Mark 10:46 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.

NIV: Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means 'son of Timaeus'), was sitting by the roadside begging.

NASB: Then they *came to Jericho. And later, as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a beggar who was blind named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road.

CSB: They came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting by the road.

NLT: Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road.

KJV: And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

NKJV: Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.

Jericho is in Judea, five miles west of the Jordan River, just north of the Dead Sea. Jerusalem is eighteen miles southwest. Jericho features prominently in Israelite history. Moses died just the other side of the Jordan River (Deuteronomy 34:1–6). Jericho was the first city Joshua and the Israelites conquered after they crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land (Joshua 6). God had the Israelites march around the city once for six days, then seven times on the seventh day. The walls crumbled down, and the Israelites destroyed everyone inside except the family of Rahab.

Joshua cursed whomever would refortify the city, saying, "At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates" (Joshua 6:26). Over five hundred years later, the curse came to fruition. Hiel of Bethel "laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub" (1 Kings 16:34). Archaeological findings confirm that for a five-hundred-year period, from about 1400 BC to 900 BC, Jericho appears to have been uninhabited.

Mark and Matthew (Matthew 20:29) say that Bartimaeus met them as they left Jericho, but Luke says as they "drew near to Jericho" (Luke 18:35). One possible reconciliation is that at this time, there were two locations referred to with the name "Jericho." The original mentioned in the Old Testament was, by the time of Jesus, a small village about two miles south of the larger city. The later Jericho was built by Herod the Great around 35 BC. So, Matthew and Mark would be saying Jesus is leaving the old Jericho while Luke is saying He is approaching the new Jericho.

Bartimaeus is one of only two non-recurring figures whom Mark names, the other being Jairus (Mark 5:22). "Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus" is a bit redundant; in Hebrew, bar means "son of." Scholars suggest that Mark is so specific with his identification because Bartimaeus is known to those in the early church. Matthew 20:30 says that Bartimaeus has a companion who is also healed (Matthew 20:34). Mark and Luke may only mention the beggar with the loudest voice or, perhaps, the man they knew personally.

Mark 10:46–52 describes Jesus traveling through Jericho on His way to Jerusalem and the cross. He is stopped by a blind man who wishes to be healed. The first account of Jesus healing a blind man comes directly after Jesus accuses the disciples of spiritual blindness (Mark 8:14–26). This, the last of Jesus' healing miracles in Mark, directly follows James and John's spiritually blind request for positions of power in Jesus' kingdom. Luke 18:35–43 records a similar event, possibly the same one; Matthew 20:29–34 mentions that Bartimaeus has a friend who is also healed.

In this passage, Jesus again confronts the Pharisees by clarifying God's views on marriage and divorce. He reminds the disciples not to dismiss the spiritual perspective of children. This chapter also records Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler, who becomes an object lesson in why wealth makes it hard for people to rely on God. After this, Jesus deftly sets aside an arrogant request from James and John, and again predicts His impending death. Just prior to the triumphal entry of chapter 11, Jesus is sought out by Bartimaeus, whom He heals of blindness.

In between chapters 9 and 10, Jesus resumes His public teaching as He travels to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Luke 9:57—18:14; John 7—10). We meet Him here across the Jordan in Perea and follow as He makes His way west again to Jericho. This chapter surrounds a third prophecy of Jesus' death (Mark 10:32–34) with lessons on His value for those others often dismiss: women (Mark 10:1–12), the powerless (Mark 10:13–16), those who value God more than the world (Mark 10:17–31), servant-hearted leaders (Mark 10:35–45), and those with bold faith (Mark 10:46–52). Next is the triumphal entry and the beginning of Passion Week.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.