784
ee b Mt. ix. 30.
8. Οἱ οὖν γείτονες καὶ οἱ θεωροῦντες αὐτὸν τὸ πρότερον ὅτι τυφλὸς ἦν, ἔλεγον, “Odx οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ καθήµενος καὶ προσαιτῶν;” 9g. "Αλλοι ἔλεγον, “" Ore οὗτός ἐστιν” ἄλλοι δέ, '΄ Ὅτι 1 ὅμοιος αὐτῷ ἐστιν. ᾿Εκεῖνος ἔλεγεν, ΄ Ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι. 10. Ἔλεγον οὖν αὐτῷ, Nas * ἀνεῴχθησάν Σ σου ot ὀφθαλμοί;' καὶ εἶπεν, '' Ανθρωπος λεγόμενος ᾿Ιησοῦς πηλὸν ἐποίησε, καὶ ἐπέ- Χρισέ µου τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ εἶπέ pot, Ὕπαγε εἰς τὴν κολυμβήθραν τοῦ Σιλωὰμ, καὶ νίψαι. ἀπελθὼν δὲ καὶ νιψάµενος, ἀνέβλεψα.” 12. Εἶπον οὖν αὐτω, “Mod ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος ;”
II. ᾽Απεκρίθη ἐκεῖνος
Λέγει, “ Οὐκ οἶδα.”
13. "Αγουσιν αὐτὸν πρὸς τοὺς Φαρισαίους, τόν ποτε τυφλόν. 14. ἦν δὲ σάββατον, ὅτε τὸν πηλὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ Ιησοῦς, καὶ ἀνέωξεν αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς. 15. πάλιν οὖν ἠρώτων αὐτὸν καὶ οἱ
Φαρισαῖοι, πῶς ἀνέβλεψεν. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, ' Πηλὸν ἐπέθηκεν
1 Considerable variety of reading occurs in this clause; ΊΛ).Η.Β. adopt αλλοι
ελεγον Ovxt, αλλα οµοιος αντω εστιν.
2 ηνεωχθησαν read by Tr. Ti.W.H.R. with $BCDEF.
representing the old name. The name is here interpreted as meaning '' Sent”
[radu missus ; not mine, missio 5ο. aquarum, Meyer]. The word ἀπεσταλμένος is so frequently used by Jesus of Himself that, notwithstanding what Meyer says, we naturally apply it here also to Himself, as if the noiseless Stream which their fathers had despised (Is. vii. 6) and which they could trace to its source, was a fit type of Him whom the Jews rejected because they knew His origin and because he had no ex- ternal force. His influence consisted in this, that He was ἀπεσταλμένος. The blind man obeyed and received his sight. Cf. Elisha and Naaman. From the succeeding γείτονες several interpreters conclude that ᾖλθε means “came” home. Needlessly.
Vv. 8-12. The people discuss the man's identity.—Ver. 8. Οἱ οὖν γείτονες. . . προσαιτῶν; ‘The neighbours, then,” who might or might not be at that time near the man’s home, ‘‘ and those who formerly used to see him, that he was blind ” [but προσαίτης is read instead of τυφλὸς by recent editors], “said, Is not this he that sits and begs? ”’—Ver. 9. “Others” but evidently of the same description “said, This is he”. Besides those who were doubtful and those who were certain of his identity there was a third opinion uttered: “ He is like him”. Naturally the opened eyes would alter his appearance. The doubts as to his
identity were scattered by the man’s decisive ἐγώ eiut.—Ver. το. This being ascertained the next question was, Πῶς ἀνεῴχθησάν σον ot ὀφθαλμοί; In reply the cured man relates his experience. He had ascertained Jesus’ name from some bystander; and it is noticeable that he speaks of Him as one not widely known: ἄνθρωπος λεγόμενος ᾿Ιησοῦς. ἀνέβλεψα, “I recovered sight”. The man, who now saw for the first time, ‘‘uses the ordinary language of men, though in strictness it was not applicable to his own case,’’ Watkins.
Vv. 13-34. The man is examined by the Pharisees, who eventually excom- municate him.—Ver. 13. “Ayovow... τυφλόν. ‘ They,” some of the neigh- bours and others already mentioned, “bring him who had formerly been blind to the Pharisees,’’ not to the Sanhedrim, but to an informal but apparently authoritative (ver. 34) group of Pharisees, who were members of the court.—Ver. 14. The reason of this action was that the cure had been wrought on a Sabbath. [ή Prohibitum erat sputum oculo illinere Sabbato, sub notione aliqua medicinali,” Lightfoot.]}—Ver. 15. πάλιν . . . ἀνέ- βλεψεν. πάλιν looks back to the same question put by the people, ver. 10; the καὶ serving the same purpose. Their first question admits the man’s original blindness. The man’s reply is simple απἁ straightforward.—Ver. 16. And then the Pharisees introduce their charge and its implication, Otros .. +
8—23.
ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς µου, καὶ ἐνιψάμην, καὶ βλέπω.”