiration of the common people is sooner raised than any other affection. It was foretold, that the new song, the New Testament song, should be sung for marvellous works, Psa 98:1. They said, It was never so seen in Israel, and therefore never so seen any where; for no people experienced such wonders of mercy as Israel did. There had been those in Israel that were famous for working miracles, but Christ excelled them all. The miracles Moses wrought had reference to Israel as a people, but Christ's were brought home to particular persons.
(2.) The Pharisees blasphemed, Mat 9:34. When they could not gainsay the convincing evidence of these miracles, they fathered them upon the devil, as if they had been wrought by compact and collusion: he casteth out devils (say they) by the prince of the devils - a suggestion horrid beyond expression; we shall hear more of it afterwards, and Christ's answer to it (Mat 12:25); only observe here, how evil men and seducers wax worse and worse (Ti2 3:13), and it is both their sin and their punishment. Their quarrels with Christ for taking upon him to forgive sin (Mat 9:3), for conversing with publicans and sinners, (Mat 9:11), for not fasting (Mat 9:14), though spiteful enough, yet had some colour of piety, purity, and devotion in them; but this (which they are left to, to punish them for those) breathes nothing but malice and falsehood, and hellish enmity in the highest degree; it is diabolism all over, and was therefore justly pronounced unpardonable. Because the people marvelled, they must say something to diminish the miracle, and this was all they could say.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv27–30 Then touched he their eyes,.... Not but that he…
Then touched he their eyes,.... Not but that he could have restored sight to them, without touching their eyes, by a word speaking, or by the secret communication of his power; but he might do this as a sign of his favour and kindness to them, and of his will to cure them; as also in compliance with their weakness, who might expect some manual operation upon them;
saying, according to your faith be it unto you: not that faith in his person and power, was the cause or condition of this cure, or the rule and measure according to which Christ proceeded; but the sense is, that as they had believed he was able to heal them, accordingly a cure should be effected; which, upon his so saying, they immediately found performed in them.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv27–30 Verse 27. Son of David] This was the same…
Verse 27. Son of David] This was the same as if they had called him Messiah. Two things here are worthy of remark:
1st. That it was a generally received opinion at this time in Judea, that the Messiah should be son of David. (Joh 7:42.)
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2dly. That Jesus Christ was generally and incontestably acknowledged as coming from this stock. Mt 12:23.
Have mercy on us.] That man has already a measure of heavenly light who knows that he has no merit; that his cry should be a cry for mercy; that he must be fervent, and that in praying he must follow Jesus Christ as the true Messiah, the son of David, expected from heaven.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v27 Mat 9:27-30. And when Jesus departed thence — Namely,…
Mat 9:27-30. And when Jesus departed thence — Namely, from the ruler’s house; two blind men, who probably had heard of his being there, and waited for his coming out; followed him — As he went through the streets, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us — The title which they here give him, shows that they believed him to be the Messiah; for, at this time, it was not only universally understood that the Messiah would be a descendant of David, but son of David was one of the names then ascribed to him by the Jews; see Mat 12:23; and Mat 22:42-45. As these men were blind, they could have no evidence of Christ’s miracles from their senses. They believed them, therefore, on the testimony of others who had seen them. Viewed in this light, their persuasion of Christ’s power to cure them was an exercise of faith highly commendable in them, and which reflected great honour upon Jesus, as on the one hand it showed their sincerity and freedom from the prejudices which blinded the minds of the generality of the Jews; and, on the other, the truth and notoriety of his miracles. It was, therefore, for the glory of God and for the edification of others, that the strength of their faith should be discovered. This was done by their persevering to importune him to have mercy upon them, notwithstanding he seemed at the first to refuse them, and by the answer which they returned to his question concerning their faith. Then — When their faith was thus sufficiently manifested, he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you — And immediately on his speaking these words, their eyes were opened. Such is the mighty power of the prayer of faith, and such is the honour wherewith Christ often crowns it! And Jesus straitly charged them, &c. — “The word ενεβριμησατο, thus translated, is rendered by Phavorinus, to charge, to command, to appoint with authority: by Hesychius, to command, or charge with a threat. It signifies a rational, not a passionate earnestness and vehemence.” — Hammond. Christ’s command of silence, says Baxter, (namely, concerning the miracle,) “was partly to give us an example of avoiding ostentation and hypocrisy, and to be content with the approbation of God alone.” Of other reasons why he forbade his miracles to be divulged, see note on Mat 8:4. These men, however, were so overjoyed on account of the miracle which Christ had wrought for them, and so full of gratitude to him for the restoration of their sight, that they could not forbear speaking of it wherever they came; by which means his fame was spread abroad in all that country. It had been expressly foretold by the prophet, that the Messiah should open the eyes of the blind; (see Psa 146:8; Isa 35:5; Isa 42:7;) and this is the first instance recorded by the evangelists in which Jesus proved himself to be the Messiah, by fulfilling those predictions.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv27–30 And when Jesus departed thence - The scene of…
And when Jesus departed thence - The scene of this miracle was near Capernaum. The blind men probably followed him with their cry for aid immediately on his leaving the house of Jairus.
Thou Son of David - By the Son of David the Jews meant the Messiah. He was the descendant or Son of David by way of eminence, Isa 9:7; Luk 1:32; Rev 22:16. See the notes at Mat 1:1. This was therefore a profession of belief, on the part of these blind men, of the Messiahship of Jesus, and, at the same time, the expression of a belief that, being the Messiah, he could heal them.
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Have mercy on us - That is, show compassion toward us in our affliction, and restore to us the blessing of sight.
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 On vv27, 30 Son of David, have mercy on us. The blind…
Son of David, have mercy on us. The blind men style our Saviour Son of David, to shew the great respect they had for him. Thus the prophets also did, when they addressed those kings to whom they wished to testify particular respect and esteem. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. xxxiii.)
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).
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures 1864 · Public Domain On v27 The cure of the blind men and of the…
VII
The cure of the blind men and of the dumb demoniac: or, the fame and the defamation of the defamation of the miracles of Jesus. The healing agency of the Lord, the earnest of coming salvation, in view of the hardening and the blasphemy of His enemies.
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Mat_9:27-34
27And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.21 28And when he was [had] come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able todo this? They said [say, λέγουσιν] unto him, Yea, Lord. 29Then touched he their eyes,saying, According to your faith be it unto you. 30And their eyes were opened; andJesus straitly charged [threatened]22 them, saying, See that no man know it23 31But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
32As they went out,24 behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with adevil.25 33And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled,saying, It [he] was never so seen in Israel. 34But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
General Remarks.—These two miracles are recorded by Matthew alone. They are here related, partly because they formed the close of a glorious day, and partly because in them the power of Christ appears in a new light. The distinguishing feature in the case of the two blind persons consisted in their invoking Jesus as the Son of David, or the Messiah; so that their supplication almost amounted to a distinct Christian profession. The opposite characteristic marked the case of the dumb demoniac, who was not dumb from any organic defect, but rendered such by the evil spirit of whom he was possessed. He was a demoniac without appearing to be such, since his condition remained concealed under a dumbness which originated either in unconquerable melancholy, or in malicious stubbornness. The dumb person was prevented by the demon from speaking, and the omniscience of the Saviour appeared in His immediately recognizing the source of the evil. The miracle was in so far extraordinary, as its only basis was the faith of those who brought the demoniac to the Lord; while, at the same time, the malice and blasphemy of the Pharisees served to confirm the power of the evil one over his victim. Thus the first of these miracles was, so to speak, enacted on the threshold of the kingdom of heaven; the second, at the gate of hell.
