Matthew 20 · Verse 30

Matthew 20:30

And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.

Matthew 20:30, King James Version

Matthew 20:30 in other translations

BSB	And there were two blind men sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
WEB	Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!”
ASV	And behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Lord, have mercy on us, thou son of David.
YLT	and lo, two blind men sitting by the way, having heard that Jesus doth pass by, cried, saying, ‘Deal kindly with us, sir--Son of David.'
DARBY	And lo, two blind men, sitting by the wayside, having heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out saying, Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David.
BBE	And two blind men seated by the wayside, when they had the news that Jesus was going by, gave a loud cry, saying, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.
Webster	And behold, two blind men sitting by the way-side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

What does Matthew 20:30 mean?

Barnes' Notes

Verse 30. Two blind men. Mark and Luke mention but one. They do not say, however, that there was no more than one. They mention one because he was probably well known; perhaps the son of a distinguished citizen reduced to poverty. His name was Bartimeus. Bar is a Syriac word, meaning son; and the name means, therefore, "the son of Timeus." Probably Timeus was a man of note; and as the case of his son attracted most attention, Mark and Luke recorded it particularly. Had they said there was only one healed, there would have been a contradiction. As it is, there is no more contradiction or difficulty than there is in the fact that the evangelists, like all other historians, often omit many facts which they do not choose to record.

Heard that Jesus passed by. They learned who he was by inquiring. They heard a name, and asked who it was, (Luke.) They had doubtless heard much of his fame, but had never before been where he was, and probably would not be again. They were therefore more earnest in calling upon him.

Son of David. That is, Messiah, or Christ. This was the name by which the Messiah was commonly known. He was the illustrious descendant of David, in whom the promises especially centered, Ps 132:11,12, 89:3,4. It was the universal opinion of the Jews that the Messiah was to be the descendant of David. See Mt 22:42. On the use of the word Son, Mt 1:1.

(v) "And, behold" Mt 9:27, Mk 10:46, Lk 18:35

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 30 Two blind men - Mar 10:46, and Luk 18:35, mention only one blind man, Bartimeus. Probably he was mentioned by the other evangelists, as being a person well known before and after his cure. Blindness of heart is a disorder of which, men seldom complain, or from which they desire to be delivered; and it is one property of this blindness, to keep the person from perceiving it, and to persuade him that his sight is good. Sitting by the way side - In the likeliest place to receive alms, because of the multitudes going and coming between Jerusalem and Jericho. Cried out - In the midst of judgments God remembers mercy. Though God had deprived them, for wise reasons, of their eyes, he left them the use of their speech. It is never so ill with us, but it might be much worse: let us, therefore, be submissive and thankful. Have mercy on us - Hearing that Jesus passed by, and not knowing whether they should ever again have so good an opportunity of addressing him, they are determined to call, and call earnestly. They ask for mercy, conscious that they deserve nothing, and they ask with faith - Son of David, acknowledging him as the promised Messiah.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 20:29-34

It is good for those under the same trial, or infirmity of body or mind, to join in prayer to God for relief, that they may quicken and encourage one another. There is mercy enough in Christ for all that ask. They were earnest in prayer. They cried out as men in earnest. Cold desires beg denials. They were humble in prayer, casting themselves upon, and referring themselves cheerfully to, the Mediator's mercy. They…

Read the full comment on Matthew 20:29-34 →

Matthew 20:30 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

ἰδοὺidoubeholdG2400

δύοduotwoG1417

τυφλοὶtuphloiblind [men]G5185

καθήμενοιkathēmenoisittingG2521

παρὰparabesideG3844

τὴνtēntheG3588

ὁδόν,hodonroad,G3598

ἀκούσαντεςakousanteshaving heardG191

ὅτιhotithatG3754

ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424

παράγει,parageiis passing by,G3855

ἔκραξανekraxancried outG2896

λέγοντες·legontessaying;G3004

ἐλέησονeleēsondo have mercy onG1653

ἡμᾶςhēmasusG3165

κύριεkurieLordG2962

υἱὸςhuiosSonG5207

Δαυίδ.¶Dauidof David.G1138

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

Cross references for Matthew 20:30

Mark 10:46
And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimeus, the son of Timeus, sat by the highway side begging.
Matthew 12:22-23
Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
Matthew 22:42
Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
Matthew 21:9
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
Isaiah 42:16
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
Matthew 21:14
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
Psalms 146:8
The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous:
Matthew 9:27-31
And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. …
Luke 7:21
And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
Isaiah 59:10
We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.
Isaiah 35:5-6
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
John 9:1-12
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

two.
9:27-31; 12:22; 21:14; Ps 146:8; Isa 29:18; 35:5,6; 42:16,18
Isa 59:10; 61:1,2; Mr 10:46; Lu 4:18; 7:21; Joh 9:1-12
Have.
12:23; 15:22; 21:9; 22:42; Ac 2:30; Ro 1:3,4

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

Context

Matthew 20:29
And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
Matthew 20:30
And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
Matthew 20:31
And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.

Read all of Matthew 20

Matthew 20:30 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y he aquí dos ciegos sentados junto al camino, como oyeron que Jesús pasaba, clamaron, diciendo: Señor, Hijo de David, ten misericordia de nosotros.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et voici, deux aveugles assis sur le bord du chemin, ayant entendu que Jésus passait, s’écrièrent, disant: Aie pitié de nous, Seigneur, Fils de David.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und siehe, zwei Blinde, die am Wege saßen, als sie hörten, daß Jesus vorübergehe, schrieen und sprachen: Erbarme dich unser, Herr, Sohn Davids!
Latin Clementine Vulgate	et ecce duo cæci sedentes secus viam audierunt quia Jesus transiret: et clamaverunt, dicentes: Domine, miserere nostri, fili David.