Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 10:51

And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

51. Lord ] The original word is “Rabboni” = my Master. The blind man gives Him the title of greatest reverence that he knew. The title occurs only here and in Joh 20:16, where it is used by Mary Magdalene to her risen Lord. The gradations of honour were Rab, Rabbi, Rabban, Rabboni.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 51. Lord, that I might, &c.] The Codex Bezae, and some copies of the Itala, have, , O Lord, my teacher.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

And Jesus answered and said unto him,…. Being come to him, and standing before him:

what wilt thou that I should do unto thee? What means this vehement cry? what is it thou designest by mercy? is it money thou askest for, to relieve thy wants? or is it that thy sight may be restored?

The blind man said unto him, Lord; “Rabboni”, or, as the Syriac version reads it; “Rabbi”; thou, great master in Israel, and Lord, of the whole world, my request to thee, and which thou, art, able to effect; is,

that I might receive my sight; [See comments on Mt 20:33].

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

That I should do (). Neat Greek idiom with aorist subjunctive without after . For this asyndeton (or parataxis) see Robertson, Grammar, p. 430.

Rabboni (). The Aramaic word translated Lord (Kurie) in Mt 20:33 and Lu 18:41. This very form occurs again in Joh 20:16.

That I may receive my sight ( ). To recover sight (–), see again. Apparently he had once been able to see. Here is used though is not (cf. 10:35). The Messiah was expected to give sight to the blind (Isa 61:1; Luke 4:18; Luke 7:22).

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

1) “And Jesus answered and said unto him,” (kai apokritheis auto ho lesous eipen) “And responding to him (the blind man’s yet begging cry) Jesus asked him,” inquired of him, to elicit or draw out before the people a testimony of his will, Act 9:5-7.

2) “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” (ti soi theleis poieso) ”What do you want, more than anything eles, (for) me to do for you?” It is written ”He that wills to do His will shall know the teaching,” Joh 7:17. This needy man did, much as Saul of Tarsus did later, Act 9:5-9.

3) “The blind man said unto Him,” (ho de tuphlos eipen auto) “Then the blind man (Bartimaeus) said to Him,” responded in desire and faith, Rom 10:13, as even the Publican prayed for mercy, for help, for spiritual relief and liberation, Luk 18:13-14.

4) “Lord, that I might receive my sight.” (Hrabboni hina anablepso) “Rabboni (my Lord) of the Hebrews, it is that I may see,” look up and out from and through this blindness. The great need of so many who have eyes but see not. Our Lord responded abundantly, above what he was able to ask or to think, Eph 3:20; 2Co 4:3-4. The blind man had addressed Him affectionately as “Rabboni” a more respectful term than Rabbai, as also used by Mary, after the resurrection of our Lord, Joh 20:16.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

(51) Lord.Better Rabboni, the word being the same as in Joh. 20:16, and occurring in these two passages only. The word was an augmentative form of Rabbi, and as such expressed greater reverence. It takes its place as another example of St. Marks fondness for reproducing the very syllables that were spoken.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Mar 10:51. That I might receive my sight. That I may have my sight. Heylin. That I may recover my sight. Doddridge: who observes that this is the exact meaning of ; which seems to import, that he was not born blind, but lost his sight by some disease or accident, which made him so much the more sensible of the calamity. It appears, however, from Joh 9:11; Joh 9:18 that the word is sometimes used in a greater latitude.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

Ver. 51. What wilt thou, &c. ] Christ, though he know our thoughts and suits long before (for he is intimo nostro intimior nobis ), yet he will have us utter our own wants in our own words, and make our requests known unto him with thanksgiving, Phi 4:6 ; this is as sweetest music in his ears.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

51. ] = , Master, or My Master, see ref. John. It was said (Drus. in Meyer) to be a more respectful form than .

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Mar 10:51 . , etc.: what do you want: alms or sight? : more respectful than Rabbi (here and in Joh 20:16 ). : sight, of course, who would think of asking an alms of One who could open blind eyes!

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Mark

LOVE’S QUESTION

Mar 10:51 . – Act 9:6 .