Mat_9:27. Two blind men.—Blindness is a very common affliction in the East, especially in Egypt, Arabia, and Palestine. It was caused by the strong reflection of light, by lightning, dust, hot days, cold nights, frequent sleeping in the open air, etc. The persons here spoken of were not blind by nature, but by disease. In John 9 the contrary was the case, and is so expressly stated.
Son of David.—The designation of the Messiah. See Mat_12:23; Mat_15:22; Mat_20:30-31; Mat_21:9; Mat_21:15; Mat_22:41-45.
Mat_9:28. Into the house;—i.e., His dwelling at Capernaum. The circumstance, that the blind men followed Him thither, seems itself miraculous. They found their way in the train of Christ, as if some glimmer of light had already been granted. Similarly, the persistence with which they openly ascribed to the Lord a Messianic title which He had not yet publicly assumed, was a signal manifestation of their faith. They were not healed by the way, partly because Jesus would try their faith, and partly because as yet He would not in public reply to the address of Messiah.
Mat_9:29. [According to your faith be it done to you.—An important word, which shows the relation of man’s faith to God’s grace. Faith is the hand which takes what God offers, the spiritual organ of appropriation, the ὄργανον ληπτικόν, the connecting link between emptiness and God’s fulness. “It is the bucket let down into the fountain of God’s grace, without which the man could not draw up out of that fountain; the purse, which does not itself make its owner rich, but which yet effectually enriches him by the treasure which it contains.”—P. S.]
Mat_9:30. Their eyes were opened,—i.e., they received their sight. A common Hebrew expression, as in 2Ki_6:17; Isa_35:5, etc.
Straitly [sternly] charged [threatened] them.—Properly, He threatened them, full of indignation, ἐνεβριμήσατο. They had already publicly invoked Him as the Son of David, and He had holpen them. Accordingly, they would be still more prone to proclaim Him as Messiah, which might have led the people of Galilee into rebellion against their temporal rulers, and to a carnal movement, which was quite contrary to the purposes of Jesus. Hence the Lord now threatened them with all earnestness, although without succeeding in imposing silence upon hem. In all probability the fame of this miracle spread far beyond Capernaum. Hence the title, Son of David, became now generally known, and Jesus felt all the more inclined soon to leave the district.26
Mat_9:33. It [He] was never so seen, οὐδέ ποτ εἐφάνηοὕ τως.—Meyer: It, i.e., the expulsion of demons. Rettig, Fritzsche: He has never so appeared or shown Himself. (The common explanation is, that οὕτως stands for τοῦτο or τοιοῦτό τι, against which, see Meyer.) If it were necessary to limit the word it to that one peculiar kind of expelling demons, we should feel constrained to adopt the explanation proposed by Rettig and Fritzsche. But this does not seem requisite in view of the emphatic meaning attaching to the word ἐφἀνη. The Jews would necessarily connect the idea of appearing with the appearance of the Messiah. Hence the expression would imply: never before has the appearance (of the promised deliverance) been so fully realized. This also throws light on the expression, in Israel, which evidently implies that this had been the brightest Messianic appearance as yet vouchsafed to the theocracy. Perhaps the statement was intentionally couched in indefinite language from fear of the powerful party of Christ’s enemies.
Mat_9:34. Through the prince of the devils, ἐντῷ ἄρχοντ ι, κ.τ.λ.—Afterward he is designated more particularly in Mat_12:24. The particle ἐν indicates intimate connection and fellowship. He is in league with Satan and his power, to which the lower demons are subject. As mention is not made of any reply by the Lord, we conclude that on this occasion the Pharisees had uttered the sentiment behind the Lord, but in the presence of those who acknowledged His power.
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. This is the first instance in which the Lord performed a miracle when invoked in His character as the Messiah. The expressions employed in the text are very remarkable. Jesus first asks, “Believe ye that I am able to do this?”—not, that I am the Messiah; and then adds, According to your faith be it unto you! But on this very account He insisted the more earnestly that the secret should be kept. He could not, indeed, prevent that the cure of the blind men should openly appear, nor that they should ascribe it to His power. But He sought to prevent their publishing in what name and character He had performed it. The patent secret of His dignity was now bursting forth with increasing clearness. Hence also the reviling and the blasphemy of His enemies.
2. The healing of the dumb demoniac affords a glimpse into a class of sufferings which are apparently physical and organic, but whose seat is really in the soul. The Spirit of Christ alone was able to light up this darkness, and thus to remove their affliction.
3. The blasphemy of the Pharisees gradually develops: 1. They blaspheme in their own minds; 2. then behind the Lord; 3. at last they venture openly to confront Him with their daring charge.
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
How the two blind persons represent to us the work of evangelists. I. They resemble evangelists,—a. in that they openly invoke the Lord as Messiah; b. in that, in their blindness, they follow in His train to the house; c. in that they have faith and constancy, are tried and approved; d. in that they obtain help on making confession of faith. II. They differ from evangelists in wanting full obedience; and although their joy may plead their excuse, yet their spiritual sight was evidently still weak, though their bodily sight had been restored them.—Christ appearing as the Master in the carefulness of His dealings with sinners.—The light of the eye: I. a natural gift of God; II. a miraculous gift of the Lord; III. a symbol of the spiritual gift of God.—They brought to Him. Persons in such a state of depression must be brought to the Lord by their believing friends.—How the Master immediately descries the secret evil under which the demoniac labored.—If there be but a spark of faith, the Lord can remove the most desperate case of spiritual bondage.—Let us never lose sight even of those who suffer under melancholy and obstinate self-seclusion.—The highest achievements of faith always evoke the greatest revilings of unbelief.—It is a mark of the spirit of Satan to decry what the Lord achieves as the work of Satan.—There is always some patent self-contradiction about blasphemies.—The triumphs of the Lord in view of His enemies: the first manifestation of heaven and hell upon earth.—Christ lifting the veil of revelation in a twofold manner: by healing the blind in His character as Messiah; and the dumb, by unmasking and overcoming the demon who caused his disease.—At the threshold of Christ’s abode, precipitate evangelists and dumb demoniacs may meet.—Christ between precipitate professors and the obstinately dumb. 1. He bids the former be silent, and the latter speak; 2. He is obeyed by the latter, rather than by the former.—Christ healing us by removing our morbid sensations; more especially, a. excitement, in its imaginary heights; b. depression, in its dark depths.—The miracles of grace extend from the gates of heaven to those of hell.—Demoniac sins which we consciously commit, such as blasphemy, are infinitely more dangerous than demoniac sufferings, when we are deprived of liberty.—Christ first removes the storm at sea, and, last of all, the dark intricacies of settled melancholy.
Starke:—Faith of the heart and confession of the mouth always go hand in hand, Rom_10:9-10.—True faith is not deterred by delays.—According to thy faith shall it be unto thee.—Envy and reviling are not far removed from each other, 2Co_12:20.
Gerlach:—Christ Himself teaches us (Joh_9:39) to regard the healing of the blind as an emblem of inward illumination, or of the conversion of the heart.
Heubner:—One deliverance after another.—One work of love leads to another.—Believe ye?—a question always addressed by the Lord to us when we seek help.—The deaf and dumb, the picture of a sinner whom the evil spirit within suffers not to confess his misery, or to pray.—Should we be moved by the judgment of schools, or parties, in opposition to true religion, when Jesus Himself experienced such contradiction from the learned?
