Two blind men and a dumb demoniac

St Matthew Chapter IX : Verses 27-34

Contents

• Matt. ix. 27-34 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text

Matt. ix. 27-34

Healing the blind. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

27 And as Jesus passed from thence, there followed him two blind men crying out and saying, Have mercy on us, O Son of David.

Et transeunte inde Jesu, secuti sunt eum duo cæci, clamantes, et dicentes : Miserere nostri, fili David.

28 And when he was come to the house, the blind men came to him. And Jesus saith to them, Do you believe, that I can do this unto you? They say to him, Yea, Lord.

Cum autem venisset domum, accesserunt ad eum caeci. Et dicit eis Jesus : Creditis quia hoc possum facere vobis? Dicunt ei : Utique, Domine.

29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it done unto you.

Tunc tetigit oculos eorum, dicens : Secundum fidem vestram, fiat vobis.

30 And their eyes were opened, and Jesus strictly charged them, saying, See that no man know this.

Et aperti sunt oculi eorum : et comminatus est illis Jesus, dicens : Videte ne quis sciat.

31 But they going out, spread his fame abroad in all that country.

Illi autem exeuntes, diffamaverunt eum in tota terra illa.

32 And when they were gone out, behold they brought him a dumb man, possessed with a devil.

Egressis autem illis, ecce obtulerunt ei hominem mutum, dæmonium habentem.

33 And after the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke, and the multitudes wondered, saying, Never was the like seen in Israel.

Et ejecto dæmonio, locutus est mutus, et miratae sunt turbæ, dicentes : Numquam apparuit sic in Israel.

34 But the Pharisees said, By the prince of devils he casteth out devils.

Pharisæi autem dicebant : In principe dæmoniorum ejicit dæmones.

Notes

    27. Jesus passed from thence. Either from the home of Jairus (which the context favours), or from the neighbourhood of Capharnaum.

    followed him. Evidently Jesus paid no attention to their cries at first, probably in order to try their faith.

    two blind men. Blindness was extremely prevalent in the East, owing to want of cleanliness, the quantity of pulverized dust and sand in the air, the sandy soil, the extreme brightness of the sun’s rays, the wide daily range of temperature, the glistening of the sandy soil, the habit of sleeping in the open air, and the lack of intelligent medical treatment. All these causes united gave a large percentage of wholly or partially blind people in the countries of the East.

    crying out. This is the only way the blind can make their wants known, hence their loud cries. In like manner the blind men near Jericho cried out. Note the French idiom, “Crier comme un aveugle.”

    O Son of David. A title of the Messias. The blind men shewed that they had faith in Christ as the Messias, of whose time it was prophesied : In that day the deaf shall hear the woi’ds of the book, and out of darkness and obscurity the eyes of the blind shall see (Is. xxix. 18).

    28. to the house. In which He dwelt at Capharnaum.

    came to him. They came quite close now (προσῆλθον αὐτῷ). Our Lord had tried their faith by not answering their appeal immediately. We have here an encouragement to persevere in prayer.

    Do you believe ? As an antecedent condition of a miracle, Jesus always exacted faith of those who were capable of exercising it, or of those who pleaded the cause of the infirm.

    “Faith is the conducting link between man’s emptiness and God’s fulness. ... It is the bucket let down into the fountain of God’s grace, without which man could never draw water from the wells of salvation.” Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. xi. 6).

    30. their eyes were opened. A Hebrew idiom for regaining sight. Cf. How were thy eyes opened ? (St John ix. 10). Lord, that our eyes be opened (infra, xx. 33).

    Jesus strictly charged. (ἐνεβριμήθη) The idea is of a command given peremptorily, or sternly. Various motives have been assigned for this prohibition, e.g. —

1. Jesus wished to teach us to avoid ostentation, and to perform our good deeds secretly.

2. He desired to avoid public acclamation and enthusiasm.

3. He did not desire to be followed merely for the temporal favours He granted.

    Knabenbauer suggests that Jesus did not forbid them to let their cure be known, since this was unavoidable, but that He forbade them to reveal that He was the Messias.

    See that no man know this. A like injunction was laid upon the leper (supra, viii. 4).

    31. spread his fame. In disregarding our Lord’s command, probably the men did not sin, as it is most likely that they regarded the prohibition as being prompted by our Lord’s humility. Doubtless, in their joy and excitement, they could not refrain from expressing their gratitude : moreover, if they had not published the grace received, their friends must have perceived that they were healed, and would therefore have made known the miracle,

    32. when they were gone out. Lit. “as they were going” (Αὐτῶν δὲ ἐξερχομένων)

    they brought. The man’s friends, not the two who had just received their sight.

OCR not available. Text taken from source document.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.