Matthew 9:30

Mat 9:30. Ἀνεῴχθησαν, were opened) The same verb is used also in the case of ears, Mar 7:34-35, and of the mouth, Luk 1:64.—ἐνεβριμήσατο, straitly charged) perhaps lest an opportunity might be given to the Pharisees. Cf. Mat 9:34.[431]—ὁρᾶτε, see) A word used absolutely; for neither does the following imperative depend on this.

[431] It would have been better for them to have obeyed His injunction of silence: and yet their conduct is not without affording us means of inferring, how great is the effect which the power of Christ has on those who have experienced it.—V. g.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat_9:30 f. Ἀνεῴχθησαν … ὀφθαλμοί] they recovered their power of seeing. Comp. Joh_9:10; 2Ki_6:17; Isa_30:5; Isa_42:7; Psa_146:8; Wetstein on this passage.

ἐνεβριμήθη (see the critical remarks): He was displeased with them, and said (see on Joh_11:33). The angry tone (Mar_1:43) of the prohibition is due to the feeling that an unsuccessful result was to be apprehended. To such a feeling correspond the strict terms of the prohibition: take care to let no one know it!

διεφήμισαν, κ.τ.λ.] propter memoriam gratiae non possunt tacere beneficium, Jerome. ἐξελθόντες: out of the house. Mat_9:28. Paulus, notwithstanding the context, interprets: out of the town. See also Mat_9:32, where αὐτῶν ἐξερχομένων can only mean: whilst they were going out from Jesus, out of His house.

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 9:30 . ἠνεῴχθησαν , a Hebraism. The Jews thought of blind eyes as shut, and of seeing eyes as open. ἐνεβριμήθη , sternly enjoined ( vide Mar 1:43 ). The paraphrase of Euthy. Zig. gives a vivid idea of the meaning, “looked severely, contracting His eyebrows, and shaking His head at them, as they are wont to do who wish to make sure that secrets will be kept”.

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

And their eyes were opened: and Jesus straitly charged them--The expression is very strong, denoting great earnestness.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 30. Straitly charged them] He charged them severely, from ενεβριμησατο, from εν, and βριμαομαι, to roar or storm with anger; he charged them, on pain of his displeasure, not to make it as yet public. See the reasons, Clarke "Mt 8:4".

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

(30) Straitly charged them.—The word, implying originally the panting breath of vehement emotion, is one of the strongest used by the New Testament writers (Mar_1:43; Mar_14:5; Joh_11:33; Joh_11:38) to express repugnance, displeasure, or the command that implies annoyance. It is as if our Lord saw the garrulous joy on the point of uttering itself, and sought by every means in His power to restrain it. The reasons may be sought, as elsewhere, either (1) in its being good for the spiritual life of the men themselves that they should show forth their praise of God, not with their lips, but in their lives; or (2) in the shrinking from mere notoriety, from the gaze of crowds drawn together to gaze on signs and wonders, and ready to make the Wonder-Worker a king because He wrought them, which St. Matthew, at a later stage, notes as characteristic of our Lord’s ministry (Mat_12:16-21).

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

30. straitly charged] The word in the original is a remarkable one, Literally, to roar, then (1) “to charge with vehement threats,” then (2) “to enjoin strictly,” (here and Mar_1:43); (3) to be loudly indignant (Mar_14:5); (4) “to groan in the spirit;” said of our Lord at the grave of Lazarus (Joh_11:33; Joh_11:38).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As they went out,.... The Syriac version reads it, "when Jesus went out"; to which agrees the Arabic, against all the copies: for not he, but the men who had been blind, and now had their sight restored, went out from the house where Jesus was; which circumstance is mentioned, and by it the following account is introduced, partly to show how busy Christ was, how he was continually employed in doing good, and that as soon as one work of mercy was over, another offered; and partly, to observe how closely and exactly the prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled; in which, as it was foretold, that "the eyes of the blind" should "be opened"; so likewise, that "the tongue of the dumb" should "sing", Isa 35:5.

Behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. The word signifies one that is deaf, as well as dumb; as does the Hebrew word often used by the Jewish writers for a deaf and dumb man; one, they say (g), that can neither hear nor speak, and is unfit for sacrifice, and excused many things: and indeed these two, deafness and dumbness, always go together in persons, who are deaf from their birth; for as they cannot hear, they cannot learn to speak: but this man seems to be dumb, not by nature, but through the possession of Satan, who had taken away, or restrained the use of his speech, out of pure malice and ill will, that he might not have the benefit of conversation with men, nor be able to say anything to the glory of God. This man did not come of himself to Christ, perhaps being unwilling, through the power and influence the devil had over him; but his friends, who were concerned for his welfare, and who were thoroughly persuaded of the power of Christ to heal him, by the miracles they had seen, or heard performed by him, brought him to him; and, no doubt, expressed their desire that he would cast out the devil, and cure him, which he did.

(g) Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Trumot, c. 1. sect. 2. T. Bab. Chagiga, fol. 2. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

Ver. 30. Straitly charged them, saying, See that no man, &c.] He threatened them terribly {a} (as the word here used importeth) should they but open their mouths to make it known to any man. Some do all for a name: Christ (besides the veil of his humanity) says, nay, thunders, "See ye tell no man." How far are those spirits from this which care only to be seen, and wish only to dazzle others’ eyes with admiration, not caring for unknown riches!

