And there were two blind men sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
Parallel translations
- WEB Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!”
- KJV And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
- NKJV And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
- NASB And two people who were blind, sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
- NLT Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
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
Two blind men by the road cry out for mercy, calling Jesus 'Son of David.' Their cry confesses Jesus as the promised Messiah even though they cannot see.
Overview
Though physically blind, these men perceive Jesus' true identity, hailing him as 'Son of David'—a messianic title pointing to the promised King. Their persistent cry for mercy models humble, believing prayer. Ironically, they see spiritually what the seeing crowds miss, recognizing the Messiah on his way to Jerusalem.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Mark 10:46Next, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road.
- Matt 21:14The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.
- Matt 21:9The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”
- Isa 42:16I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.
- Matt 22:42“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” “David’s,” they answered.
- Matt 12:22–23Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see.
- Rom 1:3–4regarding His Son, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh,
- Acts 2:30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne.
- Isa 61:1–2The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,
- Isa 35:5–6Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
- Ps 146:8the LORD opens the eyes of the blind, the LORD lifts those who are weighed down, the LORD loves the righteous.
- Luke 7:21At that very hour Jesus healed many people of their diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits, and He gave sight to many who were blind.
- Isa 29:18On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
- Luke 4:18“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,
- Isa 59:10Like the blind, we feel our way along the wall, groping like those without eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead.
- Matt 9:27–31As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
- Matt 15:22And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”
- John 9:1–12Now as Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth,
- Isa 42:18Listen, you deaf ones; look, you blind ones, that you may see!
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 20:30 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
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