Healing of a Blind Man at Bethsaida
Mark 8:22-26
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Mark.8.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Και: CONJ
- ερχονται: VERB,pres,mid,ind,3,pl
- εις: PREP
- Βηθσαιδαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- φερουσιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- τυφλον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- παρακαλουσιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- ινα: CONJ
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- αψηται: VERB,aor,mid,subj,3,sg
Parallels
- Mark 10:46-52 (thematic): Another healing of a blind man (Bartimaeus). Similar motif of a blind person brought to Jesus/crying out and receiving sight; shows recurring theme of Jesus restoring sight in Mark.
- John 9:1-12 (verbal): Healing of a man born blind where Jesus uses spittle and mud to anoint the eyes. Parallels the bodily gesture (spitting/placing on eyes) and the theme of physical action leading to restored sight.
- Mark 7:32-35 (verbal): Healing of a deaf and mute man in which Jesus uses touch and spittle. Closely parallels the tactile/spittle healing motifs and methods found in Mark 8:22–25.
- Matthew 20:29-34 (thematic): Two blind men healed near Jericho. A synoptic parallel emphasizing the recurring motif of blind people brought to Jesus and restored, comparable to the Bethsaida healing in Mark.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they came to Bethsaida. They brought to him a blind man and implored him to touch him.
- And they came to Bethsaida; and they brought to him a blind man, and they begged him to touch him.
Mark.8.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- επιλαβομενος: VERB,pres,mid,part,nom,sg,m
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- χειρος: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- τυφλου: ADJ,gen,sg,m
- εξηνεγκεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- εξω: ADV
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- κωμης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- πτυσας: PTCP,aor,act,nom,m,sg
- εις: PREP
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- ομματα: NOUN,acc,pl,n
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- επιθεις: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,m,sg
- τας: ART,acc,pl,f
- χειρας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- επηρωτα: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτον·Ει: PRON,acc,sg,m
- τι: PRON,int,nom,sg,n
- βλεπεις: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
Parallels
- John 9:6-7 (verbal): Jesus uses spittle in the healing of a blind man and gives a specific physical instruction (anointing the eyes and sending him to wash), closely paralleling Mark's use of spitting and tactile action in restoring sight.
- Mark 7:32-35 (verbal): Within Mark's Gospel another healing features taking the patient aside, using spittle and physical touch (putting fingers in the ears, touching the tongue) and a spoken word of effect—parallel ritual elements and setting.
- Matthew 9:29 (thematic): Jesus touches the eyes of the blind men and effects sight, highlighting the recurring theme of healing by touch (and faith) found in Mark 8:23.
- Mark 5:41-42 (structural): Jesus takes a person by the hand to accomplish a miraculous restoration (raising Jairus' daughter), a similar structural motif of 'taking by the hand' to bring about life/healing.
- Acts 9:17 (thematic): Ananias lays hands on Saul to restore his sight—an early Christian instance of laying on of hands to heal/regain vision, echoing Mark's laying on of hands in the healing of the blind man.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. He spat on his eyes, laid his hands on him, and asked, "Do you see anything?"
- And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. And when he had spat on his eyes and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"
Mark.8.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- αναβλεψας: PART,aor,act,nom,sg,m
- ελεγεν·Βλεπω: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- ανθρωπους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- οτι: CONJ
- ως: ADV
- δενδρα: NOUN,nom,pl,n
- ορω: VERB,pres,act,ind,1,sg
- περιπατουντας: VERB,pres,act,ptc,acc,m,pl
Parallels
- Mark 8:25 (structural): Immediate sequel in the same episode: after the man first 'sees men as trees,' Jesus lays hands on him again and his sight is fully restored — completes the two-stage healing.
- John 9:1-7 (thematic): Another Gospel account of Jesus healing a blind man; parallels motifs of physical restoration of sight and the sign-value of blindness/healing in Jesus' ministry.
- Luke 18:35-43 (thematic): Healing of the blind (Bartimaeus) near Jericho: like Mark 8, emphasizes compassion, the cry for mercy, and restoration of sight as a sign of Jesus' messianic power.
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 (thematic): Paul’s image of partial vision ('now we see through a glass, darkly') resonates with the motif of incomplete/partial sight in Mark 8:24 as both physical and symbolic of limited understanding.
- Isaiah 35:5 (allusion): Prophetic promise that 'the eyes of the blind shall be opened' — a background theme for Gospel healings that frames episodes like Mark 8 as fulfilment of messianic restoration.
Alternative generated candidates
- He looked up and said, "I see people; for I behold them as trees, walking."
- And he looked up and said, "I see men, for I see them like trees, walking."
Mark.8.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ειτα: ADV
- παλιν: ADV
- επεθηκεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- τας: ART,acc,pl,f
- χειρας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- επι: PREP
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- οφθαλμους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- διεβλεψεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- απεκατεστη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- ενεβλεπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- τηλαυγως: ADV
- απαντα: ADJ,acc,pl,n
Parallels
- Mark 8:23-24 (structural): Immediate context: first touch produced partial, blurred sight (“he saw men like trees walking”), setting up the second touch in v.25 that results in full restoration.
- Matthew 9:27-31 (verbal): Two blind men receive healing after addressing Jesus; Jesus touches them (v.29) and their sight is restored, paralleling the motif of touch/laying on of hands and progressive revelation.
- John 9:1-7 (thematic): Healing of a man born blind: restoration of physical sight as revelation of Jesus' identity. Different method (mud/spittle) but shares theme of opening eyes and spiritual/physical insight.
- Isaiah 35:5 (allusion): Prophetic promise that ‘the eyes of the blind will be opened’; Mark’s healing scenes echo Isaiah’s restoration imagery, linking Jesus’ miracles to fulfillment of prophetic restoration.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything plainly.
- Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked up, and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
Mark.8.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- απεστειλεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- εις: PREP
- οικον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- λεγων·Μηδε: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m+PARTCL,neg
- εις: PREP
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- κωμην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- εισελθης: VERB,aor,act,subj,2,sg
Parallels
- Mark 1:44 (verbal): After healing a leper Jesus commands him to say nothing to anyone (τὸ μὴ εἴπῃς τῷ), a verbal injunction of secrecy parallel to sending the healed blind man home with a prohibition.
- Mark 5:43 (verbal): After raising Jairus' daughter Jesus strictly charged them that no one should know about it (ἐνετείλατο μὴ εἴδεν), another instance of commanding silence following a miraculous restoration.
- Mark 7:36 (verbal): After healing the deaf-mute Jesus charged them not to tell anyone (ἐνετείλατο ἵνα μὴ εἴπωσιν), reflecting the same motif of instructing recipients/observers to keep the miracle quiet.
- Mark 8:30 (thematic): Immediately surrounding the Bethsaida healing Jesus charges the disciples to tell no one about his identity, showing the broader 'Messianic Secret' theme that explains the injunction to avoid publicizing the miracle.
- Matthew 9:30 (verbal): In Matthew's account of two blind men healed Jesus strictly charged them, 'See that no one knows it,' a near-verbal parallel to Mark's command to the healed man not to enter the village or publicize the cure.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."
- And he sent him away to his house, saying, "Do not even go into the village, and do not tell anyone there."
And they came to Bethsaida; they brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And taking the man's hand he led him out of the village; and having spit on the man's eyes he laid his hands on him and asked him, "Do you see anything?" And he looked up and said, "I see men; they look like trees, walking."
Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again, and he looked up. His sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his house, saying, "Do not even enter the village."