Footnotes:
[21] Mat_9:17.—[The original reverses the order: Have mercy on us, Son of David.—]
[22] Mat_9:30.—[Ἐνεβριμήσατο. Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Alford (in the 4th ed.) adopt the passive form ἐνεβριμήθη, which is quite unusual, but supported by Codd. א (Sinait.), B., C. Angelo Mai’s ed. of the Vatican Cod. (B) reads ἐνεβρ ε ιμήθη, but Buttmann’s ed.: ἐνεβρ ι μήθη. The verb ἐμβριμᾶσθαι (from the radix βρμ—comp. fremo and the German brummen—a heavy murmuring sound) signifies in general the utterance of vehement emotion either of wrath and indignation, or (as in Joh_11:33) of grief; then threatening admonition, as here. Chrysostom in loc.: οὐχ ἁπλῶς κελεύει, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος. Meyer in loc. explains the indignant threat in this case from the fear of its uselessness, comp. Mat_9:32. Lange renders the ἐνεβριμήσατο: bedrohte; the Vulg.: comminatus est; Luther and de Wette: bedräuete; van Ess: befahl ihnen ernstlich; Wiclif: thretened; Tyndale, Cranmer, Geneva: charged; Rheims: threatened; the C. V.: straitly—i.e., strictly, rigorously—charged; Conant: sternly charged. The authorized version renders the word ἐμβριμᾶσθα (which occurs five times in the N. T.), by three different verbs, viz.: straitly charged, Mat_9:30; Mar_1:43; murmured, Mar_14:5; groaned, Joh_11:33; Joh_11:38.—P. S.]
[23] Mat_9:30.—[Dr. Conant and the N. T. of the Am. Bible Union render ὁρᾶτε μηδεὶς γινωσκέτω: Take heed, let no one know it. So ὁρᾶτε should be translated before the imperative, as is done by the Author. E. V. in Mat_16:6.—P. S.]
[24] Mat_9:32.—[More correctly: And as they were going out, Αὐτῶν δὲ ἐξερχομένων.—P. S.]
[25] Mat_9:32.—[Lange: einen dämonischen Stummen, or a dumb demoniac, i. e., a man who had become dumb in consequence of the possession. The Author. V. makes the false impression that he was dumb before.—P. S.]
[26] Mat_9:30-31.—[Alford remarks on ἐνεβριμήσατο, or ἐνεβρινμήθη as he reads with Lachmann: “The purpose of our Lord’s earnestness appears to have been twofold: (1) that He might not be so occupied and overpressed with applications as to have neither time nor strength for the preaching of the Gospel; (2) to prevent the already excited people from taking some public measure of recognition, and arousing the malice of the Pharisees before His hour was come.—No doubt the two men were guilty of an act of disobedience in thus breaking the Lord’s solemn injunction: for obedience is better than sacrifice; the humble observance of the word of the Lord, than the most laborious and wide-spread will-worship after man’s own mind and invention.” Trench (Notes on Miracles of our Lord, Lond, 6th ed., p. 198) considers it characteristic that all the Romish interpreters excuse or rather applaud these men for not strictly adhering to Christ’s command; while the Reformed, whose first principle is to take God’s Word as absolute rule and law and to place obedience above sacrifice, consider this publishing of the miracle against the express admonition a blemish in the faith of these men. I add the brief but excellent note of Wordsworth on Mat_9:31 : “Glory is not to be obtained by seeking for it, but by declining it.” Sequentem fugit, fugientem sequitur gloria.—P. S.]
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical), ed. John Peter Lange, English translation edited by Philip Schaff (1864–1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv27–30 TWO BLIND MEN AND A DUMB DEMONIAC HEALED. (Mat…
TWO BLIND MEN AND A DUMB DEMONIAC HEALED. (Mat 9:27-34)
And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him--hearing, doubtless, as in a later case is expressed, "that Jesus passed by" (Mat 20:30).
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crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us--It is remarkable that in the only other recorded case in which the blind applied to Jesus for their sight, and obtained it, they addressed Him, over and over again, by this one Messianic title, so well known--"Son of David" (Mat 20:30). Can there be a doubt that their faith fastened on such great Messianic promises as this, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened," &c. (Isa 35:5)? and if so, this appeal to Him, as the Consolation of Israel, to do His predicted office, would fall with great weight upon the ears of Jesus.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv27–30 § 53. — NINTH MIRACLE — CURING TWO BLIND,…
§ 53. — NINTH MIRACLE — CURING TWO BLIND, Mat_9:27-31.
27. Departed thence — Returned from the ruler’s house to his own sojourn. Two blind men — The curing of the blind was a frequent miracle of our Lord, as narrated by the evangelists. From the sandiness of the soil irritating the eyes with flying particles, as well as from sleeping in the open air and exposing the eyes to the noxious night dews, the disease of blindness is much more prevalent in the East than among us. And as all our Lord’s miracles of mercy to the body were emblems of mercy to the soul, this frequent miracle beautifully illustrates the Gospel power of relieving the spiritual blindness of sinners. Thou Son of David — They hereby acknowledged the royal lineage and consequent Messiahship of our Lord. The carpenter’s son was truly by birth a prince; his pedigree, as given by the evangelists, though doubtless seldom referred to or named by his lowly parents, was still on record.
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 On vv27, 30 27. Son of David] See note ch. Mat_1:1. The…
27. Son of David] See note ch. Mat_1:1. The thought of the kingdom of heaven had been closely linked with the reign of a Son of David, but doubtless with many Jews the glory of the Asmonean dynasty (the Maccabees) and the established power of the Herods had tended to obscure this expectation. To have clung to it was an act of faith.
27–31. A Cure of two Blind Men
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Peculiar to St Matthew. Archbp. Trench alludes to the fact that cases of blindness are far more numerous in the East than in Western countries. “The dust and flying sand enter the eyes, causing inflammations.… the sleeping in the open air, and the consequent exposure of the eyes to the noxious nightly dews, is another source of this malady.”
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 On vv27–30 (27) Two blind men.—The two narratives that follow are…
(27) Two blind men.—The two narratives that follow are peculiar to St. Matthew. The title by which the blind address our Lord as “the Son of David,” was that which expressed the popular belief that He was the expected Christ. It is used afterwards by the woman of Canaan (Mat_15:22), and again by the blind at Jericho (Mat_20:30-31; Mar_10:47; Luk_18:38-39).
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 On vv27–30 Vers. 27-31. Two blind men restored to sight. Matthew…
Vers. 27-31. Two blind men restored to sight. Matthew only. (For the connexion, vide ver. 18, note.) Weiss (see Rushbrooke, p. 75, A; and "Life," 3:221) compares the incident at Jericho, Mat_20:29-34. (parallel passages: Mar_10:46-52 Luk_18:35-43) The points of similarity are:
(1) The number, two, but in the parallel passages only one;
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(2) the expression that Jesus was passing by; (ver. 27; Mat_20:30)
(3) they cry out and say, "Have mercy on us, O Son of David;
(4) our Lord, in his question, asks about what he should do;
(5) lays stress on their faith (Mark and Luke);
(6) and touches their eyes. (Mat_20:34)
The points of difference:
(1) The place, here in Galilee, there by Jericho;
(2) here in the house, there in the road, but even here they begin to address him in the road;
(3) no mention here that he stopped when addressed, as there; (Mat_20:32)
(4) our Lord here asks about their faith, there about their wish.
(5) Observe also that both his charge, "See that no man know it" (ver. 30), and the statement that they spread abroad the fame of him, would be quite inconsistent with the late date of the miracle recorded in Mt 20.
