Reference: Blindness
American
This distressing malady is very prevalent in the East. Many physical causes in those countries unite to injure the organs of vision. The sun is hot, and in the atmosphere floats a very fine dust, which enters and frets the eye. The armies of France and England, which were so long in Egypt during the French was, suffered severely from ophthalmic disease. In the cities of Egypt, blindness is perpetuated as a contagious disease by the filthy habits of the natives. It is of frequent occurrence also on the coast of Syria. In ancient times the eyes of person hated or feared were often torn out, Jg 16:21; 1Sa 11:2; 2Ki 25:7. Blindness was sometimes inflicted as a punishment, Ge 19:11; Ac 13:6; and it was often threatened as a penalty, De 28:28. The Jews were enjoined by the humane laws of Moses to show all kindness and consideration to the blind, Le 19:14; De 27:18. No one affected with this infirmity could officiate as priest, /#Le 21:18.
Our Savior miraculously cured many cases of blindness, both that which was caused by disease and that which had existed from birth. In these cases there was a double miracle; for not only was the organ of sight restored, but also the faculty of using it which is usually gained only by long experience, Mr 8:22-25. The touching of the eyes of the blind, and anointing them with clay, Mt 9:29; Joh 9:6, can not have had any medicinal or healing effect. The healing was miraculous, by the power of God.
Blindness is often used for ignorance and error, especially our sinful want of discernment as to spiritual things, Mt 15:14; 2Co 4:4. The abuse of God's mercy increases this blindness, Joh 12:40. Blessed are the eyes that fix their adoring gaze first of all on the Redeemer.
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And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.
You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.
For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long,
"'Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind,
And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison.
Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you."
Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."
And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" read more. And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking." Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud
"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them."
When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.
that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
Fausets
Its cure is one of our Lord's most frequent miracles (Lu 7:21; Mt 9:27; Mr 8:23; Joh 5:3; 9:1), as had been foretold (Isa 29:18; 35:5). In coincidence with this is the commonness of it in the E. In Ludd (Lydda) the saying is, every one is either blind or has but one eye. Jaffa has 500 blind out of 5,000 of a population. The dust and sand pulverized by the intense heat, the constant glare, and in the sandy districts the absence of the refreshing "green grass," (the presence of which Mark notices as noteworthy in the miracle of the feeding the multitudes,) the cold sea air on the coasts, the night dews affecting those sleeping on the roofs, all tend to produce blindness.
It is a constant image used of spiritual darkness, and Jesus' restoration of sight to the blind pointed to the analogous spiritual bestowal of sight on the soul. Paul, who had passed through both the physical and the spiritual transition from darkness to light (Ac 9:8-9), instinctively, by an obviously undesigned coincidence confirming authenticity, often uses the expressive image (Ac 26:18; 2Co 4:4; Eph 1:18; 4:18; Col 1:13). Elymas was smitten with blindness at Paul's word (Ac 13:11, compare Ge 19:11; 2Ki 6:18). The blind were to be treated kindly (Le 19:14; De 27:18). The pagan conquerors sometimes blinded captives (2Ki 25:7; 1Sa 11:2).
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And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.
And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.
You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.
You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.
"'Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
"'Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon.
They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon.
In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.
In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David."
And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David."
And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"
And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"
In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight.
In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight.
In these lay a multitude of invalids--blind, lame, and paralyzed.
In these lay a multitude of invalids--blind, lame, and paralyzed.
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
Hastings
Morish
Used metaphorically to describe the state of man by nature under the influence of Satan, 2Co 4:4; also a professing Christian who hates his brother, 1Jo 2:11; also the state of Israel in their heartless profession, Mt 23:16-26; and the judicial blindness on Israel. Joh 12:40. In Ro 11:7,25; 2Co 3:14; Eph 4:18, it is rather 'obdurateness or hardness,' from ?????,'to harden.'
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"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them."
What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers:a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Smith
is extremely common in the East from many causes. Blind beggars figure repeatedly in the New Testament
and "opening the eyes of the blind" is mentioned in prophecy as a peculiar attribute of the Messiah.
etc. The Jews were specially charged to treat the blind with compassion and care.
Le 19:14; De 27:18
Blindness willfully inflicted for political or other purposes is alluded to in Scripture.
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You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.
"'Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel."
In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.
to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
He put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon.
Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.
Watsons
BLINDNESS is often used in Scripture to express ignorance or want of discernment in divine things, as well as the being destitute of natural sight. See Isa 42:18-19; 6:10; Mt 15:14. "Blindness of heart" is the want of understanding arising from the influence of vicious passions. "Hardness of heart" is stubbornness of will, and destitution of moral feeling. Moses says, "Thou shalt not put a stumbling block before the blind," Le 19:14, which may be understood literally; or figuratively, as if Moses recommended that charity and instruction should be shown to them who want light and counsel, or to those who are in danger of going wrong through their ignorance. Moses says also, "Cursed be he who maketh the blind to wander out of his way," De 27:18, which may also be taken in the same manner. An ignorant or erring teacher is compared by our Lord to a blind man leading a blind man;
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You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.
"'Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the LORD?
Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."