Mark 7:32

And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. AND THEY BRING UNTO HIM ONE THAT WAS DEAF, AND HAD AN IMPEDIMENT IN HIS SPEECH; AND THEY BESEECH HIM TO PUT HIS HAND UPON HIM. In their eagerness they appear to have been somewhat too officious. Though usually doing as here suggested, He will deal with this case in His own way....

Mark 7:32._And they bring to him one who was deaf. _The reason why _they implored him to lay his hands upon him _may be learned from passages which we have already considered; for the _laying on of hands _was a solemn symbol of consecration, (423) and by means of it, the gifts of the Holy Spirit were also bestowed. And there is no doubt that this ceremony was frequently used by Christ; so that those men requested nothing but what they knew that he had been formerly in the habit of doing. On the present occasion, Christ employs other symbols; for he puts his _spittle _on the _tongue _of the _dumb man, and puts his fingers into his ears. _The _laying on of hands _would of itself have been sufficiently efficacious, and even, without moving a finger, he might have accomplished it by a single act of his will; but it is eviden

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 Christ, yet all obtained the relief they sought. Thus it still is in the great concerns of our souls....

Verse 32. _THEY BRING UNTO HIM ONE THAT WAS DEAF, AND HAD AN_ _IMPEDIMENT IN HIS SPEECH_] Though from the _letter_ of the text, it does not appear that this man was absolutely deprived of speech; for μογιλαλος literally signifies, one that cannot _speak plainly _- a _stammerer_; yet it is certain also that the word means a _dumb_ _person_; and it is likely that the person in question was _dumb_, because he was deaf; and it is generally found that he who is totally _deaf_ is _dumb_ also. Almost all the versions understand the word thus: and the concluding words seem to confirm this - _He maketh_ _both the deaf to hear, and the_ DUMB, κωφους, _to speak_....

THEY BRING - That is, his friends brought, or the people brought. ONE THAT WAS DEAF, AND HAD AN IMPEDIMENT IN HIS SPEECH - Not entirely mute, but who spoke indistinctly or with difficulty. His deafness might not have been of long standing, and his speech, therefore, not entirely ruined. TO PUT HIS HAND UPON HIM - That is, to cure him. Blessings were commonly imparted by laying on the hands....

EXPOSITION MARK 7:1, MARK 7:2 These verses, according to the Greek construction, should run thus: AND THERE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER UNTO THE PHARISEES, AND CERTAIN OF THE scribes, WHICH HAD COME FROM JERUSALEM, AND HAD SEEN THAT SOME OF HIS DISCIPLES ATE THEIR BREAD WITH DEFILED, THAT IS, UNWASHEN, HANDS. The word (ἐμέμψαντο) translated in the Authorized Version, "they found fault," does not appear in the best authorities. It seems to have been interpolated to help the construction. St. Mark explains the meaning of the word κοιναῖς_ _(literally, common), by the word (ἀνίπτοις) "unwashen." The disciples, doubtless, washed their hands, but they abstained from the multiplied ceremonial washings of the Pharisees, wh

AND THEY BRING UNTO HIM ONE THAT WAS DEAF,.... There were two sorts of persons that were called deaf among the Jews; one that could neither hear nor speak; such were they who were born deaf; and so having never heard any thing, it was impossible they should ever speak: the other sort were they that could speak, but not hear; who lost their hearing by some disaster or another, but retained their speech c: of this sort seems to be this man, who though he had some difficulty in speaking, yet could speak a little, AND HAD AN IMPEDIMENT IN HIS SPEECH; or could "scarcely speak", as the word signifies; though it is sometimes used by the Septuagint, for one that was entirely dumb, as in Isaiah 35:6 and so it is here rendered "dumb", by the Vulgate Latin, and other versions; yet it seems to design one that stammered, and could not speak plainly, and without great difficulty: he was t

CHAPTER 7 _ 1. The Opposition of the Pharisees. (Mark 7:1 .Matthew 15:1)_ 2. Grace shown to the Syrophenician Woman. (Mark 7:24. Matthew 15:21) 3. The healing of the deaf man. (Mark 7:31. Matthew 15:29 .) 1. THE OPPOSITION OF THE PHARISEES. Mark 7:1 This paragraph is of much importance. The scope of the analysis forbids a full annotation, but we refer th

THE HEALING OF A DEAF-MUTE. The cure of the Syro-Phœ nician woman's daughter threatens the privacy Jesus sought in Tyre. He therefore withdraws to Decapolis (another Gentile district, Matthew 4:25 *), going northward through Sidon, and presumably reaching Decapolis by a circuitous route which avoided Galilee. (Wellhausen's conjecture, Bethsaida for Sidon, is unnecessary.) The incident that follows is peculiar to Mk. Jesus heals a deaf-mute, by means not unusual in that age (_cf._ account of healings by Vespasian in Tacitus, _Hist._ iv. 81). Mt. omits this story, perhaps because the methods employed (cf. Mark 8:23) savour of magic. Mk., a popular writer, is interested in the details and in the actual word used. The rare word _mogilalos,_ with an impediment in his speech, recalls...

CLEAN AND UNCLEAN (Mark 7:1-4)...