From a consideration of these details, the conclusion seems inevitable that we have, in fact, narratives of two distinct occurrences, but it is quite consistent with tiffs conclusion to suppose that during the oral transmission of the narratives a certain amount of assimilation took place. Upon this supposition, it further appears probable that, as the narrative in Mt 20 was the better known, for it was in the Petrine cycle, our narrative became assimilated to it rather than the reverse. On the other hand, the number recorded in Mt 20 (not Mark or Luke) looks much like an assimilation to that of our incident. (cf. the notes on the section Mat_8:28-34, ver. 31, and the section vers. 32-34)
And when Jesus departed thence. As he was passing along on his way thence, i.e. from the house of Jairus, if the context be pressed. It should be noticed that "thence" (ekeiyen) is found also in Mar_6:1, immediately after the healing of Jairus" daughter. There it refers to the neighbourhood generally. Possibly its presence in Matthew is ultimately due to his remembering it in the next succeeding section of the oral framework. Two blind men followed him, crying, (out, Revised Version; krazontev , so also Mat_20:30) and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. The Revised Version rightly reverses the order of the two last clauses; the stress is on their own needs, not on their faith in giving him such a title. The words are identical in Mat_20:30. Thou Son of David. The thought has been brought out in the genealogy, (Mat_1:17) and our Lord lays stress upon it in Mat_22:42, sqq. Observe that although the excited multitudes at Jerusalem shout out the title at the triumphal entry, (Mat_21:9; cf. also Mat_21:15) yet the multitudes in Galilee only suggest the possibility of his having a right to it, (Mat_12:23) and the only persons who use it when directly addressing him are a heathen woman, (Mat_15:22) and three, or perhaps four, blind men. (here and Mat_20:30, Mat_20:31) With the remembrance of what was promised to take place in Messianic days, (Isa_35:5) the blind would be especially likely to accord him a Messianic title. (cf. also Mat_11:5, note) Have mercy. (Mat_5:9, note)
Vers. 27-34. Other miracles.
I THE TWO BLIND MEN.
1. Their cry. The day"s work was not over. It had been a wonderful day, crowded with mighty deeds. The Lord was returning from the house of Jairus, his thoughts full, we may well believe, of sympathy with the sorrowing, of holy joy at their deliverance. But this world is a world of sorrow; sorrow in various forms meets us everywhere. Two blind men followed in the crowd. They could not see the gracious face of the Lord, but they had heard of his wondrous works. He who raised the dead could open the eyes of the blind. They followed in the crowd; they implored him as the Son of David. It was the first time, as far as we know, that men had so addressed him. They were blind, but they had the inner vision of faith. They saw that Jesus was the Christ that was to come. Faith is more precious than sight; it perceives the things unseen, the eternal verities of the spiritual world. "Have mercy on us!" they cried again and again. He seemed as though he heeded not. He passed on in silence, absorbed, it seemed, in holy meditation.
2. Their perseverance. He seemed not to hear them. He entered into the house. Blind though they were, they found the way; they would not take an apparent refusal; they came to him into the house. It is an encouragement to persevering prayer. How often he seems not to heed us when we pray for light! We pray again and again, but the darkness is still upon our souls; we cannot see him. But we must pray on. He came to preach recovery of sight to the blind. He listens, though we think he heedeth not; in his own good time he will pour the light of his most gracious presence into the soul that once was dark. He heareth prayer.
3. Their faith. He asked them Did they believe in his power? "Yea, Lord," they answered. The like question is often borne in upon our souls in times of darkness and distress. Oh that we could answer always with the unhesitating assent of those poor blind men! The Lord proved their faith; he touched their eyes; the touch was to heal them only if their faith was real; "according to your faith be it unto you." Their eyes were opened; they saw the holy Saviour; it proved his power; it proved the truth of their faith. Still he heals all who come to him in, faithful prayer. He opens their eyes; they see him. "The world seeth me no more, but ye see me.
4. The Lord"s command. He bade them tell no man. Sometimes he enjoined secrecy, sometimes he bade men tell what great things the Lord had done for them. His directions varied, doubtless, with the circumstances of the case, and with the spiritual condition of the individual. Perhaps it was premature to announce in that neighbourhood that he was the expected Son of David; perhaps he saw something of self-importance in the men; they would talk too loudly of the privilege bestowed upon them; they would glorify themselves rather than God. There are spiritual mercies, visions of Divine grace, of which it is best to be silent; there are sometimes temptations to vain-glory even in God"s blessings.
5. Their disobedience. It was not right. They may perhaps have excused their conduct by attributing Christ"s words to excessive modesty modesty which might prompt him to conceal his good deeds, but ought not to prevent the recipients of his grace from making known their gratitude. But the Lord had" straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it." Nothing could excuse disobedience to a commandment expressed so plainly, even sternly. The Lord knew better than they what was best for themselves and for others. Their duty was simply to obey him. Obedience is better than sacrifice. The surest proof of true gratitude is unquestioning obedience. "If a man love me, he will keep my words.
II THE DUMB DEMONIAC.
1. He was brought to Christ. The blind men came; the demoniac was brought. He was helpless under the power of the evil one. He could not speak. It may be that in his heart he cried for mercy; it may be that the Lord accepted the faith of those who brought him, as he raised the daughter of Jairus, moved by her father"s prayer. It is a blessed work of love to bring the helpless to Christ, to pray for those who cannot pray for themselves. Every soul is exceeding precious, even those who may seem the most degraded.
2. The cure. The Lord saw the cause of his dumbness, and at once cast out the evil spirit. The dumb spike. The people wondered; never had such deeds been done in Israel. They are still done in the Israel of God, blessed be his holy Name! The evil spirit checks the voice of prayer; he makes men dumb, so that they cannot speak to Jesus confessing their sins. But the Lord still opens the lips of the dumb, and their mouth showeth forth his praise.
3. The blasphemy of the Pharisees. Their opposition was increasing. They had blamed him for eating with publicans and sinners; they had accused him of blasphemy in their hearts; now they fall into deeper guilt. He came that he might destroy the works of the devil; he was doing so now. They said among themselves that his power over the devils was exercised through complicity with the prince of the devils. It was an awful sin. Small sins against the law of love lead on to greater. People indulge in faultfinding, in criticizing the conduct of others. They may go on to attribute the highest acts of Christian love to unholy motives a deep and deadly sin in the sight of God.
LESSONS.
1. Persevere in prayer. Christ hath saved others; doubt not, earnestly believe; he will save all who come to him in faith.
2. Follow him in the crowd, in the house; pray everywhere.
3. Be watchful against vain-glory; the Christian life is hid with Christ in God.
4. Honour goodness in all men. To speak against the work of God the Holy Ghost is grievous sin.
Vers. 27-31. The blindness of sense vanquished by the sight of faith.
In introduction, dwell a moment on the frequency of the allusions to the blind, and to Christ"s giving of sight to them. Show how it accords with the typical statement of Christ"s work, which also had travelled down from the prophetic "Go and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see," etc., (Luk_7:22) compared with" The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind," etc. (Luk_4:18) Also in what natural harmony it is with alike the delicacy of the sense, the sadness of the deprivation, and the too familiar woe that bears the description of blindness or darkness. Note that there follows in this same Gospel a far more graphic description of the prayer to Christ of two blind men, (Mat_20:30-34) which invites correspondingly fuller treatment. But that as this account is given us, in a word that knows no vain repetition, nothing that can be styled correctly repetition at all, it must have its specific value and its own significance of lessons amid other features that may show it common with other accounts. Observe, then, that we have here
I THE SOUND OF AN APPLICATION, A PETITION, AN ENTREATY, THAT NO DOUBT MUST HAVE TAKEN ITS RISE ORIGINALLY ON THE SUGGESTION OF RUMOUR, AND ABOUT WHICH THERE IS SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER IT IS THE PRAYER OF FAITH, THAT THE MERCIFUL ONE WHO "WAITS TO HEAR PRAYER" DOES ALSO GRACIOUSLY WAIT TO TEST WHETHER THAT SOUND OF PRAYER IS PRAYER INDEED. For what multitudes of us, for what multitudes of occasions in our life, for what multitudes of the lip-offerings of our prayers, is that very test needed!
