When Jesus had said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud, and applied it to the man’s eyes.
Parallel translations
- WEB When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud,
- KJV When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
- ESV Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud
- NKJV When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.
- NASB When He had said this, He spit on the ground, and made mud from the saliva, and applied the mud to his eyes,
- NLT Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus makes mud from saliva and applies it to the blind man's eyes. He uses a humble physical means to perform the miracle.
Overview
Jesus chooses an earthy, tangible method, making clay and anointing the man's eyes. Some see an echo of God forming man from the dust, fitting for the Creator who restores. The act sets up the command to wash, inviting the man's obedient response and displaying Jesus' sovereign freedom in how he heals.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Mark 7:33So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue.
- Mark 8:23So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked.
- Rev 3:18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
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John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
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Original language
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