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 done to you."
Let them alone; they are blind guides; and if a blind man be guiding a blind man, both will fall into a pit."
And they come to Bethsaida. And they bring to Him a blind man, and beseech Him to touch him. And, taking hold of the blind man's hand, He brought him out of the village; and, spitting in his eyes, and putting His hands upon him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?" read more. And, looking up, he said, "I behold men, because I see them as trees walking." Then again He put His hands on his eyes, and he looked steadily, and was restored, and was seeing all things distinctly.
Having thus spoken, He spit on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed his eyes with the clay,
"He hath blinded their eyes, and He hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I should heal them."
And, having gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, 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, as Jesus was passing on thence, two blind men followed Him, crying out, and saying, "Have mercy on us, O Son of David!"
And, as Jesus was passing on thence, two blind men followed Him, crying out, and saying, "Have mercy on us, O Son of David!"
And, taking hold of the blind man's hand, He brought him out of the village; and, spitting in his eyes, and putting His hands upon him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?"
And, taking hold of the blind man's hand, He brought him out of the village; and, spitting in his eyes, and putting His hands upon him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?"
In that hour He cured many of diseases, and plagues, and evil spirits; and to many blind He bestowed sight.
In that hour He cured many of diseases, and plagues, and evil spirits; and to many blind He bestowed sight.
In these were lying a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters:
In these were lying a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters:
And, passing along, he saw a man blind from his birth.
And, passing along, he saw a man blind from his birth.
And Saul arose from the earth; and, his eyes being opened, he beheld nothing; but, taking him by the hand, they led him into Damascus.
And Saul arose from the earth; and, his eyes being opened, he beheld nothing; but, taking him by the hand, they led him into Damascus. And he was three days without seeing; and he neither ate, nor drank.
And he was three days without seeing; and he neither ate, nor drank.
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you; and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season." And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and, going about, he was seeking some to lead him by the hand.
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you; and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season." And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and, going about, he was seeking some to lead him by the hand.
to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'
to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'
the eyes of your heart having been enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
the eyes of your heart having been enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their hearts;
being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their hearts;
Who delivered us out of the dominion of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love;
Who delivered us out of the dominion of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love;
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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"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whosoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!' Fools, and blind! for which is greater??he gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? read more. 'And whosoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever swears by the gift that is upon it, is a debtor!' Ye blind! for which is greater??he gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? He, therefore, who swears by the altar swears by it and by all things on it; and he who swears by the temple swears by it and by Him dwelling therein; and he who swears by Heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him sitting thereon. "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin; and have omitted the weightier things of the law??he judgment, and the mercy, and the faith; but these it was proper to have done, and those not to have omitted. Blind guides! straining out the gnat, and swallowing the camel! "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish; but within they are full from extortion and excess! Blind Pharisees! cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that its outside also may become clean.
"He hath blinded their eyes, and He hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I should heal them."
What, then? What Israel is seeking for, this he did not obtain; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened;
For I do not wish you, brethren, to be ignorant of this mystery (lest ye be wise in your own conceits), that a hardening, in part, has befallen Israel, until the fulness of the gentiles come in;
in whom the god of this world blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should not shine upon them.
being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their hearts;
and over all these put on love, which is the uniting-bond of perfectness.
But he that hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and knows not where he is going, because the darkness 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 there was brought to Him a demoniac, blind, and dumb; and He healed him, so that the dumb man 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 guides; and if a blind man be guiding a blind man, both will fall into a pit."