Christ asks the first question of a petitioner, and the answer is a prayer for sight. Saul asks the second question of Jesus, and the answer is a command. Different as they are, we may bring them together. The one is the voice of love, desiring to be besought in order that it may bestow; the other is the voice of love, desiring to be commanded in order that it may obey.

Love delights in knowing, expressing, and fulfilling the beloved’s wishes.

I. The communion of Love delights on both sides in knowing the beloved’s wishes.

Christ delights in knowing ours. He encourages us to speak though He knows, because it is pleasant to Him to hear, and good for us to tell. His children delight in knowing His will.

II. It delights in expressing wishes-His commandments are the utterance of His Love:

His Providences are His loving ways of telling us what He desires of us, and if we love Him as we ought, both commandments and providences will be received by us as lovers do gifts that have ‘with my love’ written on them.

On the other hand, our love will delight in telling Him what we wish, and to speak all our hearts to Jesus will be our instinct in the measure of our love to Him.

III. It delights in fulfilling wishes-puts key of treasure-house into our hands.

He refused John and James. Be sure that He does still delight to give us our desires, and so be sure that when any of these are not granted there must be some loving reason for refusal.

Our delight should be in obedience, and only when our wills are submitted to His does He say to us, ‘What wilt thou?’ ‘If ye abide in Me and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.’

Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren

wilt = desirest, as in verses: Mar 10:43, Mar 10:54.

unto = for. (Dative case.)

Lord. Rabbonii. Compare App-98. Aramaean for my Master”, as in Joh 20:18. See App-94.

receive = regain.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

51.] = , Master, or My Master, see ref. John. It was said (Drus. in Meyer) to be a more respectful form than .

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Lord

Gr. “Rabboni,” my Master, a term of reverent love. Cf. Joh 20:16.

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

What: Mar 10:36, 2Ch 1:7, Mat 6:8, Mat 7:7, Luk 18:41-43, Phi 4:6

Reciprocal: Neh 2:4 – For what Mat 20:21 – What Act 10:21 – what Act 23:19 – What

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1

Jesus knew the nature of the man’s affliction, but wished him to express his request as an indication of his faith. (See comments at verse 36).

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Mar 10:51. Master (or my Master). The word is Rabboni (as in Joh 20:10), the most respectful of the three titles, Rab, Rabbi, Rabboni. Comp. Mat 23:7.

That I may receive my sight, or, see again. Not how or why, but the desire, which he believes the Lord can grant in the best way.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Jesus’ question allowed Bartimaeus to articulate his faith and made personal contact with him. "Rabboni" is an emphatic personal form of "rabbi" meaning "my lord and master" (cf. Joh 20:16). Jesus healed him instantly with a word attributing his healing to his faith. His faith was its means, not its cause. The Greek word translated "made well" or "healed" is sesoken, meaning "saved."

"What was happening in the man’s body was really, we may presume (Mar 10:47-48), but the outward picture of what had happened in his soul." [Note: Morison, p. 301.]

"The second stage in the progressive disclosure of Jesus’ identity [to the reader] centers on his Davidic sonship (Mar 10:46 to Mar 11:11; Mar 12:35-37). . .

"What is noteworthy in this scene is that Bartimaeus, a person of great faith, appeals to Jesus as the Son of David. By granting Bartimaeus his request for sight, Jesus in effect accepts for himself the title Son of David. Moreover, he also shows how he fulfills the end-time expectations associated with David. He does so not by donning the helmet of a warrior king but by using his authority to heal and in this way to save." [Note: Kingsbury, p. 45. Cf. 8:27-30; and 11:12-15:39.]

Bartimaeus responded appropriately and began following Jesus, at least toward Jerusalem if not as a disciple.

This incident sets the stage for the climax of Mark’s story. Jesus had finished His journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. Some people, like Bartimaeus, were believing on and following Jesus. Others, like the religious leaders, did not believe. Conflict in Jerusalem was inevitable.

"Bartimaeus pictured discipleship clearly. He recognized his inability, trusted Jesus as the One to give him God’s gracious mercy, and when he could ’see’ clearly he began to follow Jesus." [Note: Grassmick, p. 155.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)