Mark 7 · Verse 34

Mark 7:34

And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
Mark 7:34, King James Version

Mark 7:34 in other translations

BSBAnd looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”).
WEBLooking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”
ASVand looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
YLTand having looked to the heaven, he sighed, and saith to him, ‘Ephphatha,' that is, ‘Be thou opened;'
DARBYand looking up to heaven he groaned, and says to him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
BBEAnd looking up to heaven, he took a deep breath, and said to him, Ephphatha, that is, Be open.
WebsterAnd looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith to him, Effatha, that is, Be opened.

What does Mark 7:34 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
34. And looking up to heaven--ever acknowledging His Father, even while the healing was seen to flow from Himself (see on Joh 5:19). he sighed--"over the wreck," says Trench, "which sin had brought about, and the malice of the devil in deforming the fair features of God's original creation." But, we take it, there was a yet more painful impression of that "evil thing and bitter" whence all our ills have sprung, and which, when "Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses" (Mt 8:17), became mysteriously His own. "In thought of these his brows benign, Not even in healing, cloudless shine." Keble and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened--Our Evangelist, as remarked on Mr 5:41, loves to give such wonderful words just as they were spoken.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 34. Looking up to heaven. To lift up the eyes to heaven is an act imploring aid from God, and denotes an attitude of prayer, Ps 121:1,2, Mk 6:41, Jn 11:41.

He sighed. Pitying the sufferings of the man who stood before him,

Ephphatha. This word is Syriac, the language which our Lord used in addressing the man, and means, "Be opened."

(g) "And looking up to heaven" Mk 6:41, Jn 11:41, 17:1 (h) "he sighed" Jn 11:33,38

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 34 Ephphatha - Ethphathach, Syriac. It is likely that it was in this language that our Lord spoke to this poor man: and because he had pronounced the word Ephphathach with peculiar and authoritative emphasis, the evangelist thought proper to retain the original word; though the last letter in it could not be expressed by any letter in the Greek alphabet.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 7:31-37

Here is a cure of one that was deaf and dumb. Those who brought this poor man to Christ, besought him to observe the case, and put forth his power. Our Lord used more outward actions in the doing of this cure than usual. These were only signs of Christ's power to cure the man, to encourage his faith, and theirs that brought him. Though we find great variety in the cases and manner of relief of those who applied to…

Read the full comment on Mark 7:31-37 →

Mark 7:34 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiandG2532
ἀναβλέψαςanablepsashaving looked upG308
εἰςeistoG1519
τὸνton<the>G3588
οὐρανὸνouranonheavenG3772
ἐστέναξενestenaxenHe sighed deeplyG4727
καὶkaiandG2532
λέγειlegeiHe saysG3004
αὐτῷ·autōto him;G846
εφφαθα,ephphathaEphphatha!G2188
ὅhothatG3739
ἐστινestinisG1510
διανοίχθητι.dianoichthētido be openedG1272

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Mark 7:34

  • John 11:41

    Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

  • Mark 5:41

    And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

  • Mark 6:41

    And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

  • Acts 9:34

    And Peter said unto him, Eneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.

  • John 11:33

    When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

  • Acts 9:40

    But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

  • John 11:43

    And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

  • Mark 8:12

    And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

  • Luke 7:14

    And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

  • Luke 18:42

    And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

  • Mark 1:41

    And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

  • John 17:1

    These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
looking.
6:41; Joh 11:41; 17:1
he sighed.
8:12; Isa 53:3; Eze 21:6,7; Lu 19:41; Joh 11:33,35,38; Heb 4:15
Ephphatha.
5:41; 15:34
Be opened.
1:41; Lu 7:14; 18:42; Joh 11:43; Ac 9:34,40

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Mark 7:33

    And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

  • Mark 7:34

    And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

  • Mark 7:35

    And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

Read all of Mark 7

Mark 7:34 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y mirando al cielo, gimió, y le dijo: Ephphatha: que es decir: Sé abierto.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
et regardant vers le ciel, il soupira, et lui dit: Ephphatha, c’est-à-dire, ouvre-toi.
German
Elberfelder 1871
und, gen Himmel blickend, seufzte er und spricht zu ihm: Ephata! das ist: Werde aufgetan!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et suspiciens in cælum, ingemuit, et ait illi: Ephphetha, quod est, Adaperire.