Here naturally comes to be considered the use of fi5\o77)/4^vos=''blessed' (viz. by God) : it occurs six times in the acclamation, borrowed from Ps 118 [117]=«, of ' him that cometh ' ; Mt 2P 23^ and the II passages, Mk IP, Lk 13" \9^, Jn 12'» (where D reads fv\oyriT6i) ; once of the mother of the Lord and her Son, Lk 1^- (evXoyrifiivTt, k.t.\., in 1=» is not well attested) ; also of ' tlie nations on the King's right hand ' (Mt 25^''), and of ' the kingdom of David^(Mk 11">).
(2) With a material object : Mk 8', Lk 9'" (both of food). ' In these cases blessing the bread must be understood as " blessing God the giver of the bread " ' (Westcott), in accordance with the Jewish usage illustrated above (§ 3).
(3) Absolutely, without any object expressed (always of food and sustenance) : Mk 6" II Mt W (feeding of the five thousand), Mk 14= II Mt 26-» (ill ref. to bread at Last Supper), and Lk 24*.
In close connexion with the above we have to consider here—
(6) T/iei(se ofdxapKrreTi', 'to give thanks,' in the Gospels.
(1) Of food and wine. Tlie word occurs ele\eii times, and in eight of these has reference either to
BLINDNESS
BLINDNESS
213
food or wiae, ^^z. : Mk 8" || Mt 15^^ (of the feeding of the four thousand), Lk 22"" (in ref. to the bread at the Last Supper), Jn 6"" ^ (of feeding of the ftve thousand), of thanksgiving over the cup the Last Supper, Mk 14=^ || Mt 26=' and Lk 22".
It is clear from a comparison of the parallel passages noted above that fuXoveii/ and evxapt-cmii are freely interchanged (cf. Cremor, Bib.-Thcol. Lex. S.W.; Swete, JT/iSf. iii. [1902] 163). It thus appears that the predominant idea in the Gospel usage of such expressions as ' blessing the bread ' j is not so much that of sanctification or consecra-
' tion as of thanksgiving to God for the gift.*
(2) Of thanksgiving to God in other connexions ; Lk 18", Jn 11".
(3) Of thanksgiving to Christ : Lk IV'".
(Note here that the act of thanksgiving \
accompanied
Jesus lays stress (v.l8), ' Were there none found that returned to give glory [here = ' to render thanlts '] to God save thia stranger? ')
(c) and (d) The nsc of the terms i^ofioKayih, 'thank,' andahuv, 'praise' (cf. Soldfeiy, 'glorify'), in a more or less synonymous sense (the sense of thanksgiving), has been siifficiently explained above (§2), and does not call for further remark here. Note, however, that n'ltm is never used of or by Jesus.
(e) The rise of naKdpios, ' blessed,' is frequent in the sayings of Jesus (its employment iu the ' Beatitudes ' has already been noted above). It is used especially in a congratulatory sense, corre- sponding in the LXX to the Hebrew term 'ashrv = Miappy' (lit. 'O the happiness of). In this way it is employed, especially in personal address (a
food instance occurs in Mt 16" ' Blessed art thou, imon Bar-jona,' etc.). Espeeia.lly notable are such sayings as that recorded in Lk IP'- =» ( ' Blessed is the womb that bare thee' . . . 'Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it'), in whicli Jesus pointedly insists on the idea that true blessing and true blessedness are to be found in thought and action that are imme- diately related and directed to God and the Divine requirements. The Jewish conception of blessing aud blessedness is thus set forth in its purest and most elevated phase.
Literature.— The most important original authorities for the Jewish data are the recensions of the tractate BirakhClh extant in the Mishna (various ed. of Heb. text ; Eng. tr. in Barclay's Talmud, 1877, and De Sola and Raphall's Mishnah, 1845), and the Tosephta (Heb. text, ed. Zuckermandel). For a full account of these see Jennsh Encyclopedia, s.v. 'Berakot.' For an account of the various Jewish forms of blessing see the articles 'Benedictions,' 'Blessing of Children,' and 'Blessing (Priestly),' with the literature cited, in the same work. Cf. also the art. ' Abschied ' in Hamburger's ME fur liibel und Talmud, vol. ii. Some relevant data are also
llebre
on 'The BibUcal Idea of
Pnestly Element in On, (1905) 136 ff. Reference may'also be made to the works of Edersheim (esp. The Temple : its Ministry etc., where the Jewish material is set forth fully) and those of the elder Lightfoot. Other references have been given in the body of the article. (j g ^OX
BLINDNESS.— Blindness is a very conmion dis- ease in the East. It is mainly due to ophthalmia caused partly by the sun-glare and partly by lack of cleanliness. The word ' blindness ' or ' blind ' is used in the Bible, however, very frequently of a spiritual condition ; and the references in the Gospels are specially interesting as the physical and the spiritual states are sometimes intertwined, the former being used as emblematic of the latter.
' Cf. the valuable remarks of the Bp. of Salisbury on this point (pp. cit. p. 135 f . ). He notes the occurrence of the expres-
siniw ■„^»„-,.,fl, — -rpufi, ilxocpurTniiU ipm, etc., ' thanksgiven
In Mt IP the first evidence of His Messiahship, adduced by Jesus to the disciples of John the Baptist, is that the blind receive their sight. The first miracle of tliis nature in the life of Jesus is recorded by St. Matthew (9-™-) as occurring at