And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
Parallel translations
- WEB Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”
- BSB And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”).
- NKJV Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
- NASB and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He *said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”
- NLT Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!”
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 looks to heaven, sighs, and commands 'Be opened!'—healing with divine authority while grieving creation's brokenness. His word alone accomplishes the cure.
Overview
Looking to heaven shows that Jesus' power comes from the Father, and the sigh expresses his compassionate sorrow over a world marred by sin and suffering. The Aramaic word 'Ephphatha' is preserved by Mark to convey the immediacy and authority of Jesus' command. As the Word made flesh, Jesus speaks and creation responds, foreshadowing the new creation he brings through the gospel.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- John 11:41Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
- Mark 5:41And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
- Acts 9:40But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
- John 11:33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
- Acts 9:34And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
- Mark 6:41And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
- John 11:43And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
- Mark 8:12And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
- Isa 53:3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
- Mark 1:41And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
- Luke 7:14And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
- Luke 18:42And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.
- John 17:1These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
- John 11:35Jesus wept.
- Mark 15:34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
- Luke 19:41And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
- John 11:38Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
- Heb 4:15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
- Ezek 21:6–7Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 7:34 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.