Matthew 15:31
in Matthew 15The crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing: and they glorified the God of Israel.
KJV
Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
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This verse in Matthew 15
Commentary
14 notes on this verseThe multitude wondered - And well they might, when they had such proofs of the miraculous power and love of God before their eyes. Blessed be God! the same miracles are continued in their spiritual reference. All the disorders of the soul are still cured by the power of Jesus.
This site's exposition
came nigh unto the sea of Galilee
on Matthew 15:29-31
Jesus returns toward Galilee and, on Mark's fuller account, into Gentile territory on its eastern shore, where multitudes bring the lame, blind, dumb and maimed to be healed at his feet. The response of the crowd is the notable phrase, they glorified the God of Israel, which Barnes reads as evidence the setting is largely Gentile, since a Jewish crowd would have simply glorified God, not specified whose God he is. The scene answers, in miniature, what the Canaanite woman's story had just argued, that the nations are being drawn to Israel's God through Israel's King.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Remember that the context is the plea of the Canaanite woman. Remember that the Lord's silence with her had proceeded from a consideration of the gradual timing of revelation and not from any problem of her volition. So when he said, "O woman, great is your faith," she is now certain of being saved. Indeed, he also comes to the whole Gentile community, when those who accordingly believe will at once be freed like the girl from any power of the unclean spirits. And faith in the deed therefore follows. What follows immediately after the Gentile people are prefigured in the daughter of the Canaanite woman? Those afflicted with different kinds of diseases are offered by the crowd to the Lord on the mountain. That is, the faithless and the sick are instructed by the believers to fall down and adore. They are made well again, and all the functions of mind and body are being restored for hearing, contemplating, praising and following the Lord.
This sea is called by various names; the sea at Galilee, because of its neighbourhood to Galilee; the sea of Tiberias, from the town of Tiberias."And going up into a mountain, he sat down there."
What the Latin translator calls 'debiles' (maimed), is in the Greek χυλλοὺς which is not a general term for a maimed person, but a peculiar species, as he that is lame in one foot is called 'claudus,' so he that is crippled in one hand is called χυλλός. He said nothing concerning the maimed, because there was no one word which was the opposite of thisa.
They had not yet thoroughly understood the Lord's dignity as God but supposed him to be a mere man. For this reason they offered up glory to the God of Israel.
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 52 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
"And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into the mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, maimed, dumb; and cast them at His feet; and He healed them, insomuch that the multitudes wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see, and they glorified the God of Israel." Now He goes about Himself, now sits awaiting the diseased, and hath the lame brought up unto the mountain. And no longer do they touch so much as His garment, but advance a higher step, being cast at His feet: and they showed their faith doubly, first, by going up into the mountain though lame, then by wanting nothing else but to be cast at His feet only. And great was the marvel and strange, to see them that were carried walking, the blind needing not any to lead them by the hand. Yea, both the multitude of the healed, and the facility of their cure amazed them. Seest thou, how the woman indeed He healed with so much delay, but these immediately? not because these are better than she is, but because she is more faithful than they. Therefore, while in her case He defers and delays, to manifest her constancy; on these He bestows the gift immediately, stopping the mouths of the unbelieving Jews, and cutting away from them every plea. For the greater favors one hath received, so much the more is he liable to punishment, if he be insensible, and the very honor make him no better.
7 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 31.) And he healed them, so that the crowds marveled, seeing the mute speaking, the lame walking, the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. Concerning the mute, he remained silent, for he had nothing to say in opposition. This is accomplished with one word.
The Medieval Church3 voices
Behold their faith, how they even ascend a mountain although they are lame and blind. And they do not move sluggishly but throw themselves at the feet of Jesus as if believing that He is more than a man and then, indeed, they obtain healing. …
Mystically; Having in the daughter of this Chauanæan prefigured the salvation of the Gentiles, He came into Judæa; because, when the fulness of the Gentiles shall have entered in, then shall all Israel be saved. (Rom. 11:25.) Thus raising his hearers to meditate on heavenly things. He sat down there to show that rest is not to be sought but in heavenly things. And as He sits on the mountain, that is, in the heavenly height, there come unto Him multitudes of the faithful, drawing near to Him with devoted mind, and bringing to Him the dumb, and the blind, & c. and cast them down at Jesus' feet; because they that confess their sins are brought to be healed by Him alone. These He so heals, that the multitudes marvel and magnify the God of Israel; because the faithful when they see those that have been spiritually sick richly endued with all manner of works of virtuousness, sing praise to God.
