Mark 7:37 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

NIV: People were overwhelmed with amazement. 'He has done everything well,' they said. 'He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.'

NASB: And they were utterly astonished, saying, 'He has done all things well; He makes even those who are deaf hear, and those who are unable to talk, speak.'

CSB: They were extremely astonished and said, "He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

NLT: They were completely amazed and said again and again, 'Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.'

KJV: And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

NKJV: And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

When the crowd brings the deaf man with the speech impediment to Jesus, they don't ask Him to heal him but to lay His hands on him (Mark 7:32). It could very well be that the people don't expect healing, but just a blessing. "Astonished" is from the Greek root word ekplesso and means to be struck with amazement, as if someone hits you. "Beyond all measure" is from the Greek root word huperperiossos and is used only here in the New Testament. When the crowd says Jesus has done "all things" well, it suggests they knew of His success in healing in other areas—perhaps from the man Jesus freed from a legion of demons (Mark 5:1–20).

Although the term for "speech impediment" is used in Mark 7:32, here the crowd seems to say the man was mute. The Greek root word alalos can mean completely speechless or just impossible to understand. The healing brings to mind the Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 35:5–6, in which God promises, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy." Earlier, Jesus did not correct the Canaanite woman when she called Him "O Lord, Son of David" (Matthew 15:22). Soon, Jesus will lead Peter to confess that Jesus is, in fact, the Jewish Messiah (Mark 8:27–30).

Despite Jesus' request that the crowd keep this secret, they can't contain it (Mark 7:36). Before long He will pull away to a mountain where many will demand healing, including the prophesied lame, blind, and crippled (Matthew 15:29–31). Yet again, the day will grow late, and the people will get hungry. The Pharisees scolded Jesus' disciples for not practicing the manmade tradition of washing hands before eating. Meanwhile, Jesus is happy to interact with a Canaanite woman at the table (Mark 7:24–30) and share bread with some four thousand Jews and Gentiles, sitting on the ground (Mark 8:1–10).

Mark 7:31–37 mentions only this one healed man and is the only Gospel to do so, while Matthew 15:29–31 describes Jesus healing a great crowd. It's possible that this one healing created the crowd mentioned in Matthew. Healing the deaf is associated with God's direct blessing (Isaiah 35:5) and the Old Testament does not record any account of a literally deaf person being healed; most mentions of ''deaf'' people are references to those who are spiritually hardened. The people praise Jesus not only for healing the deaf and mute man, but for doing it well.

Jesus counters another traditional error from the scribes and Pharisees, explaining that food in and of itself does not make a person unclean. Rather, it is the intent of the heart that matters to God. He specifically condemns traditions which effectively undo the original intent of God's commands. Jesus heals the daughter of a persistent Gentile woman, and a man suffering from deafness and a speech impediment.

After showing His authority over demons, death, and physics, Jesus asserts His superiority over manmade traditions. For generations, Jewish religious leaders have added to the Law in an attempt to keep the nation holy. Such traditions, however, serve to make the leaders look good but unnecessarily burden the people. Jesus argues in word and action that any law that dismisses love is either misinterpreted or manmade.

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.