II THE TEST ITSELF REVEALED WITH ITS SIMPLEST MACHINERY, OF THREE DEGREES, SHOWN IN THE DELAY AS THE TWO BLIND MEN "FOLLOWED HIM, CRYING;" AS THEY FOLLOWED HIM, STILL APPARENTLY VOUCHSAFING NO PARTICULAR ATTENTIVENESS, INTO THE REPOSE AND CALMNESS OF THE HOUSE; AND AS FINALLY THEY ARE CONFRONTED WITH THE DETERMINING QUESTION, "BELIEVE YE THAT I AM ABLE TO DO THIS?
III THE CONFESSION OF FAITH WITH HONESTY AND TRUTHFULNESS ALL-UNCHALLENGED BY THE OMNISCIENT KNOWER OF THE HEART.
IV THE NO DELAY OF MERCY, WHEN THE FIT QUALIFICATION TO RECEIVE THE BENEFIT OF IT IS ONCE ASCERTAINED. There is no delay now; no "making of clay," no application of any outer material. This is only the touch, that touch of energy, of omnipotent efficacy, the omnipotent efficacy of light and life.
V THE IMPETUOUSNESS OF GLADNESS CONQUERING THAT FAR MORE ACCEPTABLE GRACE, VIZ. THE EXACT AND EXQUISITE OBEDIENCE THAT SHOULD BE THE GROWTH OF THE HEART"S DEEPEST THANKFULNESS, AND THE BOUNDEN OFFERING OF A SAVED SOUL"S PUREST GRATEFULNESS. B.
Vers. 27-31. Companionship.
Here we meet two men in company, between whom there are notable points of agreement.
I THEY ARE COMPANIONS IN BLINDNESS.
1. In community there is sympathy.
(1) Their common blindness probably brought them together. They were in a condition to enter into each other"s feelings.
(2) So is there sympathy in the blindness of ignorance. Ignorance as to truth, ignorance as to goodness. The ignorant are at home with their kind.
(3) So in the blindness of error. Hence the grouping of heretics into communities.
(4) So in the blindness of falsehood. This is especially wilful and malignant. Against the clearest evidence for the Messiahship of Jesus the Pharisees closed their eyes. (cf. Joh_9:41) The miracles they could not deny they attributed to Satan rather than accept the inference that naturally followed from them (see ver. 34).
2. In sympathy there is power.
(1) There is the power of opportunity. For sympathy brings contact. It also conciliates confidence.
(2) Then there is the power of the strongest will. The pliant are led by the resolute. Note: Men of strong will should be good and true, not only for their own sake, but also for the sake of those they will lead. The pliant should especially be careful as to the company they keep.
II THEY ARE TOGETHER IN SEEKING SIGHT.
1. They seek it from the same Source.
(1) "Have mercy on us, thou Son of David." Note:
(a) It was the received opinion of that time in Judaea that Messiah should be a Son of David. (cf. Mat_22:42Jo Mat 7:42)
(b) Jesus was confessedly of that royal lineage. (cf. Mat_1:1 Mat_12:23)
(2) The Source of life is also the Source of light. Jesus had just raised to life the dead daughter of the ruler; now these blind men come to him for sight. (cf. Joh_1:4 Joh_8:12 Joh 9:5, Joh_9:6)
2. They seek it by the same means.
(1) Not by works. They cried to the Son of David for mercy. In seeking mercy they disclaimed personal merit. They cried as beggars.
(2) But by faith. Mercy was promised with the Son of David. (see Psa_72:12, 13 Luk_1:78) Mercy in particular for the opening of blind eyes. (see Isa_35:5 Isa_42:6, Isa_42:7)
(3) They cried with the same voice. "Have mercy on us. " Each cried for the other as well as for himself.
(4) They followed with the same persistency. They were fervent, incessant, importunate. So must those be who would receive spiritual sight.
(5) Yet their faith came by hearing. They could not witness the works of Christ. Like the Gentiles, they received the gospel through testimony.
3. They seek it with the same encouragement.
(1) Jesus encouraged them by his silence. They followed him through the street, crying for mercy. If he did not answer them immediately, he did not drive them away. Note: The sight-seeker should never despair.
(2) For his silence Jesus had good reasons. Perhaps he was influenced by the reason which afterwards led him to impose silence upon the men (ver. 30). Perhaps the seekers were not yet in the moral condition to profit by the miracle to the utmost. Note: There is encouragement to persistency in the reserve of Christ.
(3) Jesus encouraged them by his speech. "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" This question brought their faith to the very point. They now relied upon his power. Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith so be it unto you." Herein he affirmed but did not restrict his gift.
III THEY ARE COMPANIONS IN THE BLESSINGS OF VISION.
1. They see the natural light.
(1) Revealing scenes of beauty and distortion.
(2) Opening new sources of instruction.
(3) Discovering unimagined avenues of delight, and perils to be avoided.
(4) The miraculousness of their cure was evinced not only in its suddenness, but also in that their eyes were able at once to bear the light of day.
2. They see the spiritual Light.
(1) They see the Son of David. This great sight prophets and kings desired to see. (Mat_13:16, 17 Luk_2:26 Luk_10:23, Luk_10:24) This sight these men, too, desired to see, but could not for their blindness, though they were in his very presence. How many in Christian lauds are spiritually in this case?
(2) Truth is to the intellect and heart what light is to the eye. The giving of spiritual vision is a blessing as much greater than the natural as spirit is nobler than matter as the eternal surpasses the temporal.
IV THEY ARE COMPANIONS IN DISOBEDIENCE.
1. Jesus strictly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
(1) He had already wrought miracles sufficient in Capernaum to convince those who sincerely desired to know the truth.
(2) Greater publicity might intensify the malicious resentment of those who would not accept the truth.
(3) It might encourage that mistaken popular feeling which would have him as a civil prince.
(4) The inhibition had its lessons of humility and the obedience of gratitude.
2. But they went forth and spread his fame in all that land.
(1) For this disobedience there is no defence. The command was express. They had no business to judge differently from Christ.
(2) Honour pursues those who fly from it. "Honour is like the shadow, which as it flies from those that follow it, so it follows those that flee from it" (Henry). J.A.M.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v29 Then touched He their eyes.
Mat_9:29
Then touched He their eyes.
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The opened eye
The power, glory, rewards of faith form the theme of this chapter.
I. The faith described in the text was the first outgrowth and expression of a deep and lively sense of wretchedness and darkness. Faith often springs out of such convictions; it Also amounts to a conviction that light is possible.
II. The faith in this instance was intelligent. They had settled it in their minds that Jesus was the Son of David, that He had come to open the eyes of the blind. Their faith conceived the grandeur of His mission. Faith is not merely an emotion; it is a conviction of the understanding.
III. This faith of the blind men was eager and importunate. They followed Jesus. It was not crushed by having to wait for mercy.
IV. The faith of these individuals was A personal experience.
V. The faith here referred to appreciated Christs power to save.
VI. The faith here mentioned appropriates and applies the Divine Power to its own case. (H. R. Reynolds, B. A.)
The blind men restored to sight
1. A simple prayer. Their prayer was
(1) united. Union is strength.
(2) Earnest.
(3) Persevering.
