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, Be it unto you, according to your faith.
Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind: but if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a ditch.
And he cometh to Bethsaida. And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him. And taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the town, and having spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him, If he saw ought? read more. And looking up he said, I see men, as trees walking. Then he put his hands again on his eyes and made him look up, and he was restored and saw all men clearly.
he spit on the ground, and made clay with the spittle, and anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, that they might not see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and be converted, that I might heal them.
And having gone through the whole isle to Paphos, they found a certain magician, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus.
That I may make it manifest, 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 when Jesus passed thence, two blind men followed him, crying and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.
And when Jesus passed thence, two blind men followed him, crying and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.
And taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the town, and having spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him, If he saw ought?
And taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the town, and having spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him, If he saw ought?
And in that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues, and of evil spirits, and to many that were blind he gave sight.
And in that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues, and of evil spirits, and to many that were blind he gave sight.
In these lay a great multitude of diseased, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
In these lay a great multitude of diseased, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
And as he passed on, he saw a man who had been blind from his birth.
And as he passed on, he saw a man who had been blind from his birth.
And Saul arose from the earth; and his eyes being opened, he saw no man; but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
And Saul arose from the earth; and his eyes being opened, he saw no man; but they led 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, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately a mist and darkness fell upon him, and going about, he sought some to lead him.
And now behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee; and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately a mist and darkness fell upon him, and going about, he sought some to lead him.
and the Gentiles, to whom I now send thee, To open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; that they may receive through faith which is in me, forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified.
and the Gentiles, to whom I now send thee, To open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; that they may receive through faith which is in me, forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified.
The eyes of your understanding being inlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
The eyes of your understanding being inlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, by the ignorance that is in them, through the hardness of their hearts:
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, by the ignorance that is in them, through the hardness of their hearts:
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
That I may make it manifest, 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 to 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 bound. Ye fools and blind: for which is greater? The gold? Or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? read more. And whosoever shall swear by the altar, ye say, it is nothing: but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is bound. Ye fools and blind; for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it and by all things thereon. And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Wo to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to have neglected the others. Ye blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel. Wo to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish; but within they are full of rapine and intemperance. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first, the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, that they might not see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and be converted, that I might heal them.
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh, but the election hath obtained, and the rest were blinded.
Brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, (lest ye should be wise in your own conceits) that hardness is in part happened to Israel, till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in:
Whose unbelieving minds the god of this world hath blinded, lest the illumination of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine upon them.
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, by the ignorance that is in them, through the hardness of their hearts:
And above all these 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 goeth, because 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 healed him, so that the 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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Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind: but if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a ditch.