Reference: Ephphatha
American
Be opened, a Syro-chaldaic word, which our Savior pronounced when he cured one deaf and dumb, Mr 7:34.
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Easton
the Greek form of a Syro-Chaldaic or Aramaic word, meaning "Be opened," uttered by Christ when healing the man who was deaf and dumb (Mr 7:34). It is one of the characteristics of Mark that he uses the very Aramaic words which fell from our Lord's lips. (See Mr 3:17; 5:41; 7:11; 14:36; 15:34.)
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Hastings
Mr 7:34, where Jesus says to a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, 'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be opened.' The word is really Aramaic, and if we transliterate it as it stands we obtain eppattach or eppthach. Both these forms are contracted: the former for ithpattach, the latter for ithpthach, which are respectively second sing, imperative Ithpaal and Ithpeal of the verb pthach, 'to open.' Some Gr. MSS present ephphetha, which is certainly Ithpeal, whereas ephphatha may be Ithpaal. Jerome also reads ephphetha.
It is not certain whom or what Jesus addressed when He said 'Be opened.' It may be the mouth of the man as in Lu 1:64 (so Weiss, Morison, etc.); or the ear, as in Targ. of Isa 50:5 (so Bruce, Swete, etc.); or it may be the deaf man himself. One gate of knowledge being closed, the man is conceived of as a bolted room, and 'Jesus said to him. Be thou opened.'
J. T. Marshall.