II. An important inquiry. Believe, ye, etc.
1. What it involves. The dignity of Christ.
2. On account of the principle it sets forth. He required no personal worthiness in those He cured; faith only.
3. Because of its spiritual application. Faith stands in same relation to healing of the soul.
III. A gracious act.
1. When He did so-as soon as they professed faith.
2. The words with which the act was accompanied.
3. The result that ensued.
IV. An express injunction. See that no man know it. The reasons:-
1. The malice of His enemies.
2. The misguided zeal of the multitude.
3. The manner in which it was regarded. (Expository Outlines.)
The measure of the faith, the measure of the gift
1. The broad law of the gospel is that God gives all He gives to faith.
2. That the measure of faith is the measure of His gift.
3. The chief ways to multiply faith are
(1) to live much on the promise;
(2) to love and cherish in the heart the inward voices of the Holy Spirit;
(3) to act out whatever grace God has already given. (J. Vaughan, M. A.)
The ways of Eastern poor folk
Most of the poor make their wants known to the public by begging. Paralytics are laid down at the doors of the rich, or of the church or mosque, with the idea that men are most inclined to be charitable when they come from the house of feasting or of prayer. The blind lift up their voices as they grope their way from door to door along the streets. (Van Lennep.)
Our Lords question to the blind men
I. The seekers.
the two blind men.
1. They were in downright earnest.
2. They were thoroughly persevering.
3. They had a definite object in their prayers.
4. They honoured Christ in their prayers.
5. They confessed their unworthiness.
II. The question which was put to them.
1. It concerned their faith.
2. It concerned their faith in Jesus-Believe ye that I am able to do this?
3. Believe ye that I am able to do this? Some think their hearts too hard.
III. That question was a very reasonable one. Else why do you pray?
IV. The answer.
1. It was distinct.
2. It was immediate.
V. Our Lords response to their answer. (C. H. Spurgeon)
Faith receptive of blessing
Why is faith so essential It is because of its receptive power. A purse will not make a man rich, and yet without some place for his money how could a man acquire wealth. Faith of itself could not contribute a penny to salvation, but it is the purse which hold: a precious Christ within itself, yea, it holds all the treasures of Divine love. If a man is thirsty a rope and a bucket are not in themselves of much use to him, but yet, sirs, if there is a well near at hand the very thing that is wanted is a bucket and a rope, by means of which the water can be lifted. Faith is the bucket by means of which a man may draw water out of the wells of salvation, and drink to his hearts content. You may sometimes have stopped a moment at a street fountain, and have desired to drink, but you found you could not, for the drinking-cup was gone. The water flowed, but you could not get at it. It was tantalizing to be at the fountain-head and yet to be thirsty still for want of a little cup. Now faith is that little cup, which we hold up to the flowing stream of Christs grace: we fill it, and then we drink and are refreshed. Hence the importance of faith. It would have seemed to our forefathers an idle thing to lay down a cable under the sea from England to America and it would be idle now if it were not that science has taught us how to speak by lightning: yet the cable itself is now of the utmost importance, for the best inventions of telegraphy would be of no use for purposes of transatlantic communication if there were not the connecting wire between the two continents, Faith is just that; it is the connecting link between our souls and God, and the living message flashes along it to our souls. Faith is sometimes weak and comparable only to a very slender thread; but it is a very precious thing for all that, for it is the beginning of great things. Years ago they were wanting to throw a suspension bridge across a mighty chasm, through which flowed, far down, a navigable river, From crag to crag it was proposed to hang an iron bridge aloft in the air, but how was it to be commenced? They shot an arrow from one side to the other, and it carried across the gulf a tiny thread. That invisible thread was enough to begin with. The connection was established; by-and-by the thread drew a piece of twine, the twine carried after it a small rope, the rope soon carried a cable across, and all in good time came the iron chains and all else that was needed for the permanent way. Now, faith is often ver) weak, but even in that ease it is still of the utmost value, for it forms a communication between the soul and the Lord Jesus Christ. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Blind people swarm in Oriental cities
In our own streets we meet here and there with a blind beggar, gut they swarm in Eastern cities. Ophthalmia is the scourge of Egypt and Syria, and Volney declares that in Cairo, out of a hundred persons whom he met, twenty were quite blind, ten wanted one eye, and twenty others were more or less afflicted in that organ. At the present day every one is struck with the immense number of the blind in Oriental lands, and things were probably worse in our Saviours time. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain On vv27–30 27. Two blind men followed him. This account is…
27. Two blind men followed him. This account is given only by Matthew. Blindness is still very common under the burning sun and among the blinding sands of the East. No sight is more common than blind beggars. The want of attention to the eye when first diseased is one reason why this affliction is so common. Have mercy on us, thou son of David. The title, “son of David,” applied to Jesus by these blind men, as well as by those healed at Jericho, implied his Messiahship, as it was understood that the Christ was to be the son of David.
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.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v27 Mat_9:27. Two blind men.—This miracle narrated by St. Matthew…
CRITICAL NOTES
Mat_9:27. Two blind men.—This miracle narrated by St. Matthew only. Blindness is a far more frequent calamity in Palestine and the adjoining countries than with us. Its frequency is attributable to various causes, as, e.g. to the flying dust and sand pulverised by the sun’s intense heat; to the perpetual glare of light; to uncleanness; to the effect of dews during night on those who sleep on the roof of their houses, etc. Thou Son of David.—See on Mat_1:1.
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Mat_9:28. The house.—The house in which He sojourned at Capernaum, probably that of Peter and Andrew (Mar_1:29). Believe ye? etc.—His early cures had been wrought almost without solicitation. Now that evidences were multiplied, the kingdom recognised, a proportionate expression of faith is expected (Laidlaw).
Mat_9:30. Straitly.—Strictly, sternly (R.V. and margin). The word, implying originally the panting breath of vehement emotion, is one of the strongest used by the New Testament writers (Mar_1:43; Mar_14:5; Joh_11:33; Joh_11:38) to express repugnance, displeasure, or the command that implies annoyance. It is as if our Lord saw the garrulous joy on the point of uttering itself, and sought by every means in His power to restrain it. The reasons may be sought, as elsewhere, either:
1. In its being good for the spiritual life of the men themselves that they should show forth their praise of God, not with their lips, but in their lives; or
2. In the shrinking from mere notoriety, from the gaze of crowds drawn together to gaze on signs and wonders, and ready to make the Wonder-worker a king because He wrought them (Plumptre).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Mat_9:27-31
A sharp contrast.—The earlier and later halves of this passage are alike in one thing. They both speak of requests. They are different in almost everything else. The first request was the request of two blind men to Jesus. The second request was the request of Jesus to them. The first request was complied with. The second was not.
I. The request of the blind men, which we consider first, was natural enough in their case. He being such as they had doubtless heard Him to be, and they being such as they knew themselves to be, what more natural than that they should ask from Him what they required? If others had been helped by Him, why not they? What was more remarkable was the apparent strength and depth of their faith. Not every one, at that time, had recognised Jesus as the “Son of David.” Not every one was ready by calling Him so, virtually to salute Him as Christ (cf. 2Ti_2:8). It is carefully to be noted, therefore, that these two blind men—not blind in mind—were not afraid so to do; and still more to be noted that they followed this up with much endeavour and prayer. It is never very easy for blind men to “follow” any one. Perhaps for two blind men more difficult still. Yet we are told here with something of emphasis that this was done by these two. They follow Jesus in the way (ver: 27); they follow Him into the house (Mat_9:28); they come finally to Himself. If their effort is to fail it shall not fail through any slackness of theirs. Nothing could better prove the strength of their faith. Yet before He blesses them, the Saviour requires from them a further proof still. They have virtually professed faith in His mission. They must now openly declare their faith in His power. “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” That question must be answered, and answered aloud, before anything can be done. When it was answered, as answered it was immediately, then all that was needed was done. Done by a “touch,” done by a word, done by the exercise of their faith (Mat_9:29), done with a yet added blessing at least as great as the first. “Their eyes are open,” and they are looking on Christ! A double blessing indeed!
