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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God. I am the LORD.
For no man in whom there is a blemish, shall approach: a blind man or a lame or he that lacks any thing or has any thing superfluous
Cursed is he that makes the blind to err in the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.
The LORD shall smite thee with madness and blindness and astonishment of heart.
But the Philistines took hold of him and put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of iron that he should grind in the prison house.
Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
Let them alone; they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into a pit.
And he came to Bethsaida, and they bring a blind man unto him and beseech him to touch him. So, taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the town; and spitting into his eyes and putting his hands upon them, he asked him if he saw anything. read more. And looking, he said, I see men; I see that they walk as trees. After that, he put his hands again upon his eyes and caused him to see; and he was whole and saw everyone, far away and clearly.
When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay
He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted, and I should heal them.
And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain wise man, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus,
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).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God. I am the LORD.
Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God. I am the LORD.
Cursed is he that makes the blind to err in the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Cursed is he that makes the blind to err in the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.
And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with fetters of brass and carried him to Babylon.
And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with fetters of brass and carried him to Babylon.
And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see in the midst of darkness, and of gross darkness.
And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see in the midst of darkness, and of gross darkness.
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
And when Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed him, crying out and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
And when Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed him, crying out and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
So, taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the town; and spitting into his eyes and putting his hands upon them, he asked him if he saw anything.
So, taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the town; and spitting into his eyes and putting his hands upon them, he asked him if he saw anything.
And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues and of evil spirits, and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues and of evil spirits, and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man who was blind from his birth.
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man who was blind from his birth.
Then Saul arose from the earth; and opening his eyes, he saw no one; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus
Then Saul arose from the earth; and opening his eyes, he saw no one; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus where he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
where he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is against thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is against thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified by the faith that is in me.
to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified by the faith that is in me.
illuminating the eyes of your understanding, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints
illuminating the eyes of your understanding, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints
having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart,
having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart,
who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son,
who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son,
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.'
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Woe 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, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? read more. And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever swears by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor. Ye fools and blind, for which one is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Whosoever therefore shall swear by the altar, swears by it and by all things thereon. And whosoever shall swear by the temple, swears by it and by Him that dwells therein. And he that shall swear by the heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him that sits thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have omitted that which is more important of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith; these were expedient for ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, who strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup or of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and incontinence. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be clean also.
He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted, and I should heal them.
What then? Israel has not obtained that which he seeks after; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded
For I would not, brethren, that ye ignore this mystery, that ye not be arrogant regarding yourselves: that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles are come in.
In whom the god of this age has blinded the understanding of those who do not believe, that the light of the gospel of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine in them.
having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart,
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfection.
But he that hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness and does not know where he goes, because that 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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God. I am the LORD.
Cursed is he that makes the blind to err in the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.
And Nahash, the Ammonite, answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.
And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see in the midst of darkness, and of gross darkness.
that thou might open the eyes of the blind, that thou might bring out the prisoners from the prison and those that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.
Then was brought unto him one possessed with a demon, blind, and dumb, and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both 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;
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God. I am the LORD.
Cursed is he that makes the blind to err in the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and blind their eyes that they not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their heart, nor convert and there be healing for him.
Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. Who is blind, but my slave? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? Who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the slave of the LORD,
Let them alone; they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into a pit.