Matthew 20:33

Mat_20:33 f. Ἵνα ἀνοιγῶσιν, κ.τ.λ.] answering the above question in terms of the object aimed at in the cry, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, of which ἵνα ἀνοιγ., κ.τ.λ. is the continuation.

ἥψατο] different from Mark and Luke, who represent Jesus as healing merely by the power of His word.

τῶν ὀμμάτων (see critical notes), used for variety, being, as far as the meaning is concerned, the same as ὀφθαλμοί. Comp. Xen. Mem. i. 4. 17; Plat. Alc. I. p. 133 B.

ἀνέβλ. αὐτ. οἱ ὀφθ.] their eyes recovered the power of seeing; naïvely told.

ἠκολούθ. αὐτῷ] we cannot tell whether they followed him permanently, though this seems probable from Mar_10:46.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 20:33 . ἴνα ἀνοιγῶσιν οἱ ὀφ . They desire the greater benefit, opening of their eyes, which shows that the eyes of their mind were open as to Christ’s power and will. ἀνοιγῶσιν , 2nd aorist subjunctive, for which the T. R. has the more common 1st aorist.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 33. That our eyes may be opened.] He who feels his own sore, and the plague of his heart, has no great need of a prompter in prayer. A hungry man can easily ask bread; he has no need to go to a book to get expressions to state his wants in; his hunger tells him he wants food, and he tells this to the person from whom he expects relief. Helps to devotion, in all ordinary cases, may be of great use; in extraordinary cases they can be of little importance; the afflicted heart alone can tell its own sorrows, with appropriate pleadings.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(33) Lord.—St. Mark (Mar_10:51, in the Greek), after his manner, gives the Hebrew word, Rabboni (comp. Joh_20:16), which Bartimæus actually uttered.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

Ver. 33. Lord, that our eyes might be opened] "Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun," Ecc 11:7, and yet how little is this mercy prized, because common. Our corrupt natures heed nothing that we enjoy, as the eye seeth nothing that lies on it, but things at a distance it discerns clearly. Bona a tergo formosissima. Copy of good things breeds satiety, and makes them no dainties, till God for our folly many times makes us see the worth of them by the want of them, and so commends and endears his favours to us. But what a blindness is this, worse than that of Bartimeus, never to see the face but the back only of benefits.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

33. That our eyes may be opened — Our eyes are thirsty for the light. Long years, perhaps, have passed, and the wonderful realities of creation that surround us have been to us a dark and dismal blank. Thine is the power that can again reveal them like a new creation to our view. How many are the confessions that the blind men make of Jesus as Lord, Son of David, the King that should come, author of mercy, possessor of power divine. So can sorrow make us humble and docile to the truth. Had Israel, her priesthood, her religionists, her rulers, but been blind, physically blind, needing the Saviour’s restoring power, how quickly would they have yielded their faith to receive their sight. So truly is wicked unbelief the offspring of a proud and wicked will.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That our eyes may be opened. So another blind man said, when asked the same question. (Mar_10:51) They had at first asked vaguely for mercy, now they prayed definitely for sight an example to all to make their supplications for particular graces and mercies, and not to be content with general terms which do not describe their special wants.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

33. They say to Him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.] Mk. has: “And the blind man said to Him, Rabboni, that I may see.”

(M)

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.