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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Matthew 9:27 - 9:31
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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_9:27-31
27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" 28When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." 29Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith." 30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: " See that no one knows about this!" 31But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.
Mat_9:27 "two blind men followed Him, crying out" It was characteristic in the Synoptic Gospels'miracle accounts that Matthew always records two persons whereas Mark and Luke only record one (cf. Mat_8:28; Mat_20:30). The exact reason for this is uncertain. It has been speculated that Matthew wanted two witnesses to fulfill OT witness requirements (cf. Num_35:30; Deu_17:6; Deu_19:15).
▣ "Have mercy on us, Son of David" This OT title is also used in Mat_1:20. It apparently had Messianic implications going back to 2 Samuel 7 (cf. Mat_1:1; Mat_12:23; Mat_15:22; Mat_20:30; Mat_21:9; Mat_21:15). Exactly what these people understood by these titles is uncertain, but surely it was a sign of their faith, not a full theological understanding of the person of Christ. The Jews of Jesus' day expected the Messiah to be a healer from Isa_35:5-6.
Mat_9:28 "Yes, Lord" This is the title "kurios." It was used in the sense of "sir" or "mister" or it could have been a full theological title of Jesus' Deity. Here it seems to be used more in the popular sense although these blind men's use of the title "Son of David" implied some theological understanding. Jesus took them off away from the crowd because He did not want to broadcast their healing (cf. Mat_9:26; Mat_9:30; Mat_8:4).
Mat_9:29 "He touched their eyes" It is amazing how many accounts of the healing of blind people are recorded in the Gospels. However, they are performed with great variety. Here Jesus touched their eyes, apparently to increase their faith. Restoring sight to the blind was one of the prophetic evidences of the Messiah (cf. Psa_146:8; Isa_29:18; Isa_35:5; Isa_42:7; Isa_42:16; Isa_42:18; Mat_11:5).