Mark 8 · Verse 23

Mark 8:23

And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

Mark 8:23, King James Version

Mark 8:23 in other translations

BSB	So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked.
WEB	He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spat on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.
ASV	And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught?
YLT	and having taken the hand of the blind man, he led him forth without the village, and having spit on his eyes, having put his hands on him, he was questioning him if he doth behold anything:
DARBY	And taking hold of the hand of the blind man he led him forth out of the village, and having spit upon his eyes, he laid his hands upon him, and asked him if he beheld anything.
BBE	And he took the blind man by the hand, and went with him out of the town; and when he had put water from his mouth on his eyes, and put his hands on him, he said, Do you see anything?
Webster	And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught.

What does Mark 8:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

23. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town--Of the deaf and dumb man it is merely said that "He took him aside" (Mr 7:33); but this blind man He led by the hand out of the town, doing it Himself rather than employing another--great humility, exclaims Bengel--that He might gain his confidence and raise his expectation. and when he had spit on his eyes--the organ affected--See on Mr 7:33. and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 23. Led him out of the town. Why this was done the sacred writers have not told us. It might have been to avoid the collecting of a multitude, and thus to have escaped the designs of the Pharisees who were attempting to take his life, and chiefly on a charge of sedition, and of exciting the people. On this account Jesus chose to perform the miracle alone; thus showing, that while he did good he desired to do it in such a way as to avoid the appearance of evil, and to prevent, at the same time, ostentation, and the malice of his enemies.

Spit on his eyes. Why this was done is not known. It was evidently not intended to perform the cure by any natural effect of the spittle. It was to the man a sign, an evidence, that it was the power of Jesus. The eyes were probably closed. They were perhaps "gummed," or united together by a secretion that had become hard. To apply spittle to them-- to wet them would be a sign, a natural expression of removing the obstruction and opening them. The power was not in the spittle, but it attended the application of it.

Saw ought. Saw anything.

(d) "spit" Mk 7:33

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 23 And he took the blind man by the hand - Giving him a proof of his readiness to help him, and thus preparing him for the cure which he was about to work. Led him out of the town - Thus showing the inhabitants that he considered them unworthy of having another miracle wrought among them. He had already deeply deplored their ingratitude and obstinacy: see on Mat 11:21 (note). When a people do not make a proper improvement of the light and grace which they receive from God, their candlestick is removed - even the visible Church becomes there extinct; and the candle is put out - no more means of spiritual illumination are afforded to the unfaithful inhabitants: Rev 2:5. When he had spit on his eyes - There is a similar transaction to this mentioned by John, Joh 9:6. It is likely this was done merely to separate the eyelids; as, in certain cases of blindness, they are found always gummed together. It required a miracle to restore the sight, and this was done in consequence of Christ having laid his hands upon the blind man: it required no miracle to separate the eyelids, and, therefore, natural means only were employed - this was done by rubbing them with spittle; but whether by Christ, or by the blind man, is not absolutely certain. See on Mar 7:33 (note). It has always been evident that false miracles have been wrought without reason or necessity, and without any obvious advantage; and they have thereby been detected: on the contrary, true miracles have always vindicated themselves by their obvious utility and importance; nothing ever being effected by them that could be performed by natural means. If he saw aught - Ει, if, is wanting in the Syriac, all the Persic and Arabic, and in the Ethiopic; and τι βλεπεις, Dost thou see any thing? is the reading of CD, Coptic, Ethiopic, all the Arabic and Persic.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 8:22-26

Here is a blind man brought to Christ by his friends. Therein appeared the faith of those that brought him. If those who are spiritually blind, do not pray for themselves, yet their friends and relations should pray for them, that Christ would be pleased to touch them. The cure was wrought gradually, which was not usual in our Lord's miracles. Christ showed in what method those commonly are healed by his grace, who…

Read the full comment on Mark 8:22-26 →

Mark 8:23 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

ἐπιλαβόμενοςepilabomenoshaving taken hold ofG1949

τῆςtēstheG3588

χειρὸςcheiroshandG5495

τοῦtouof theG3588

τυφλοῦtuphloublind [man]G5185

ἐξήνεγκενexēnegkenhe broughtG1627

αὐτὸνautonhimG846

ἔξωexōoutG1854

τῆςtēsof theG3588

κώμης,kōmēsvillage,G2968

καὶkaiandG2532

πτύσαςptusashaving spitG4429

εἰςeisuponG1519

τὰtatheG3588

ὄμματαommataeyesG3659

αὐτοῦ,autouof him,G846

ἐπιθεὶςepitheishaving laidG2007

τὰςtastheG3588

χεῖραςcheirashandsG5495

αὐτῷautōupon himG846

ἐπηρώταepērōtaHe was askingG1905

αὐτόν·autonhim:G846

εἴeiifG1487

τιtianythingG5100

βλέπεις;blepeisyou see?G991

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

Cross references for Mark 8:23

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;
John 9:6-7
When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
Acts 9:8
And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
Mark 5:23
And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
Isaiah 51:18
There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.
Isaiah 44:2
Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
Jeremiah 31:32
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
Revelation 3:18
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Hebrews 8:9
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

by the.
Isa 51:18; Jer 31:32; Ac 9:8; Heb 8:9
out.
7:33; Isa 44:2
spit.
Joh 9:6,7; Re 3:18

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

Context

Mark 8:22
And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.
Mark 8:23
And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
Mark 8:24
And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

Read all of Mark 8

Mark 8:23 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Entonces, tomando la mano del ciego, le sacó fuera de la aldea; y escupiendo en sus ojos, y poniéndole las manos encima, le preguntó si veía algo.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et ayant pris la main de l’aveugle, il le mena hors de la bourgade; et lui ayant craché sur les yeux, il posa les mains sur lui et lui demanda s’il voyait quelque chose.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und er faßte den Blinden bei der Hand und führte ihn aus dem Dorfe hinaus; und als er in seine Augen gespützt hatte, legte er ihm die Hände auf und fragte ihn, ob er etwas sehe.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et apprehensa manu cæci, eduxit eum extra vicum: et exspuens in oculos ejus impositis manibus suis, interrogavit eum si quid videret.