Matthew 20:29-34

Two Blind Men Healed

20:29 As they were leaving Jericho, ¹  a large crowd followed them. 20:30 Two ²  blind men were sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, ³  “Have mercy ⁴  on us, Lord, Son of David!” ⁵  20:31 The ⁶  crowd scolded ⁷  them to get them to be quiet. But they shouted even more loudly, “Lord, have mercy on us, ⁸  Son of David!” 20:32 Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 20:33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 20:34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Luke 18:35-43

Healing a Blind Man

18:35 As ⁹  Jesus ¹⁰  approached ¹¹  Jericho, ¹²  a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 18:36 When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was going on. 18:37 They ¹³  told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.” 18:38 So ¹⁴  he called out, ¹⁵  “Jesus, Son of David, ¹⁶  have mercy ¹⁷  on me!” 18:39 And those who were in front ¹⁸  scolded ¹⁹  him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted ²⁰  even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 18:40 So ²¹  Jesus stopped and ordered the beggar ²²  to be brought to him. When the man ²³  came near, Jesus ²⁴  asked him, 18:41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, ²⁵  “Lord, let me see again.” ²⁶  18:42 Jesus ²⁷  said to him, “Receive ²⁸  your sight; your faith has healed you.” ²⁹  18:43 And immediately he regained ³⁰  his sight and followed Jesus, ³¹  praising ³²  God. When ³³  all the people saw it, they too ³⁴  gave praise to God.

[20:29]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[20:30]  ² tn Grk “And behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[20:30]  ³ tn Grk “shouted, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[20:30]  ⁴ sn Have mercy on us is a request for healing. It is not owed to the men. They simply ask for God’s kind grace.

[20:30]  ⁵ sn There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]).

[20:31]  ⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[20:31]  ⁷ tn Or “rebuked.” The crowd’s view was that surely Jesus would not be bothered with someone as unimportant as a blind beggar.

[20:31]  ⁸ tc ‡ The majority of mss (C W ˹ 33 Ï and several versional witnesses) read κύριε (kurie, “Lord”) after ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς (elehson Jhma", “have mercy on us”). But since this is the order of words in v. 30 (though that wording is also disputed), and since the κύριε-first reading enjoys widespread and early support (א B D L Z Θ 085 0281 ˹³ 892 pc lat), the latter was considered original. However, the decision was by no means easy. NA²⁷ has κύριε after ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς here; a majority of that committee felt that since the placement of κύριε in last place was the nonliturgical order it “would have been likely to be altered in transcription to the more familiar sequence” (TCGNT 44).

[18:35]  ⁹ tn Grk “Now it happened that as.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[18:35]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[18:35]  ¹¹ tn The phrase is “he drew near to” (19:29; 24:28). It is also possible the term merely means “is in the vicinity of.” Also possible is a reversal in the timing of the healing and Zacchaeus events for literary reasons as the blind man “sees” where the rich man with everything did not.

[18:35]  ¹² map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[18:37]  ¹³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated. “They” could refer to bystanders or people in the crowd.

[18:38]  ¹⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the blind man learning that Jesus was nearby.

[18:38]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “called out, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[18:38]  ¹⁶ sn Jesus was more than a Nazarene to this blind person, who saw quite well that Jesus was Son of David. He understood what Luke 7:22-23 affirms. There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]).

[18:38]  ¹⁷ sn Have mercy on me is a request for healing (cf. 17:13). It is not owed the man. He simply asks for God’s kind grace.

[18:39]  ¹⁸ sn That is, those who were at the front of the procession.

[18:39]  ¹⁹ tn Or “rebuked.” The crowd’s view was that surely Jesus would not be bothered with someone as unimportant as a blind beggar.

[18:39]  ²⁰ sn Public opinion would not sway the blind man from getting Jesus’ attention. The term shouted is strong as it can be used of animal cries.

[18:40]  ²¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the beggar’s cries.

[18:40]  ²² tn Grk “ordered him”; the referent (the blind beggar, v. 35) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:40]  ²³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the beggar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:40]  ²⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:41]  ²⁵ tn Grk “said.”

[18:41]  ²⁶ tn Grk “Lord, that I may see [again].” The phrase can be rendered as an imperative of request, “Please, give me sight.” Since the man is not noted as having been blind from birth (as the man in John 9 was) it is likely the request is to receive back the sight he once had.

[18:42]  ²⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[18:42]  ²⁸ tn Or “Regain” (see the note on the phrase “let me see again” in the previous verse).

[18:42]  ²⁹ tn Grk “has saved you,” but in a nonsoteriological sense; the man has been delivered from his disability.

[18:43]  ³⁰ tn Or “received” (see the note on the phrase “let me see again” in v. 41).

[18:43]  ³¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:43]  ³² sn The presence of God’s work leads again to joy, with both the beggar and the people praising God (1:64; 2:20; 5:25-26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15; 19:37).

[18:43]  ³³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[18:43]  ³⁴ tn The word “too” has been supplied for stylistic reasons.