The Blind Man of Bethsaida

The words

Mark 8:22–26 (opens a new tab)

1. Asked

   After leading the man outside and placing his hands on him, Jesus asks whether he sees anything; the man’s answer about people looking like trees comes next.

   Mark 8:23–24 (opens a new tab)

2. Bethsaida

   “Fishing-house,” in Strong’s gloss.

   Bethsaida names the setting at the opening of Mark’s account; people bring the man to Jesus there, before Jesus leads him outside the town.

   Did you know?

   John also names Bethsaida when introducing Philip, calling it the city of Andrew and Peter as well; the place name connects several disciples’ backgrounds.

   Mark 8:22–23 (opens a new tab) · Strong’s Greek: Bethsaida (opens a new tab) · John 1:44 (opens a new tab)

3. Blind Man

   Mark leaves the man unnamed: others bring him to Jesus and ask for a touch. The account then gives the man’s own description of what he can see.

   Mark 8:22–24 (opens a new tab)

4. Bring

   The people bring the man to Jesus at Bethsaida and plead for Jesus to touch him; the next movement is Jesus taking him by the hand and leading him out.

   Mark 8:22–23 (opens a new tab)

5. Cometh

   Comes; arrives.

   The KJV’s cometh opens the arrival at Bethsaida; the NET says they came. Mark then turns from that arrival to people bringing a blind man and asking Jesus to touch him.

   Mark 8:22 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Mark 8:22-26 (opens a new tab)

6. Eyes

   Mark first says Jesus spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him; the next touch is explicitly on the eyes, followed by the report of clear sight.

   Mark 8:23–25 (opens a new tab)

7. Hand

   Before the question about sight, Jesus takes the man by the hand and leads him out of the town; Mark gives this guiding action separately from the later laying on of hands.

   Mark 8:23 (opens a new tab)

8. House

   After reporting restored sight, Mark says Jesus sends the man to his house and tells him not to go into the town; the NET renders the destination simply as home.

   Mark 8:25–26 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Mark 8:22-26 (opens a new tab)

9. Looked Up

   Seeing again, in the NET’s rendering.

   Mark’s KJV says the man looked up before describing people as trees; the NET renders the action as regaining sight and notes this sense of the Greek verb in this context.

   Mark 8:24 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Mark 8:22-26 (opens a new tab)

10. Men as Trees

    The man reports seeing people like trees walking after the first laying on of hands. Mark then records another touch and a clearer result, distinguishing this report from the end of the account.

    Mark 8:23–25 (opens a new tab)

11. Ought

    Anything, in this older use.

    Jesus’s question in the KJV asks whether the man saw ought; the NET uses anything. The term belongs to the question about sight, before the man describes people as trees.

    Mark 8:23–24 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Mark 8:22-26 (opens a new tab)

12. Restored

    After Jesus puts his hands on the eyes again, Mark’s KJV says the man was restored and saw every man clearly; the NET says everything clearly.

    Mark 8:25 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Mark 8:22-26 (opens a new tab)

13. Spit

    Mark says Jesus spits on the man’s eyes before laying his hands on him and asking about sight; the man’s first answer is followed by another laying on of hands.

    Mark 8:23–25 (opens a new tab)

14. Town

    Jesus leads the man out of the town. At the end, the KJV also says not to tell anyone there; the NET ends with the instruction not to enter, and notes manuscript variants.

    Mark 8:23, 26 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Mark 8:22-26 (opens a new tab)

15. Walking

    Walking belongs to the man’s comparison: he sees people who look like trees in motion. The statement comes before Jesus’s second touch and the final report of clear sight.

    Mark 8:24–25 (opens a new tab)