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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Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
Leave them to themselves: they are blind leaders of the blind. But if the blind lead the blind, they will both fall into the pit.
And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring him a blind man, and entreat him that he would touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him without the city; and spitting on his eyes, he laid his hands upon him, and asked him if he saw aught. read more. And looking up, he said, I see men walking, as trees. Then again he put his hands upon his eyes, and made him look up again: and he was entirely restored, and saw all men distinctly.
So speaking, he spat on the ground, and made mud with the spittle, and anointed with the mud the eyes of the blind man;
"He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts; lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with the heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."
Now as they travelled through the island as far as Paphos, they found a certain person who professed magic, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus:
that I may make it evident, as 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 as Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying out, and saying, Have mercy on us, son of David!
And as Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying out, and saying, Have mercy on us, son of David!
And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him without the city; and spitting on his eyes, he laid his hands upon him, and asked him if he saw aught.
And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him without the city; and spitting on his eyes, he laid his hands upon him, and asked him if he saw aught.
And in that very hour he cured many of diseases and acute complaints, and evil spirits; and to many blind persons he gave sight.
And in that very hour he cured many of diseases and acute complaints, and evil spirits; and to many blind persons he gave sight.
In these lay a vast multitude of infirm persons, blind, lame, withered, waiting the motion of the water.
In these lay a vast multitude of infirm persons, blind, lame, withered, waiting the motion of the water.
AND as he passed along, he saw a man blind from his birth.
AND as he passed along, he saw a man blind from his birth.
Then Paul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.
Then Paul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And he was three days seeing nothing, and did neither eat nor drink.
And he was three days seeing nothing, and did neither eat nor drink.
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, seeing the sun no more for a season. And instantly there fell on him a thick mist and darkness; and groping about he sought some to lead him by the hand.
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, seeing the sun no more for a season. And instantly there fell on him a thick mist and darkness; and groping about he sought some to lead him by the hand.
to open their eyes, to convert them from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance with those who are sanctified by faith which is in me.
to open their eyes, to convert them from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance with those who are sanctified by faith which is in me.
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he hath called you, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance for the saints,
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he hath called you, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance for the saints,
darkened in understanding; alienated from the life of God through the ignorance which is in them; through the blindness of their hearts:
darkened in understanding; alienated from the life of God through the ignorance which is in them; through the blindness of their hearts:
who hath plucked us out from the dominion of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love:
who hath plucked us out from the dominion of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love:
that I may make it evident, as I ought to speak.
that I may make it evident, as 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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Wo unto you ye blind guides! who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, it is binding. Ye fools and blind! for which is the greater, the gold, or the temple which consecrates the gold? read more. And again, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, it is binding. Ye fools and blind! which is the greater, the gift, or the altar which consecrates the gift? Whosoever therefore sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it. And whosoever sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him also who dwelleth in it. So he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him who is seated upon it. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithes of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier precepts of the law, judgment, and mercy, and fidelity: these thing ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone. Ye blind guides! who strain out a gnat, but gulp down a camel. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup, and of the dish, but within they are full of rapacity and intemperance. Thou blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup and dish, that their outside may become clean also.
"He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts; lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with the heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."
What then is the result? Israel hath not obtained that which it seeketh; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded,
For I would not that you should be ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is come on Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
among whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dart its bright beams upon them.
darkened in understanding; alienated from the life of God through the ignorance which is in them; through the blindness of their hearts:
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he is departing, because the darkness hath 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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Then was brought to him a demoniac, blind and dumb; and he cured him, so as to enable the blind and dumb both to speak and see.
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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Leave them to themselves: they are blind leaders of the blind. But if the blind lead the blind, they will both fall into the pit.