And there follows the admiration: so that the multitudes marveled seeing the dumb etc. Here the effect is set forth. This had been foretold in Isa. 35:5: then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Insomuch that the multitude wondered,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The beginning of this passage contains three points which deserve our special attention. For the present let us dwell exclusively on them. In the first place, let us remark how much more pains people take about the relief of their bodily diseases than about their souls. We read that “ great multitudes came to Jesus having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed and many others.” Many of them, no doubt, had journeyed many miles, andgone through great fatigues. Nothing is so difficult and troublesome as to move sick people.
The beginning of this passage contains three points which deserve our special attention. For the present let us dwell exclusively on them. In the first place, let us remark how much more pains people take about the relief of their bodily diseases than about their souls. We read that “ great multitudes came to Jesus having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed and many others.” Many of them, no doubt, had journeyed many miles, andgone through great fatigues. Nothing is so difficult and troublesome as to move sick people. But the hope of being healed was in sight: such hope is everything to a sick man. We know little of human nature if we wonder at the conduct of these people. We need not wonder at all. They felt that health was the greatest of earthly blessings; they felt that pain was the hardest of all trials to bear. There is no arguing against sense. A man feels his strength failing; he sees his body wasting and his face becoming pale; he is sensible that his appetite is leaving him: he knows, in short, that he is ill, and needs a physician. Show him a physician within reach, who is said never to fail in working cures, and he will go to him without delay. Let us, however, not forget that our souls are far more diseased than our bodies, and let us learn a lesson from the conduct of these people. Our souls are afflicted with a malady far more deep-seated, far more complicated, far more hard to cure than any ailment that flesh is heir to. They are in fact plague-stricken by sin. They must be healed, and healed effectually, or perish everlastingly. Do we really know this? Do we feel it? Are we alive to our spiritual disease? Alas, there is but one answer to these questions! The bulk of mankind do not feel it at all. Their eyes are blinded. They are utterly insensible to their danger.
The words behind it
20 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὥστε | hoste | so that | G5620 → | 83 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὄχλον | ochlon | crowd | G3793 → | 175 times |
| θαυμάσαι | thaumasai | to marvel | G2296 → | 43 times |
| βλέποντας | blepontas | seeing | G991 → | 132 times |
| κωφοὺς | kophous | mute | G2974 → | 14 times |
| λαλοῦντας, | lalountas | speaking, | G2980 → | 294 times |
| κυλλοὺς | kullous | crippled | G2948 → | 4 times |
| ὑγιεῖς, | hugieis | restored, | G5199 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| χωλοὺς | cholous | lame | G5560 → | 14 times |
| περιπατοῦντας, | peripatountas | walking, | G4043 → | 94 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τυφλοὺς | tuphlous | blind | G5185 → | 50 times |
| βλέποντας. | blepontas | seeing. | G991 → | 132 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐδόξασαν | edoxasan | they glorified | G1392 → | 61 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸν | theon | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| Ἰσραήλ.¶ | israel | of Israel. | G2474 → | 68 times |
ὥστεso that
hosteG5620 →83 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ὄχλονcrowd
ochlonG3793 →175 times
θαυμάσαιto marvel
thaumasaiG2296 →43 times
βλέπονταςseeing
blepontasG991 →132 times
κωφοὺςmute
kophousG2974 →14 times
λαλοῦντας,speaking,
lalountasG2980 →294 times
κυλλοὺςcrippled
kullousG2948 →4 times
ὑγιεῖς,restored,
hugieisG5199 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
χωλοὺςlame
cholousG5560 →14 times
περιπατοῦντας,walking,
peripatountasG4043 →94 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τυφλοὺςblind
tuphlousG5185 →50 times
βλέποντας.seeing.
blepontasG991 →132 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐδόξασανthey glorified
edoxasanG1392 →61 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
θεὸνGod
theonG2316 →1312 times
Ἰσραήλ.¶of Israel.
israelG2474 →68 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 50:23He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who rights his way, I will show the salvation of God.”
it leads to
- Psalms 91:16
With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.”
- Psalms 24:4–5
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.
- James 3:13
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
- Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
- Psalms 50:14–15
Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
- Psalms 91:16
Through
Genesis 32:28Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”
it leads to
- Revelation 2:17
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone…
- Genesis 35:10
And God said to him, “Though your name is Jacob, you will no longer be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel.” So God named him Israel.
- Isaiah 62:2–4
Nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
- Revelation 2:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Matthew
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Cyril of Alexandria, FRAGMENT 188; Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew 15.5; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 52; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Rabanus Maurus, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Remigius of Rheims, Commentary (church-history corpus); Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.