Mark 8:23

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

And, laying hold of the hand of the blind man, he brought him forth outside the village, and, spitting into his eyes, laying his hands upon him, he was asking him - Anything, seest thou?

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
So Jesus held the blind man's hand and led him out of the village. Then he spit on the man's eyes. He laid his hands on him and asked, "Can you see now?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he caught the blynde by the honde and leade him out of the toune and spat in his eyes and put his hondes apon him and axed him whether he saw ought.

International Standard Version
JesusThen he">[fn] took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. He spit into his eyes, placed his hands on him, and asked him, "Do you see anything?"Mark 7:33;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
Taking the man who was blind by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting in his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?"

New Century Version
So Jesus took the blind man's hand and led him out of the village. Then he spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on the man and asked, "Can you see now?"

Update Bible Version
And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him, Do you see anything?

Webster's Bible Translation
And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught.

Amplified Bible
Taking the blind man by the hand, He led him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?"

English Standard Version
And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"

World English Bible
He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the town, and having spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him, If he saw ought?

Weymouth's New Testament
So He took the blind man by the arm and brought him out of the village, and spitting into his eyes He put His hands on him and asked him, "Can you see anything?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne he hadde take the blynde mannus hoond, he ledde hym out of the street, and spete in to hise iyen, and sette hise hoondis on hym; and he axide hym, if he saye ony thing.

English Revised Version
And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught?

Berean Standard Bible
So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man's eyes and placed His hands on him. "Can you see anything?" He asked.

Contemporary English Version
Jesus took him by the hand and led him out of the village, where he spit into the man's eyes. He placed his hands on the blind man and asked him if he could see anything.

American Standard Version
And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught?

Bible in Basic English
And he took the blind man by the hand, and went with him out of the town; and when he had put water from his mouth on his eyes, and put his hands on him, he said, Do you see anything?

Complete Jewish Bible
Taking the blind man's hand, he led him outside the town. He spit in his eyes, put his hands on him and asked him, "Do you see anything?"

Darby Translation
And taking hold of the hand of the blind man he led him forth out of the village, and having spit upon his eyes, he laid his hands upon him, and asked him if he beheld anything.

Etheridge Translation
And he took the hand of the blind man, and led him forth without from the village; and spat in his eyes, and laid (on them) his hand, and inquired whether he saw. [fn]

Murdock Translation
And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the village, and spit on his eyes, and laid on his hand: and asked him, what he saw.

King James Version (1611)
And he tooke the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the towne, and when he had spit on his eyes, & put his hands vpon him, he asked him, if hee saw ought.

New Living Translation
Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man's eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, "Can you see anything now?"

New Life Bible
He took the blind man by the hand out of town. Then He spit on the eyes of the blind man and put His hands on him. He asked, "Do you see anything?"

New Revised Standard
He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Can you see anything?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then he tooke the blinde by the hand, and ledde him out of the towne, and spat in his eyes, and put his handes vpon him, and asked him, if he sawe ought.

George Lamsa Translation
And he took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside the town; and he spat on his eyes, and put his hands on him, and asked him what he saw.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the town. And spitting upon his eyes, laying his hands on him, he asked him if he saw any thing.

Revised Standard Version
And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he caught the blinde by the hand, and led him out of the towne: and whe he had spyt in his eyes, & put his handes vpon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

Good News Translation
Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. After spitting on the man's eyes, Jesus placed his hands on him and asked him, "Can you see anything?"

Christian Standard Bible®
He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”

Hebrew Names Version
He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.

King James Version
And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

Lexham English Bible
And he took hold of the blind man's hand and led him outside the village, and after spitting in his eyes, he placed his hands on him and asked him, "Do you see anything?"

Literal Translation
And having taken hold of the blind one's hand, He led him forth outside the village. And spitting into his eyes, laying His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.

Young's Literal Translation
and having taken the hand of the blind man, he led him forth without the village, and having spit on his eyes, having put [his] hands on him, he was questioning him if he doth behold anything:

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he toke the blynde by the hande, aud led him out of the towne, and spat in his eyes, and layed his handes vpon him, and axed him whether he sawe ought.

Mace New Testament (1729)
then taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of town, when applying his spittle to the man's eyes, and laying his hands upon him, he ask'd if he saw any thing.

New English Translation
He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the village. Then he spit on his eyes, placed his hands on his eyes and asked, "Do you see anything?"

New King James Version
So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.

Simplified Cowboy Version
He led the man outside the town, and after spitting in the guy's eyes, Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes and asked, "What do you see?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?"

Legacy Standard Bible
And taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He was asking him, "Do you see anything?"

