Matthew 9:31 - Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute

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Context

Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute
…30And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one finds out about this!” 31But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout the land. 32As they were leaving, a demon-possessed man who was mute was brought to Jesus.…

Cross References

Mark 7:36
Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He ordered them, the more widely they proclaimed it.Mark 1:45
But the man went out and openly began to proclaim and spread the news. Consequently, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view, but He stayed out in solitary places. Yet people came to Him from every quarter.Luke 5:15
But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.Matthew 12:16-21
warning them not to make Him known. / This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: / “Here is My Servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations. ...Mark 3:12
But He warned them sternly not to make Him known.Luke 8:56
Her parents were astounded, but Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.John 12:17-18
Meanwhile, many people who had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. / That is also why the crowd went out to meet Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.Acts 4:17-18
But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.” / Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.Acts 5:28
“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.”Matthew 8:4
Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”Isaiah 42:1-4
“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations. / He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets. / A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. ...Isaiah 29:18-19
On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see. / The humble will increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.Isaiah 35:5-6
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. / Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,Psalm 78:2-4
I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning, / that we have heard and known and our fathers have relayed to us. / We will not hide them from their children but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might and the wonders He has performed.

Mark 1:44,45
And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them…

Mark 7:36
And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

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Matthew 9

But they went out
This phrase indicates the immediate action taken by the individuals who had just experienced a miraculous healing by Jesus. In the context of Matthew 9, Jesus had healed two blind men, demonstrating His divine authority and compassion. The urgency in their action reflects the transformative impact of their encounter with Christ. This mirrors the response of others who were healed or witnessed miracles, such as the leper in Mark 1:45, who also spread the news despite Jesus' instruction to remain silent.

and spread the news about Him
The spreading of news about Jesus highlights the natural human response to share good news, especially when it involves personal transformation. This act of spreading the news is significant in the context of first-century Judea, where oral tradition was a primary means of communication. The news about Jesus' miracles would have traveled quickly, contributing to His growing reputation as a healer and teacher. This also fulfills the role of witnesses, as seen in Acts 1:8, where believers are called to be witnesses to the ends of the earth.

throughout the land
The phrase "throughout the land" suggests a widespread dissemination of information, likely reaching various towns and villages in the region of Galilee and beyond. This geographical spread is important for understanding the growing influence of Jesus' ministry. The land referred to here is likely the region of Galilee, a significant area in Jesus' ministry, known for its diverse population and strategic location. This widespread sharing of news would have set the stage for the large crowds that followed Jesus, as seen in subsequent chapters of the Gospel.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Jesus
The central figure in the Gospel of Matthew, performing miracles and teaching about the Kingdom of God.

2. The Blind Men
Two individuals who were healed by Jesus, demonstrating His compassion and divine power.

3. The Land
Refers to the region of Galilee where Jesus was ministering at the time.

Teaching Points

The Power of Testimony
The healed men could not contain their excitement and gratitude, leading them to share their experience with others. This highlights the importance of personal testimony in spreading the Gospel.

Obedience and Disobedience
Jesus instructed the men not to tell anyone, yet they disobeyed. This raises questions about the balance between sharing good news and following divine instructions.

The Impact of Miracles
Miracles serve as a testament to Jesus' divine authority and compassion, drawing people to Him and validating His message.

Evangelism and Witnessing
The passage encourages believers to share their encounters with Christ, emphasizing the role of personal experience in evangelism.

The Spread of the Gospel
The rapid spread of news about Jesus foreshadows the Great Commission, where believers are called to make disciples of all nations.

(31) They . . . spread abroad his fame.--As in other cases, so in this, the command was not obeyed. The question has been raised, whether the zeal which thus showed itself was or not praiseworthy; and, curiously enough, has been answered by most patristic and Roman Catholic commentators in the affirmative, some even maintaining that the command was not meant seriously; and by most Protestant commentators in the negative. There can be no doubt that the latter take that which is ethically the truer view. "To obey is better than sacrifice," better even than unrestrained emotion, better certainly than garrulous excitement.

Verse 31. - But they, when they were departed; but they went forth and (Revised Version). The very moment that they left the house (cf, ver. 32) they disobeyed him. Observe that the phrases used in this verso are possibly due to a reminiscence of the similar phrases found in Mark 1:45 of the leper. Spread abroad his fame in all that country; land (Revised Version); ver. 26, note. Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

they went out
ἐξελθόντες (exelthontes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1831: To go out, come out. From ek and erchomai; to issue.

and spread the news
διεφήμισαν (diephēmisan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1310: To report, publish abroad. From dia and a derivative of pheme; to report thoroughly, i.e. Divulgate.

about Him
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

throughout
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

land.
γῇ (gē)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe.

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