Matthew 9:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.”

NIV: As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, 'Have mercy on us, Son of David!'

NASB: As Jesus went on from there, two men who were blind followed Him, crying out, 'Have mercy on us, Son of David!'

CSB: As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David! "

NLT: After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, 'Son of David, have mercy on us!'

KJV: And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.

NKJV: When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

Matthew now turns to yet another of Jesus' healing miracles. This seems to have taken place on the same day as the healing of the woman who touched His cloak and the raising of a girl back to life (Matthew 9:18–26).

Jesus, together with a large crowd, is working His way to a house, likely in Capernaum. In the crowd are two blind men who are crying out loudly. Other than Matthew's own use of the title in the opening of his book, this is the first time in Matthew that someone refers to Jesus as the "Son of David."

The term "Son of David" is the title of the Messiah (2 Samuel 7:11–13, 16). The use of that name leaves no doubt as to what these two blind men meant. They believed Jesus was the long-promised Christ. Many in this era were looking for the Promised One. These men had heard of Jesus' great healings. They may have understood the prophecies of Isaiah about the age of the Messiah when "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" (Isaiah 35:5–6). Over the course of His earthly ministry, Jesus accomplished all these miracles of healing.

Since He was the Messiah, who opened the eyes of the blind, these two blind men wanted Jesus to heal them.

Matthew 9:27–34 describes the healing of two blind men and one mute man. The blind men follow Jesus in the crowd, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." They believe Jesus is the Messiah and that He can make them see. Jesus does so, but they disobey His command not to tell anyone. Next, a demon-oppressed man is brought to Jesus. The demon has made the man unable to speak. Jesus casts out the demon, and the man starts talking. The crowds marvel at this, but the Pharisees decide Jesus' power over demons comes from Satan.

Matthew 9 continues to show how Jesus authenticated His claims to be the Messiah by powerful miracles of healing and casting out demons. He heals a paralyzed man after telling the man his sins are forgiven. He calls Matthew to follow Him and eats dinner with Matthew and other tax collectors. He answers questions from Pharisees and others. A woman who touches His cloak is healed from a 12–year illness, and Jesus raises a dead girl back to life. He restores sight to blind men and speech to one who is demon oppressed. He is filled with compassion for the crowds.

Matthew 9 follows the same pattern of Matthew 8, showing through miraculous works of healing that Jesus is truly the Messiah. Christ forgives the sins of a paralyzed man and heals him. He calls Matthew to follow Him and eats with tax collectors and sinners. A woman is healed by touching His garment and a dead girl is given life by the touch of His hand. Two blind men see, and Jesus casts out a demon, restoring speech to its victim. Finally, Jesus declares that the harvest is plentiful and tells His followers to pray for workers. Chapter 10 builds on this compassion as Jesus commissions the Twelve to go and deliver His gospel to the people.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.