Contextual Overview

²² And they come into Bethsaida. And they bring unto him one blind, and beseech him that him, he would touch. ²³ And, laying hold of the hand of the blind man, he brought him forth outside the village, and, spitting into his eyes, laying his hands upon him, he was asking him - Anything, seest thou? ²⁴ and, looking up, he was saying - I see men, because, like trees, I behold them walking ²⁵ Then again, put he his hands upon his eyes, and he saw clearly, and was restored, and was seeing distinctly, in broad splendour, all things together. ²⁶ And he sent him away unto his house, saying - Not even into the village, mayest thou enter.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

by the: Isaiah 51:18, Jeremiah 31:32, Acts 9:8, Hebrews 8:9

out: Mark 7:33, Isaiah 44:2

spit: John 9:6, John 9:7, Revelation 3:18

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 6:6 - he cut down Matthew 9:25 - and took Matthew 9:27 - two Mark 9:27 - General Luke 8:54 - took Acts 23:19 - took

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he took the blind man by the hand,.... Not for the sake of touching him, in order to heal him, as they desired, but to be his guide:

and led him out of the town; to shun all appearance of vain glory and popular applause, being willing to do the miracle in a private manner; and because of the obstinacy and unbelief of the inhabitants of this place, who were not worthy to be witnesses of such a cure; see Matthew 11:21;

and when he had spit on his eyes; not as a cause of healing him; for whatever use spittle may be of to such that have weak eyes, it can have no causal influence upon, or be of any service, in a natural way, to a blind man to restore his sight unto him:

and put his hands upon him; as he sometimes did, when he healed persons of any disorder:

he asked him, if he saw ought; any object whatever, whether he could perceive he had any sight at all. Christ's taking the blind man by the hand, and leading him out or the town, and spitting on his eyes, and putting his hands upon him, and then asking him if he saw ought, are emblematical of what he does in spiritual conversion, when he turns men from darkness to light: he takes them by the hand, which expresses his condescension, grace, and mercy, and becomes their guide and leader; and a better, and safer guide they cannot have; he brings them by a way they know not, and leads them in paths they had not known before; makes darkness light before them, and crooked things straight, and does not forsake them: he takes them apart, and separates them from the rest of the world; he calls them out from thence to go with him, teaching them, that, when enlightened by him, they should have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, and the workers of them; for what communion has light with darkness? his putting spittle upon his eyes, may signify the means of grace, the eye salve of the word, which, when attended with a divine power, enlightens the eyes; and which power may be represented here by Christ's putting his hands upon the man; for the Gospel, without the power of Christ, Is insufficient to produce such an effect; but when it is accompanied with that, it always succeeds.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Led him out of the town - Why this was done the sacred writers have not told us. It might have been to avoid the collecting of a multitude, and thus to have escaped the designs of the Pharisees who were attempting to take his life, and chiefly on a charge of sedition and of exciting the people. On this account Jesus chose to perform the miracle alone, thus showing that while he did good, he desired to do it in such a way as to avoid the “appearance” of evil, and to prevent, at the same time, ostentation and the malice of his enemies.

Spit on his eyes - Why this was done is not known. It was evidently not intended to perform the cure by any natural effect of the spittle. It was to the man a “sign,” an evidence that it was the power of Jesus. The eyes were probably closed. They were perhaps “gummed” or united together by a secretion that had become hard. To apply spittle to them - to wet them - would be a “sign,” a natural expression of removing the obstruction and opening them. The power was not in the spittle, but it attended the application of it.

Saw aught - Saw anything.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 23. And he took the blind man by the hand — Giving him a proof of his readiness to help him, and thus preparing him for the cure which he was about to work.

Led him out of the town — Thus showing the inhabitants that he considered them unworthy of having another miracle wrought among them. He had already deeply deplored their ingratitude and obstinacy: Matthew 11:21. When a people do not make a proper improvement of the light and grace which they receive from God, their candlestick is removed - even the visible Church becomes there extinct; and the candle is put out - no more means of spiritual illumination are afforded to the unfaithful inhabitants: Revelation 2:5.

When he had spit on his eyes — There is a similar transaction to this mentioned by John, John 9:6. It is likely this was done merely to separate the eyelids; as, in certain cases of blindness, they are found always gummed together. It required a miracle to restore the sight, and this was done in consequence of Christ having laid his hands upon the blind man: it required no miracle to separate the eyelids, and, therefore, natural means only were employed - this was done by rubbing them with spittle; but whether by Christ, or by the blind man, is not absolutely certain. Mark 7:33. It has always been evident that false miracles have been wrought without reason or necessity, and without any obvious advantage; and they have thereby been detected: on the contrary, true miracles have always vindicated themselves by their obvious utility and importance; nothing ever being effected by them that could be performed by natural means.

If he saw aught. — ει, if, is wanting in the Syriac, all the Persic and Arabic, and in the AEthiopic; and τιβλεπεις, Dost thou see any thing? is the reading of CD, Coptic, AEthiopic, all the Arabic and Persic.