II. The request of Jesus to them.—This was noteworthy in its matter. In what it did not ask. In what it did. What might not have been asked of two men who had just been enabled, so to speak, to gain half the world at a stroke? Certainly, compared with what it had been a moment before, the world was now double to them—twice as full of sources of pleasure, of the means of knowledge, of ideas of beauty and glory. To them, in a word, what Christ had done was to say “Let there be light.” How strange, therefore, that all He asks in return should be of a negative kind, not to publish what He had done for them, to be silent about it, to leave it untold. That, in substance, is all He asks. The manner of His request is as surprising, in an almost equal degree. He “sternly” charged them, so some; He peremptorily forbad them, so others; He did with them, in a word, in a manner which is illustrated by what is said (the word is the same) of the severity and indignation of some of the disciples in Mar_14:5. Do not you go and begin telling this story. That is My express word and command. Whatever you do if you wish to please Me, do not take up that line. The reception accorded to this request is the last surprising thing here. It was as uncompliant and defiant in every way as it could possibly be. Instead of being silent, the two men did nothing but speak. Instead of not telling it at all, they spread it abroad. Instead of confiding it only to a few, they proclaimed it wherever they could. They acted, in a word, just as though the request of the Saviour had commanded them the very thing He forbade. Apparently His request was as strange to them as it is, at first, to ourselves.
To us, who look on from a distance, and compare what is said here with what is said elsewhere of our Saviour, there are two truths which this very strangeness seems all the more to enforce.
1. The superiority of Christ’s character.—At the least we see here that He does not seek for that praise of men which is sought for by most; which is the very breath of their nostrils to many men; and about which they are more jealous than anything else (1Sa_18:8; Pro_15:30; Mat_27:18). The love of fame, it has been said, is “the last infirmity of noble minds.” Evidently, in His case, there is not a trace even of this.
2. The identity of His nature—His human nature—with ours.—This supreme anxiety to avoid the praises of men in this case points to something behind; to something which is deeper than it is possible for us in all points to explain. But we may at least hope that we are on the right track to such an explanation when we bear in mind the mysterious yet indubitable truth that our Divine Lord and Master, on the human side of His being, was “tempted in all points as we are.” Viewed in this light, what we read of here seems quite parallel to such passages as Mat_4:10, Mat_16:23; and not altogether dissimilar to those words of Bishop Hooper, who, when someone was led to speak, on the night before his martyrdom, of all the misery he might escape from if only willing to recant, replied by saying, “As you love my soul do not speak to me so.” At any rate, in those words of His we seem to hear something of the same indignant earnestness as that noted by us above. We may believe, therefore, that it was due in part to a similar cause!
“He knows what sore temptations mean,
For He hath felt the same.”
HOMILIES ON THE VERSES
Mat_9:29. Expectancy and success.—“According to your faith,” etc. These words embody a principle which applies to church work. If we expect little we shall have little; if we expect much we shall have much. Large success is greatly to be desired. A hopeful spirit is important in order to success in any work. If the school-boy believes himself a dunce, he loses heart, his lessons become irksome, and there is great danger of his becoming the dunce he fears he is already. If a man takes up a business without much hope of succeeding, if he imagines he sees the bankruptcy court ahead, it is not unlikely that he will see it indeed. How can he go into his new enterprise with enthusiasm if he indulge in gloomy forebodings, and how can he achieve any considerable success without enthusiasm? So in church work; if we expect large success, we are much more likely to realise it than if there be no such expectation. Notice how this spirit of expectancy works:—
I. It stimulates prayer.—Our praying will be very different if there be a lively expectation of receiving, from what it will be if this be absent. There will be a ring of joyous exultation about it, and the voice of thanksgiving and praise will be heard as well as the voice of prayer. It might seem, at first, as though expectation would check prayer rather than stimulate it, for why should we ask if we are already confident of receiving? But experience teaches that this is not so. Having prayed, and received the assurance that blessing will be given, we continue in prayer; our expectant eyes are raised unto the Lord our God, and we wait before Him still with eager desire. Indeed, our confidence enlarges our desire.
II. It stimulates effort.—To achieve nothing requires no great exertion; so if the members of a church are not expecting success they will not work for it.
III. It promotes co-operation.—Where the members of a church are not standing shoulder to shoulder and together striving for the faith of the gospel, it is an indication that there is no expectation of large success.
IV. It promotes consistent Christian living.—The conversion of souls to God being much in the thoughts, Christians are careful about their conduct lest they should be stumbling-blocks in the way of any.
Why should we not have success?
1. Think of the material we have to operate upon—in the congregation, the Sunday-school, the town.
2. Think of the power of the gospel.
3. Think of the capabilities of the church. 4. Think of the experience of the past. Has not God granted success when the conditions have been fulfilled? Experience should work hope. He may be depended upon for the future.—H. M. Booth.
Faith.—It is the bucket let down into the fountain of God’s grace, without which the man could not draw up out of that fountain; the purse which does not itself make its owner rich, but which yet effectually enriches him by the treasure which it contains.—Anon.
Mat_9:30. A time to be silent.—
I. When silence is commanded.
II. When the truth itself may be out of season.
III. When the truth is only partially known.
IV. When it might be as pearls cast before swine.—J. C. Gray.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
William B. Godbey 1900 · Public Domain On v27 Mat 9:27-31. “And two blind men followed Him coming…
THE BLIND MEN HEALED
Mat 9:27-31. “And two blind men followed Him coming out from thence [i.e., from Jairus’s house], saying, Have mercy on us, O Son of David! And the two blind men came to Him, having come into the house [i.e., doubtless Peter’s house, which was His home], and Jesus says to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They say to Him, Yea, Lord. Then He touched their eyes, saying, Be it done unto you according to your faith. And their eyes were opened. And Jesus charged them saying, See that no one know it. And they having gone out, published Him in all that country.” They evidently did wrong. However, the miracle was so great and stupendous, those men, who had lived long and weary years groping their way in rayless midnight, now flooded with the effulgent glory of perennial noonday, meeting their old friends, panic-stricken and electrified on all sides to find them seeing clearly, walking over precipices, up and down craggy steeps, and over housetops, and performing all sorts of gymnastic legerdemain, illustrating to the world the perfection of their sight, — O how hard it was for them to keep the secret as to the Authorship of the paradoxical miracle! Here, again, you see clearly the great law of the redemptive scheme, appertaining both to soul and body, “Be it done unto you according to your faith.” This miracle Jesus wrought in the city of Capernaum, the center of His evangelistic work in the North, and whither all Galilee, and myriads from Judea, and all surrounding heathendom, constantly poured in, listening spellbound to His wonderful preaching, and so electrified by His miracles that the Jews were incessantly on tiptoe to crown Him King, having endured the galling yoke of Roman despotism thirty-two years, and looking to the Messiah to come, break that yoke, and set them free, Himself, their coronated King, sitting down on the throne of David and Solomon. The momentary probability of an effort on the part of the Jews to crown Him King was the reason why, when among the Jews, He charged them not to publish His mighty works, lest a popular revolution should expedite His death before He had finished His work.
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
F. W. Grant 1903 · Public Domain On v27 Section 1. (Mat 9:27-34.)
Section 1. (Mat 9:27-34.)
The King indeed.
