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 the men that were at the door of the house, they smote with blindness - both small and great, so that they could not find the door.
Thou shalt not curse the deaf, neither put a stumbling block before the blind: but shalt fear thy God. I am the LORD.
For none that hath any blemish shall come near: whether he be blind, lame, snoutnosed, or that hath any monstrous member,
'Cursed be he that maketh the blind go out of his way.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
And the LORD shall smite thee with madness, blindness and dazing of heart.
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes; and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters. And he was made to grind in the prison house.
Then touched he their eyes saying, "According to your faith, be it unto you."
Let them alone, they be the blind leaders of the blind. If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."
And he came to Bethsaida, and they brought a blind man unto him and desired him, to touch him. And he caught the blind by the hand, and led him out of the town, and spat in his eyes and put his hands upon him, and asked him whether he saw ought. read more. And he looked up and said, "I see the men; For I see them walk as they were trees." After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him see. And he was restored to his sight, and saw every man clearly.
As soon as he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and rubbed the clay on the eyes of the blind,
"He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts: that they should not see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and should be converted and I should heal them."
When they had gone throughout the Isle unto the city of Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer: a false prophet, which was a Jew,
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 the men that were at the door of the house, they smote with blindness - both small and great, so that they could not find the door.
And the men that were at the door of the house, they smote with blindness - both small and great, so that they could not find the door.
Thou shalt not curse the deaf, neither put a stumbling block before the blind: but shalt fear thy God. I am the LORD.
Thou shalt not curse the deaf, neither put a stumbling block before the blind: but shalt fear thy God. I am the LORD.
'Cursed be he that maketh the blind go out of his way.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
'Cursed be he that maketh the blind go out of his 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 fettered him, and carried him to Babylon.
And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and fettered him, and carried him to Babylon.
And in that day, shall deaf men hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see, even out of the cloud and out of darkness.
And in that day, shall deaf men hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see, even out of the cloud and out of darkness.
Then shall the eyes of the blind be lightened, and the ears of the deaf opened.
Then shall the eyes of the blind be lightened, and the ears of the deaf opened.
And as Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him crying, and saying, "O thou son of David, have mercy on us."
And as Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him crying, and saying, "O thou son of David, have mercy on us."
And he caught the blind by the hand, and led him out of the town, and spat in his eyes and put his hands upon him, and asked him whether he saw ought.
And he caught the blind by the hand, and led him out of the town, and spat in his eyes and put his hands upon him, and asked him whether he saw ought.
And at the same time, he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits: and unto many that were blind, he gave sight.
And at the same time, he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits: and unto many that were blind, he gave sight.
in which lay a great multitude of sick folk: of blind, halt, and withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
in which lay a great multitude of sick folk: of blind, halt, and withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth;
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth;
And Saul arose from the earth, and opened his eyes, but saw no man. Then led they him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
And Saul arose from the earth, and opened his eyes, but saw no man. Then led they him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
And now behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind and not see the sun for a season." And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; And he went about, seeking them that should lead him by the hand.
And now behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind and not see the sun for a season." And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; And he went about, seeking them that should lead him by the hand.
to open their eyes that they might turn from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in me.'
to open their eyes that they might turn from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in me.'
and lighten the eyes of your minds, that ye might know what thing that hope is, whereunto he hath called you, and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is upon the saints,
and lighten the eyes of your minds, that ye might know what thing that hope is, whereunto he hath called you, and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is upon the saints,
blinded in their understanding, being strangers from the life which is in God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts.
blinded in their understanding, being strangers from the life which is in God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts.
Which hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son,
Which hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath 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.'
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Woe be unto you, blind guides, for ye which say, 'Whosoever swear by the temple, it is nothing: but whosoever swear by the gold of the temple, he offendeth.' Ye fools and blind: whether is greater; the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? read more. And, 'Whosoever sweareth by the altar it is nothing: but whosoever sweareth by the offering that lieth on the altar offendeth.' Ye fools and blind: whether is greater; the offering, or the altar which sanctifieth the offering? Whosoever therefore sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all that thereon is. And whosoever sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the seat of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe be to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye which tithe mint, anise, and cumin, and leave the weightier matters of the law undone: judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe be to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye which make clean the outer side of the cup, and of the platter: but within they are full of bribery and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first, that the inside of the cup and the platter, that the outside of them may also be clean.
"He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts: that they should not see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and should be converted and I should heal them."
What then? Israel hath not obtained that that he sought. No but yet the election hath obtained it. The remnant are blinded,
I would not that this secret should be hid from you my brethren, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits: that partly blindness is happened in Israel, until the fullness of the gentiles be come in.
in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest should shine unto them the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, which is the image of God.
blinded in their understanding, being strangers from the life which is in God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts.
Above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness,
And he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness; and knoweth not whither he goeth, for 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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Thou shalt not curse the deaf, neither put a stumbling block before the blind: but shalt fear thy God. I am the LORD.
'Cursed be he that maketh the blind go out of his way.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
"Make a covenant with us and we will be thy servants." And Nahash the Ammonite said, "Hereto will I make a covenant with you: even to thrust out all your right eyes, that I may bring that shame upon all Israel."
And in that day, shall deaf men hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see, even out of the cloud and out of darkness.
That thou mayest open the eyes of the blind; let out the prisoners, and them that sit in darkness, out of the dungeon house.
And made Zedekiah's eyes to be put out, and bound him with chains, and sent him to Babylon.
Then was brought to him one possessed with a devil, which was both blind and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that he which was blind and dumb, both spake 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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Thou shalt not curse the deaf, neither put a stumbling block before the blind: but shalt fear thy God. I am the LORD.
'Cursed be he that maketh the blind go out of his way.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
Harden the heart of this people, stop their ears, and shut their eyes, that they see not with their eyes, hear not with their ears, and understand not with their heart, and convert and be healed."
Hear, O ye deaf men, and sharpen your sights to see, O ye blind! But who is blinder, than my servant? Or so deaf, as my messengers, whom I send unto thee? For who is so blind as the perfect man, and so blind as the LORD's servant?
Let them alone, they be the blind leaders of the blind. If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."