MRK 8:22-26

The Blind Man at Bethsaida

22And they came to Bethsaida, and they brought to him a blind man and implored him that he might touch him. [8:23] And having taken hold of the hand of the blind man, he brought him out of the village, and having spit upon the eyes of him, having laid his hands upon him, he was asking him: 'Do you see anything?' [8:24] And having looked up, he was saying: 'I see the men, for I see them walking as trees.' [8:25] Then again he put the hands upon the eyes of him, and he looked clearly and was restored, and he was seeing everything clearly. [8:26] And he sent him to his home, saying: 'Do not even enter the village, nor speak to anyone in the village.'

In the world it was spoken into

In the 1st-century Greco-Roman world, physical ailments like blindness were often seen as signs of divine disfavor or impurity. Healing practices were deeply intertwined with religious and cultural beliefs, and spitting was sometimes thought to have medicinal properties, particularly for eye ailments. The act of spitting on the blind man’s eyes would have been understood as a deliberate, culturally resonant gesture, not merely a random act. The gradual restoration of sight—first seeing people as trees, then fully restored—mirrors the common belief that healing could be a process rather than an instantaneous event. The village setting of Bethsaida, a small fishing community, underscores the local, communal nature of this event. The instruction to avoid returning to the village aligns with Jesus’ tendency to avoid public spectacle, emphasizing humility and discretion. The restoration of sight would have been seen as a sign of divine authority and power, resonating with Jewish expectations of messianic healing.

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How other translations render this

MRK 8:22

KJV: And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.
BSB: When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
Koinōnos: And they came to Bethsaida, and they brought to him a blind man and implored him that he might touch him.

MRK 8:23

KJV: 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.
BSB: So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the manʼs eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked.
Koinōnos: And having taken hold of the hand of the blind man, he brought him out of the village, and having spit upon the eyes of him, having laid his hands upon him, he was asking him: 'Do you see anything?

MRK 8:24

KJV: And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
BSB: The man looked up and said, “I can see the people, but they look like trees walking around.”
Koinōnos: And having looked up, he was saying: 'I see the men, for I see them walking as trees.

MRK 8:25

KJV: After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
BSB: Once again Jesus placed His hands on the manʼs eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly.
Koinōnos: Then again he put the hands upon the eyes of him, and he looked clearly and was restored, and he was seeing everything clearly.

MRK 8:26

KJV: And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
BSB: Jesus sent him home and said, “Do not go back into the village.”
Koinōnos: And he sent him to his home, saying: 'Do not even enter the village, nor speak to anyone in the village.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

MRK 8:22

they implore:The word translated 'they implore' often carried a sense of urgency and earnestness, like a strong plea or an appeal for help, rather than a simple request.

MRK 8:23

having spit:The act of 'having spit' was sometimes associated with healing or ritual purification in the ancient world, not merely a casual action.

MRK 8:25

look:The word translated 'look' here implies a full and complete restoration of sight, suggesting a return to a previous, healthy state.
and:The word translated 'and' here is part of an adverbial phrase meaning 'clearly' or 'distinctly,' emphasizing the sharpness of his restored vision.