(27) Two blind men.--The two narratives that follow are peculiar to St. Matthew. The title by which the blind address our Lord as "the Son of David," was that which expressed the popular belief that He was the expected Christ. It is used afterwards by the woman of Canaan (Matthew 15:22), and again by the blind at Jericho (Matthew 20:30-31; Mark 10:47; Luke 18:38-39).

Verses 27-31. - Two blind men restored to sight. Matthew only. (For the connexion, vide ver. 18, note.) Weiss (see Rushbrooke, p. 75, A; and 'Life,' 3:221) compares the incident at Jericho, ch. 20:29-34 (parallel passages: Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43). The points of similarity are:

(1) The number, two, but in the parallel passages only one;

(2) the expression that Jesus was passing by (ver. 27; Matthew 20:30);

(3) they cry out and say, "Have mercy on us, O Son of David;"

(4) our Lord, in his question, asks about what he should do;

(5) lays stress on their faith (Mark and Luke);

(6) and touches their eyes (Matthew 20:34).

The points of difference:

(1) The place, here in Galilee, there by Jericho;

(2) here in the house, there in the road, but even here they begin to address him in the road;

(3) no mention here that he stopped when addressed, as there (ch. 20:32);

(4) our Lord here asks about their faith, there about their wish.

(5) Observe also that both his charge, "See that no man know it" (ver. 30), and the statement that they spread abroad the fame of him, would be quite inconsistent with the late date of the miracle recorded in ch. 20. From a consideration of these details, the conclusion seems inevitable that we have, in fact, narratives of two distinct occurrences, but it is quite consistent with tiffs conclusion to suppose that during the oral transmission of the narratives a certain amount of assimilation took place. Upon this supposition, it further appears probable that, as the narrative in ch. 20. was the better known, for it was in the Petrine cycle, our narrative became assimilated to it rather than the reverse. On the other hand, the number recorded in ch. 20. (not Mark or Luke) looks much like an assimilation to that of our incident (cf. the notes on the section Matthew 8:28-34, ver. 31, and the section vers. 32-34). Verse 27.- And when Jesus departed thence. As he was passing along on his way thence, i.e. from the house of Jairus, if the context be pressed. It should be noticed that "thence" (ἐκεῖθεν) is found also in Mark 6:1, immediately after the healing of Jairus' daughter. There it refers to the neighbourhood generally. Possibly its presence in Matthew is ultimately due to his remembering it in the next succeeding section of the oral framework. Two blind men followed him, crying (out, Revised Version; κράζοντες, so also Matthew 20:30), and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. The Revised Version rightly reverses the order of the two last clauses; the stress is on their own needs, not on their faith in giving him such a title. The words are identical in Matthew 20:30. Thou Son of David. The thought has been brought out in the genealogy (Matthew 1:17), and our Lord lays stress upon it in Matthew 22:42, sqq. Observe that although the excited multitudes at Jerusalem shout out the title at the triumphal entry (Matthew 21:9; cf. also 15), yet the multitudes in Galilee only suggest the possibility of his having a right to it (Matthew 12:23), and the only persons who use it when directly addressing him are a heathen woman (Matthew 15:22), and three, or perhaps four, blind men (here and Matthew 20:30, 31). With the remembrance of what was promised to take place in Messianic days (Isaiah 35:5), the blind would be especially likely to accord him a Messianic title (cf. also Matthew 11:5, note). Have mercy (Matthew 5:9, note).

9:27-31 At this time the Jews expected Messiah would appear; these blind men knew and proclaimed in the streets of Capernaum that he was come, and that Jesus was he. Those who, by the providence of God, have lost their bodily sight, may, by the grace of God, have the eyes of their understanding fully enlightened. And whatever our wants and burdens are, we need no more for supply and support, than to share in the mercy of our Lord Jesus. In Christ is enough for all. They followed him crying aloud. He would try their faith, and would teach us always to pray, and not to faint, though the answer does not come at once. They followed Christ, and followed him crying; but the great question is, Do ye believe? Nature may make us earnest, but it is only grace that can work faith. Christ touched their eyes. He gives sight to blind souls by the power of his grace going with his word, and he puts the cure upon their faith. Those who apply to Jesus Christ, shall be dealt with, not according to their fancies, nor according to their profession, but according to their faith. Christ sometimes concealed his miracles, because he would not indulge the conceit which prevailed among the Jews, that their Messiah should be a temporal prince, and so give occasion to the people to attempt tumults and seditions.And when Jesus departed thence,.... From the house of Jairus, to another in the same city;

two blind men followed him: very closely, by the direction of others, having heard of the miracle just now performed by him; and from thence concluded he was able to restore them to their sight;

crying and saying, with great faith and fervour, with much importunity, and frequently repeating the following words,

thou son of David, have mercy on us. Whence it appears, that they firmly believed, and were fully persuaded, that he was the true Messiah; for "the son of David" was a known character of the Messiah among the Jews: nothing was more common than to call him by this title, without any other additional epithet; see Gill on Matthew 1:1, and since it had been prophesied of the Messiah, that he should "open the eyes of the blind", Isaiah 35:5 they might be greatly encouraged to hope and believe they should obtain mercy from him in this respect.