Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 20:32
And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
Verse 32. Jesus stood] “The cry of a believing penitent,” says one, “is sufficient to stop the most merciful Jesus, were he going to make a new heaven and a new earth; for what is all the irrational part of God’s creation in worth, when compared with the value of one immortal soul!” See Clarke on Mr 10:50.
What will ye that I shall do] Christ is at all times infinitely willing to save sinners: when the desire of the heart is turned towards him, there can be little delay in the salvation. What is thy wish? If it be a good one, God will surely fulfil it.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And Jesus stood still,…. Made a full stop, when he was near, or right against where these blind men sat; which shows the strength of faith, the force of prayer, and the great regard Christ has to both:
and called them: himself, being near unto them, and within the reach of his voice; or he commanded them to be brought to him, as Mark says: he ordered others to call them, or let them know, that it was his will they should come to him; upon which they threw away their garments, their long upper garments, which were some hindrance to a quick motion, at least Bartimaeus did; that they might be the sooner with him: and when they were come to him, he said,
what will ye that I shall do unto you? is it alms you want? or would you have your sight restored? This question he put, not as being ignorant of their desires, but to show both his power and willingness to do anything for them they should ask; and that their faith in him might be made manifest, and the people have their expectations raised, and they prepared to attend the miracle now to be wrought.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
32. What do you wish that I should do to you? He gently and kindly asks what they desire; for he had determined to grant their requests. There is no reason to doubt that they prayed by a special movement of the Holy Spirit; for, as the Lord does not intend to grant to all persons deliverance from bodily diseases, so neither does he permit them simply to pray for it. A rule has been prescribed for us what we ought to ask, and in what manner, and to what extent; and we are not at liberty to depart from that rule, unless the Lord, by a secret movement of the Spirit, suggest to us some special prayer, which rarely happens. Christ puts the question to them, not for their sake as individuals, but for the sake of all the people; for we know how the world swallows God’s benefits without perceiving them, unless they are stimulated and aroused. Christ, therefore, by his voice, awakens the assembled crowd to observe the miracle, as he awakens them shortly afterwards by a visible sign, when he opens their eyes by touching them.
34. And Jesus, moved with compassion, etc. Σπλαγχνισθείς , moved with compassion, is not the participle of the same verb which Matthew had just now employed in reference to the blind man, ἐλέησον, have mercy (672) They implored the mercy of Christ, that he might relieve their wretchedness; but now the Evangelist expresses that Christ was induced to cure them, not only by undeserved goodness, but because he pitied their distress. For the metaphor is taken from the bowels, ( σπλάγχνα,) in which dwells that kindness and mutual compassion which prompts us to assist our neighbors.
(672) “ Quand ils disoyent, Fils de David, aye misericorde de nous ;” — “when they said, Son of David, have mercy on us. ”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(32) Jesus stood still, and called them.Or, as in St. Mark, bade them be called, the message being given specially to Bartimus. St. Mark gives, with a graphic fulness, the very words of the message, Be of good cheer, arise; He calleth thee, and adds that the blind man flung off his outer cloak, or mantle, and leapt up and came to Jesus. All three Gospels give our Lords question in the same, or nearly the same, words. He sought, as with the clear insight of sympathy, to know what was the special grief that weighed upon the mans spirit.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
32. Jesus stood still Above the respectful clamour of the multitude, the voice of earnest prayer reaches the ear of Jesus. Called them That was a call they were ready to obey. Mark, who mentions but one, describes him as flinging off his loose outer garment, (see note on Mat 5:40,) which might impede his running, to come up with the Lord before he should depart. What will ye Before, they had uttered a more general cry for mercy. Now, they must frame their wants to a specific petition. Not that Jesus is ignorant of their real need, but that he will develop their want into special prayer, and thus make their faith and appeal for mercy all the more definite. So, although God may know our wants, yet for our own sakes, and that we may stand in proper relations of dependence and faith towards him, he requires us to shape our needs into verbal prayer.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, “What do you wish that I should do to you?” ’
Jesus was the One present Who was never too busy to hear the cry of distress, and He stopped on His journey and called them to Him, asking them what He could do for them. He could have had little doubt about what they wanted, but it was His practise to make people face up to what they were asking, and to make them express at least some faith.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The healing:
v. 32. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
v. 33. They say unto Him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
v. 34. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. The fact that Jesus took an interest in the blind men at once changed the attitude of the multitude, and many now offered assistance. The cry of faith touched the Lord’s heart, their confession of His divine power in answer to His question, their earnest prayer for the opening of their eyes, moved Him with deep compassion. He touched their eyes, and at His miraculous touch their sight was at once restored. Jesus of Nazareth, who by His suffering and death has saved the souls of all men from eternal perdition, has deep compassion also upon the physical troubles and sicknesses of them that believe in Him.