{a} εγεβριμησατο, cum vehementi et fremente comminatione interdixit.

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.

And their eyes were opened - Immediately. That is, their sight was restored: “And Jesus straitly charged them.” He enjoined it on them in the most earnest and solemn manner.

See that no man know it - That is, do not make proclamation of this; do not make it your business to tell every man of it; do not go forth as if I wished that you should proclaim this abroad. The injunction could not mean that they should screen the fact that no one “should” know it, for there were witnesses of it, and it would be made known; but they were not to make it a point to proclaim to the world what was done to them. This was in accordance with the usual habit of the Saviour Mat 8:4; Mat 12:16, and also with his own precepts to others Mat 6:1-4.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And Jesus strictly charged them. Although our Saviour strictly charged them to keep the miracle silent, they nevertheless published it throughout all that country; not being able to contain themselves, they became the evangelists and publishers of what they were commanded to conceal. Thus we are admonished not only to keep silent ourselves whatever is to our own commendation, but likewise to endeavour to hinder others from publishing it; to act otherwise would be to render ourselves odious to men, and abominable in the sight of God. But if we are silent, we shall obtain greater glory in the sight both of God and men. On the other hand, whatever redounds to the glory of the Almighty, we must ourselves publish, and exhort others to make it known to the whole world. Therefore it is said, Go and relate the glory of God. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. xxxiii.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

30. That no man know it — Not every man is fit to preach the Gospel who has received God’s mercy. Not every time is proper for proclaiming the truth. Compare on Mat_8:4.

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

And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them (enebrimhyh autoiv). The notion is of "coercion springing out of displeasure. The feeling is called out by something seen in another which moves to anger rather than to sorrow". (Bishop Westcott, on Joh_11:33) Saying, See that no man know it. Partly to avoid publicity for himself, partly for their own sake, for even the recital of the Lord"s mercies towards us often becomes an occasion of spiritual harm, since it is apt to degenerate into "display" with its attendant evils. hmav didaskei feugein to epideiktiko (Origen, in Cromer"s "Catena"). The other occasions (vide Mat_8:4, note) on which a similar command was given seem all to belong, with this, to the earlier part of his ministry.

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

30, 31. Jesus strictly charged them, etc. Their changed condition would sufficiently tell the story without their indiscreet babbling. They failed to obey, which they should have done, whether they understood the reason of the command or not. Note the three great lessons about our Lord: (1) He is the Life. He not only breaks the bonds of mortal death, but endows the soul with spiritual life. (2) He is the infallible Physician. Diseases of the body, sorrows of the heart, and sins of the soul that no man can heal, disappear at his touch. (3) He is the Light of the world. At his word sightless eyes see. At his word darkened souls are flooded with light.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

30. ἐνεβριμήθη, the true reading for ἐνεβριμήσατο, is an instance of the forms of the middle voice gradually giving place to passive forms. In modern Greek there is no middle voice.

30. ἐμβριμᾶσθαι. Lit. ‘to roar,’ leonis voce uti (Schleusner), then (1) ‘to charge with vehement threats:’ cp. εἰ συ βριμήσαιο, Aristoph. Knights, 851, where the Scholiast explains the word τὸ ὀργίζεσθαι καὶ ἀπειλεῖν, implying ‘fretful impatience,’ (Jebb on Soph. Ajax, 322); (2) ‘to enjoin strictly’ (here and Mar 1:43); (3) to be loudly indignant (Mar 14:5). In Joh 11:33, ἐνεβριμήσατο τῷ πνεύματι probably means, ‘felt indignation in his spirit,’ possibly, expressed indignation, ‘groaned in his spirit;’ so also Joh 11:38.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

30. ἐνεβριμήθη] Suidas explains this word, μετὰ ἀπειλῆς ἐντέλλεσθαι, μετʼ αὐστηρότητος ἐπιτιμᾷν. The purpose of our Lord’s earnestness appears to have been twofold: (1) that He might not be so occupied and over-pressed with applications as to have neither time nor strength for the preaching of the Gospel: (2) to prevent the already-excited people from taking some public measure of recognition, and thus arousing the malice of the Pharisees before His hour was come.

No doubt the two men were guilty of an act of disobedience in thus breaking the Lord’s solemn injunction: for obedience is better than sacrifice; the humble observance of the word of the Lord, than the most laborious and wide-spread will-worship after man’s own mind and invention. Trench (Miracles, p. 197) well remarks, that the fact of almost all the Romish interpreters having applauded this act, is “very characteristic, and rests on very deep differences.”

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(E) 30. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus urgently charged them, saying, See, let no one know it.]—ἐνεβριμήσατο] The verb is used of horses snorting (Æsch. Theb. 461), of men fretting or being downcast (Luc. Nec. 20), or being angry (Dan 11:30 LXX.). It occurs twice in Mar 1:43; Mar 14:5, where Mt. both times omits it. In Mt. it occurs only here. It is found twice in a different sense in Joh 11:33, Joh 11:38, followed by τῷ πνεύματι or ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Here, as in Mar 1:43, it presumably means “to command with emphasis.”1

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