Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 18:38
And he cried, saying, Jesus, [thou] son of David, have mercy on me.
38. Jesus, thou Son of David ] The use of this Messianic title implies a strong faith in Bartimaeus.
have mercy on me ] “The Kyrie Eleison of the soul which precedes its Hosanna.” Van Oosterzee.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
38. son of David, &c.(Seeon Mt 12:23).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he cried, saying, Jesus thou son of David,…. Believing him, at once, to be the Messiah; whence he calls him the son of David, which was a character and title of the Messiah, well known to the Jews; [See comments on Mt 1:1] and therefore immediately called out unto him, being willing to take that opportunity as he passed, and whilst he was within hearing, to make his suit to him for his sight:
saying, have mercy on me: a poor, blind, and miserable creature, and restore me to my sight, which will be an act of singular mercy, and goodness, and will always be gratefully owned as such.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He cried (). Old verb, , to shout, as in 9:38.
Son of David ( ). Shows that he recognizes Jesus as the Messiah.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And he cried, saying,” (kai eboesen legon) “And he cried, (with a bellowing voice) repeatedly saying, pleading,” as also the other did, but he was the more outspoken.
2) “Jesus thou son of David,” (lesous hule David) “Jesus heir-son of David,” or thou the promised Messiah, Mat 20:30; Mar 10:47. The phrase “Son of David,” who was to restore David’s throne to Israel one day, 2Sa 7:14-17; Psa 89:3-5; Psa 89:19-37; Isa 11:10-12; Eze 37:21-25; Matthew 11; Luk 1:31-32; Act 15:14-17.
3) “Have mercy on me.” (eleeson me) “Pity me,” have mercy toward or upon me, Mat 20:31; Mar 10:47. It was to this “mercy and peace person,” whom the masses greeted as the “Son of David,” on His final march into Jerusalem, Mat 21:9; Mat 12:23.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
‘And he cried, saying, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me.” ’
Knowing something of Jesus by reputation the blind man saw his main chance. This was perhaps the first time that he had actually been in the same place as Jesus. And he called out to Him for help.
‘Jesus, you son of David.’ It is possible that, knowing of Jesus connection with the royal house, he simply meant this to be flattering, but it is far more probable that he meant more, and that he saw Jesus as Messianic, and used a local Messianic title. Yet as the crowd did not react to the name (their rebuke was because they thought he was making a disturbance and trying to beg from Jesus) and as Jesus made no comment, it is not likely that the crowd as a whole saw it as Messianic. But that need not mean that the man himself did not. He may well have been visiting Judea for the Passover from an area where such a title was used of the Messiah. Luke also probably sees it as significant. Here was prophetic recognition, whether conscious or subconscious, of Who Jesus really was, made on His approach to Jerusalem to die and rise again. And he probably saw it as significant that He was welcomed by a blind man in such terms when those who could see were oblivious of the fact.
‘Son of David.’ This was certainly a Messianic title in later Jewish literature, but the only known such reference in pre-Christian literature was in the Psalms of Solomon Luk 17:23. It may thus have been a marginal rather than a popular Messianic title in Jesus’ time. Perhaps then its popular use was localised in parts of Galilee, and the blind man was from that locality taking advantage of a key route to Jerusalem before the Passover. The coming of a son of David as deliverer was certainly a common idea in the Old Testament (Isa 9:6-7; Isa 11:1-10; Jer 23:5-6; Eze 34:23 and recognised in certain Psalms), and the crowds in Mat 12:23 appear to have used it Messianically, as do two blind men in probably the same locality (Mat 9:27), all of whom were in Galilee. This would support a Galilean locale. See also Luk 1:27; Luk 1:32 ; 2Sa 7:8-16.
Mat 21:9; Mat 21:15 may have been a more general use in typical Passover welcomes, or the result of visitors from the locality where it was used, the children in Luk 18:15 having picked it up from the crowd. The use of it by the Syrophoenician woman (Mat 15:22) was probably a polite title to Him as a Jew, son of David meaning a Jew (compare ‘our father David’ in Mar 11:10; Act 4:25). That the Messiah would be the son of David was certainly recognised by the scribes (Luk 12:35) although that does not guarantee the use of the title by them at this stage.
So we must probably see it as a fairly peripheral Messianic title and as a good possibility that the blind man was hailing Him as Messiah in Galilean terms without the crowd on the whole recognising his intention.
The crowd here would largely have consisted of local inhabitants crowding the route taken by Passover pilgrims, although those on the road would also have included pilgrims from Galilee and elsewhere. None, however, appear to have reacted to the title which, had it been understood generally as Messianic, would have been surprising in view of the excitement which would be generated by the approach of Passover. On the other hand the Passover crowds who later hailed Jesus on His entry into Jerusalem would be mixed and would probably contain a large Galilean element.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Luk 18:38 . : aorist, he cried out once.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
cried = called out.
Son of David. App-98. Compare the call of the other men (App-152).
mercy = pity.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Luk 18:38. , Son of David) The faith of the blind man is not offended, because the Saviour was called Jesus of Nazareth.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Jesus: Psa 62:12, Isa 9:6, Isa 9:7, Isa 11:1, Jer 23:5, Mat 9:27, Mat 12:23, Mat 15:22, Mat 21:9, Mat 21:15, Mat 22:42-45, Rom 1:3, Rev 22:16
Reciprocal: Pro 19:7 – he Luk 17:13 – have Luk 20:41 – Christ
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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The people told the blind man it was “Jesus of Nazareth” who was passing by, while he called him the son of David. This shows that at least some persons understood the
Scriptures, that a descendant of David was to be called a Nazarene. (See the notes at Mat 2:23.)
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
"Son of David" was a messianic title that expressed the man’s faith in Jesus as Israel’s Messiah (cf. Luk 1:27; Luk 1:32; 2Sa 7:8-16; Isa 11:1; Isa 11:10; Jer 23:5-6; Eze 34:23-24). Like the tax collector (Luk 18:13), he called out for mercy without claiming any merit. His insistence reflected his belief that Jesus could help him and his hope that Jesus would help him. Opposition only made him more adamant in his desire.