Summary. Christ teaches the meaning of the reward of grace by the parable of the hours, foretells His Passion in greater detail, gives His disciples a lesson in true humility, and heals two blind men.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mat 20:32. Jesussaid, What will ye, &c. It is observable, that we never find Jesus bestowing an alms of money on any poor person falling in his way; yet this is no objection against his charity: for if the person who addressed him was incapable of working for his own subsistence by reason of bodily infirmity, it was much more noble, and much more becoming the dignity of the Son of God, to remove the infirmity, and put the beggar in a condition of supporting himself, than by the gift of a small sum to relieve his present want, which would soon return; such an alms being at best but a trifling and indirect method of helping him. On the other hand, if the beggars who applied to him were not in real distress through want or disease, but, under the pretence of infirmity or poverty, followed begging, as they deserved no encouragement, so they met with none from Jesus, who knew perfectly the circumstances of every particular person with whom he conversed. Besides, to have bestowed money on the poor was not only beneath Christ’s dignity, but, having occasion to perform great cures on several beggars, it might have afforded his enemies a plausible pretence for affirming, that he bribed such as feigned diseases, to feign cures likewise, of which they gave him the honour. See Macknight.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
Ver. 32. And Jesus stood still ] See the admirable power of fervent prayer. Preces Christum licet festinantem remorantur, Christ stands and stays (for all the haste of his journey to Jerusalem, which till he had finished, oh how was he straitened, Luk 12:50 ) to hear the blind beggars’ petition. So the sun once stood still in Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Ajalon, upon the prayer of worthy Joshua, who set the trophies of his victory in the very orbs of heaven.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
32. ] = Mark, = Luke.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 20:32 . might mean “addressed them” (Fritzsche), but “called them” seems to suit the situation better; cf. the parallels. , etc., what do you wish me to do for you? Not a superfluous question; they were beggars as well as blind; they might want alms ( vide Mar 10:46 ). Mt. says nothing about their being beggars, but the question of Jesus implies it.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
called them. In the other cases He commanded them to be “called” (Mar 10:49), and “led” (Luk 18:40). App-152.
shall = should.
unto = for.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
32.] = Mark, = Luke.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 20:32. ; …, what will ye? etc.) We ought sometimes in our prayers to make special petitions.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
What: Mat 20:21, Eze 36:37, Act 10:29, Phi 4:6
Reciprocal: 1Ki 1:16 – And the Mar 10:49 – stood
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
OPENED EYES
Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto Him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
Mat 20:32-33
An ordinary day; an ordinary Eastern scene; a great multitude; a central Figure, and at the fringe of the crowd, sitting by the wayside, two blind men. Let us change the scene: an ordinary day? No! This is Sunday. Nor is this an ordinary place; it is Gods house, and Jesus is in our midst. Some here, it may be, are silting in the darkness and in the shadow of death, feeling their needtheir need of light, seeking relief, yet they are hindered by the multitude. It matters not whether the multitude be your thoughts or be the things concerning you, or your neighbours right and left. Lift up your voice; you have at least one listener in the midst.
I. Causes of blindness.There are various causes for physical blindness; there are various causes for spiritual blindness. Some are blind spiritually through pridepride of birth it may be. And there are others who are blind because of the pride of wealth. Some are blind through pride of person. Some are spiritually blind through covetousness (e.g. Judas Iscariot). And some are blind spiritually from pleasure.
II. The compassionate Saviour.Jesus to-day in our midst stands still and has compassion. He shall touch the blind souls of men again to-day and there shall be an eternal dawn. It was a new world which opened to the blind men of Jericho; it is a new world which opens to every human soul that realises the love and the touch and the compassion of Jesus.
III. The result of opened eyes.The first result will be that you will see invisible things. Elishas servant is an illustration to us of one whose eyes were opened. When our eyes are opened we realise that we fight not only against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, the unseen forces that are against us. But while we realise the danger, we also realise that He Who is with us is more than all that be against us. We see Jesus, and He becomes the centre of our lives. And, lastly, the result of opened eyes is not only that we see invisible things, not only that we see Jesus, but also that we follow Him.
Bishop J. Taylor Smith.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
0:32
Jesus halted and asked the blind men what they wanted. He did not ask them to come in to him since they were blind and that would have been a hardship on them.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 20:32. And Jesus stood still. He now allows Himself to be publicly called: Son of David; comp. His previous conduct in a similar case (chap. Mat 9:27-28). Mark adds that those about the blind man said: Be of good courage, rise; He calleth thee, showing that they too responded to the Lords compassion.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
20:32 And Jesus stood still, and {h} called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
(h) Himself, not by the means of other men.