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(1) In all that we have hitherto had before us, the Lord has not once yet been owned as Son of David; nor, since the day of the magi, as the King. The question is first as to His higher title. The Father’s voice is the first to own Him as the Son of God; and this is surely in due order. Afterwards, and as taught of Him, the Baptist does so (Joh 1:33-34); but it is not Matthew who records this, nor have we heard it yet in Matthew upon the lips of men. The devils own it and tremble. Men call Him Master (i.e. Teacher) and Lord: and this He accepts, taking naturally and as of full right the highest place. Of Himself He ordinarily speaks as Son of man, a title which prophecy had given Him indeed, but with some indistinctness, and which claimed more than might at first sight appear: for why should one who was simply and only that, assume what is universal among men, as if it were unique in Him? The grace and tenderness of the title are what strike us most.
With all this, we have not heard Him here as yet openly claim to be the Christ or King. He seems to wait for human lips to pronounce this, and indeed pointedly asks the disciples the question at a later time, who do they say that He, the Son of man is? And when Peter answers, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," He refers this acknowledgment of Him to the Father’s revelation of Him (Mat 16:16). In none of the synoptics does such a confession come before this but in John; Andrew owns Him at the beginning to be Messias (Joh 1:41), and to the woman of Samaria (Joh 4:25-26) He openly declares Himself. Still, upon the whole, we may say, He waits for faith to acknowledge Him, and always, in connection with the Kingdom, His divine Sonship is the first question. The manifestation of Himself in this way is now complete, and now we have the testimony, humble enough though it be, to the King of Israel.
Two* blind men appeal to Him on His way from the ruler’s house, as Son of David: a testimony confirmed by Him with the miracle by which they receive their sight, when once it is seen that it is faith that speaks in it. Blindness indeed was upon Israel, for which there could be no remedy until in the sense of it they should cry to Him. Here, as with the leper, He heals by touch, and forbids them to make it known: an injunction which could not have been; as at a later time, because of His rejection by the people, for as yet the decisive rejection had not come - He was Himself going to send out a testimony far and wide among them. One would say that it must have been because the testimony to the Son of David was peculiarly liable to abuse among a carnal people who could be attracted by miracles and the display of power, while their hearts were far away from God. For this reason the acknowledgment of the Son of God must come before that of the Son of David. The latter title indeed He Himself never uses, though He could not but own it, where as here true faith expressed itself in it.
{*This "two" of testimony to Him is comparatively common in Matthew: as in the case of the two demoniacs previously, where Mark and Luke have only one; and the two other blind men at Jericho, still in the other Gospels only one.}
(2) Linked directly with this miracle we have another. A dumb demoniac is brought to Him, and when the demon is cast out, the dumb speaks. Here again surely, we have Israel’s miserable enslavement to the prince of this world, which they showed in their rejection of the true King. The dumb will speak, only when the demon is cast out, and then it will be indeed to the praise of their Deliverer. But now the miracle is only provocative of blasphemy from the Pharisees, which they repeat more boldly at an after-time, and which then brings out the Lord’s warning words as to blasphemy against the Spirit. It was a sign of hearts that were hardening themselves against all that divine love could do.
But it was yet to be seen whether Israel as a whole were going with such leaders. The pity of the Lord is only roused by it now to more importunate appeal to the people to whom He had come, - His people and the sheep of His pasture, - to listen to His voice.
F. W. Grant, The Numerical Bible (4th ed., 1903) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain On v27 J. W. McGarvey's The Fourfold Gospel [LIX. Healing Blind…
J. W. McGarvey's The Fourfold Gospel [LIX. Healing Blind Men].
LIX. HEALING BLIND MEN AND A DUMB DEMONIAC. (Probably Capernaum.) aMATT. IX. 27-34.
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a27 And as Jesus passed by from thence [If construed strictly, this phrase means, as he departed from Jairus' house. But the phrase is indefinite], two blind men followed him, crying out, and saying, Have mercy on us, thou son of David. [This, among the Jews, was a common and thoroughly recognized name for the expected Messiah.] 28 And when he was come into the house [possibly Peter's. But the place is not important. The house is mentioned to show that the blind men persistently followed Jesus until he stopped], the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. [In the earlier stages of his ministry Jesus had worked his miracles with little or no solicitation; but now, as the evidences of his power were multiplied, Jesus demanded a fuller expression of faith; for faith was the fruitage for which the miracles were wrought.] 29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. 30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus strictly [sternly] charged them, saying, See that no man know it. 31 But they went forth, and spread abroad his fame in all that land. [Jesus might well speak severely when charging his beneficiaries to be silent, for apparently no one of them ever obeyed him.] 32 And as they went forth, behold, there was brought to him a dumb man possessed with a demon. 33 And when the demon was cast out, the dumb man spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. [Some regard this demoniac as being the victim of combined physical and spiritual maladies, but it is more likely that the dumbness was [357] caused by the demon, since in some instances they deprived men of reason ( Mar_5:15), and in others they threw men into convulsions or distortions-- Mar_9:18, Luk_13:11, Luk_13:16.] 34 But the Pharisees said, By the prince of the demons casteth he out demons. [If we are correct in our chronology, Jesus had already fully answered this charge. See pages 300-302. If he repeated any part of this answer at this time, Matthew is silent as to it.]
[FFG 357-358]
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On vv27–28 Further Miracles of That Day.
Further Miracles of That Day.
v. 27. And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed Him, crying and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.
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There was no respite for the Lord since His power over diseases was now generally known. Waiting at the door were two unfortunates with an affliction very common in the East, especially in Egypt, Palestine, and Arabia. They were blind from disease. The stories they had heard of the healing power of Jesus and the words which they had had occasion to listen to from His own mouth, had given them the conviction that this man must be the promised Messiah. For while they followed after Him, they cried loudly, calling Him the Son of David, and beseeching Him for help. Note: The opinion was generally held in Judea at that time, that the Messiah should be the Son of David, Joh 7:42. Jesus was openly acknowledged as coming from this family. Mat 12:23; Mat 15:22; Mat 20:30-31; Mat 21:9-15; Mat 22:41-45. The fact that these blind men thus publicly invoked Him amounted to a distinct profession of the Messiahship of Jesus. For that reason also the pleading cry: Have mercy on us! No grumbling against fate, no demanding of a just alleviation of an unmerited punishment; only mercy they beg.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv27, 29 Connecting Statement:
Connecting Statement:
This begins the account of Jesus healing two blind men.
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As Jesus passed by from there
As Jesus was leaving the region
passed by
"was leaving" or "was going"
followed him
This means they were walking behind Jesus, not necessarily that they had become his disciples.
Have mercy on us
It is implied that they wanted Jesus to heal them. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Son of David
Jesus was not David's literal son, so this may be translated as "Descendant of David." However, "Son of David" is also a title for the Messiah, and the men were probably calling Jesus by this title.
When Jesus had come into the house
This could be either Jesus' own house or the house in Matthew 9:10.
Yes, Lord
The full content of their answer is not stated, but it is understood. AT: "Yes, Lord, we believe you can heal us" (See: Ellipsis)
translationWords
mercy
David
believe
lord
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv27–28 9:27 Eye diseases were common in the ancient world.…
9:27 Eye diseases were common in the ancient world. Blindness was often considered to be divine punishment (see Exod 4:11; Deut 28:28; 2 Kgs 6:18; John 9:2-3). The Old Testament predicts that the Messiah’s coming would bring restoration of sight for the blind (Matt 11:4-5; Isa 29:18-19; 35:5-6). • Son of David is a messianic title particularly associated with miraculous healings (see Matt 1:1; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 2 Sam 7:12-16).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.