Mark 7:33

He took him aside from the multitude, privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

He took him aside from the multitude privately and put his fingers into his ears; and he spat and touched his tongue.

BSB

So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue.

KJV

And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

ASV

And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue;

BBE

And he took him on one side from the people privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he put water from his mouth on the man's tongue with his finger;

Original Greek

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καὶ kai And G2532 ἀπολαβόμενος apolabomenos having taken away G618 αὐτὸν auton him G846 ἀπὸ apo from G575 τοῦ tou the G3588 ὄχλου ochlou crowd G3793 κατ kat᾽ aside G2596 ἰδίαν idian privately G2398 ἔβαλεν ebalen He put G906 τοὺς tous the G3588 δακτύλους daktulous fingers G1147 αὐτοῦ autou of Him G846 εἰς eis to G1519 τὰ ta the G3588 ὦτα ōta ears G3775 αὐτοῦ autou of him G846 καὶ kai and G2532 πτύσας ptusas having spit G4429 ἥψατο hēpsato He touched G681 τῆς tēs the G3588 γλώσσης glōssēs tongue G1100 αὐτοῦ autou of him G846

The early church

(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) He takes the deaf and dumb man who was brought to Him apart from the crowd, that He might not do His divine miracles openly; teaching us to cast away vain glory and swelling of heart, for no one can work miracles as he can, who loves humility and is lowly in his conduct. But He puts His fingers into his ears, when He might have cured him with a word, to show that His body, being united to Deity, was consecrated by Divine virtue, with all that He did. For since on account of the transgression of Adam, human nature had incurred much suffering and hurt in its members and senses, Christ coming into the world showed the perfection of human nature in Himself, and on this account opened ears with His fingers, and gave the power of speech by His spittle. Wherefore it goes on, And spit, and touched his tongue.
Pseudo-Chrysostom · d. 500Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
That He might show that all the members of His sacred body are divine and holy, even the spittle which loosed the string of the tongue. For the spittle is only the superfluous moisture of the body, but in the Lord all things are divine. It goes on, And looking up to heaven, he groaned, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
Theophylact of Ohrid · d. 1107Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
Further, he who obtains healing is always drawn aside from turbulent thoughts, disorderly actions, and incoherent speeches. And the fingers which are put into the ears are the words and the gifts of the Holy Ghost, of whom it is said, This is the finger of God. (Exod. 8:19) The spittle is heavenly wisdom, which loosens the sealed lips of the human race, so that it can say, I believe in God, the Father Almighty, and the rest of the Creed.
Pseudo-Jerome · d. 9999Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 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.

Read Matthew Henry on Mark 7 →

Cross-references

6

Topics

Spitting

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.