Matthew 9:30

And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(30) Straitly charged them.—The word, implying originally the panting breath of vehement emotion, is one of the strongest used by the New Testament writers (Mark 1:43; Mark 14:5; John 11:33; John 11:38) to express repugnance, displeasure, or the command that implies annoyance. It is as if our Lord saw the garrulous joy on the point of uttering itself, and sought by every means in His power to restrain it. The reasons may be sought, as elsewhere, either (1) in its being good for the spiritual life of the men themselves that they should show forth their praise of God, not with their lips, but in their lives; or (2) in the shrinking from mere notoriety, from the gaze of crowds drawn together to gaze on signs and wonders, and ready to make the Wonder-Worker a king because He wrought them, which St. Matthew, at a later stage, notes as characteristic of our Lord’s ministry (Matthew 12:16-21).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:27-31 At this time the Jews expected Messiah would appear; these blind men knew and proclaimed in the streets of Capernaum that he was come, and that Jesus was he. Those who, by the providence of God, have lost their bodily sight, may, by the grace of God, have the eyes of their understanding fully enlightened. And whatever our wants and burdens are, we need no more for supply and support, than to share in the mercy of our Lord Jesus. In Christ is enough for all. They followed him crying aloud. He would try their faith, and would teach us always to pray, and not to faint, though the answer does not come at once. They followed Christ, and followed him crying; but the great question is, Do ye believe? Nature may make us earnest, but it is only grace that can work faith. Christ touched their eyes. He gives sight to blind souls by the power of his grace going with his word, and he puts the cure upon their faith. Those who apply to Jesus Christ, shall be dealt with, not according to their fancies, nor according to their profession, but according to their faith. Christ sometimes concealed his miracles, because he would not indulge the conceit which prevailed among the Jews, that their Messiah should be a temporal prince, and so give occasion to the people to attempt tumults and seditions.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And their eyes were opened - Immediately. That is, their sight was restored: "And Jesus straitly charged them." He enjoined it on them in the most earnest and solemn manner.

See that no man know it - That is, do not make proclamation of this; do not make it your business to tell every man of it; do not go forth as if I wished that you should proclaim this abroad. The injunction could not mean that they should screen the fact that no one "should" know it, for there were witnesses of it, and it would be made known; but they were not to make it a point to proclaim to the world what was done to them. This was in accordance with the usual habit of the Saviour Matthew 8:4; Matthew 12:16, and also with his own precepts to others Matthew 6:1-4.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

30. And their eyes were opened: and Jesus straitly charged them—The expression is very strong, denoting great earnestness.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Matthew 9:30".

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And their eyes were opened,.... Some copies read, "immediately"; and so do the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions: and this was certainly the true and real matter of fact, that as soon as Christ had touched their eyes, and said the above words, their sight was perfectly restored to them; and they had a clear, full, and true sight of objects, as men have, whose vision faculty is in its full strength and rigour, and their eyes open:

and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, see that no man know it. This was a very strict charge, and according to the signification of the word here used, it was given with great austerity of countenance, and severity of expression, in a very rough and threatening manner; which Christ might be the rather induced to, because he had given such like orders already, and they had not been observed: the reasons for concealing the miracle are not very obvious; it seems likely, that with the same view he took no notice of these blind men in the street, but went into an house, and cured them; which seems to be, to shun all appearance of vain glory, or seeking popular applause, that he gave these orders; or it may be, he did not choose to be made more known by this miracle, or at this time, or by these men; he might foresee that it would be attended with ill consequences; either the more to irritate the resentments of some persons against him; or to put others on doing things which were disagreeable to him; as setting him up for a temporal prince among them, being David's son.

Geneva Study Bible

And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Matthew 9:30 f. Ἀνεῴχθησαν … ὀφθαλμοί] they recovered their power of seeing. Comp. John 9:10; 2 Kings 6:17; Isaiah 30:5; Isaiah 42:7; Psalm 146:8; Wetstein on this passage.

ἐνεβριμήθη (see the critical remarks): He was displeased with them, and said (see on John 11:33). The angry tone (Mark 1:43) of the prohibition is due to the feeling that an unsuccessful result was to be apprehended. To such a feeling correspond the strict terms of the prohibition: take care to let no one know it!

διεφήμισαν, κ.τ.λ.] “propter memoriam gratiae non possunt tacere beneficium,” Jerome. ἐξελθόντες: out of the house. Matthew 9:28. Paulus, notwithstanding the context, interprets: out of the town. See also Matthew 9:32, where αὐτῶν ἐξερχομένων can only mean: whilst they were going out from Jesus, out of His house.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Matthew 9:30. ἠνεῴχθησαν, a Hebraism. The Jews thought of blind eyes as shut, and of seeing eyes as open.—ἐνεβριμήθη, sternly enjoined (vide Mark 1:43). The paraphrase of Euthy. Zig. gives a vivid idea of the meaning, “looked severely, contracting His eyebrows, and shaking His head at them, as they are wont to do who wish to make sure that secrets will be kept”.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

30. straitly charged] The word in the original is a remarkable one, Literally, to roar, then (1) “to charge with vehement threats,” then (2) “to enjoin strictly,” (here and Mark 1:43); (3) to be loudly indignant (Mark 14:5); (4) “to groan in the spirit;” said of our Lord at the grave of Lazarus (John 11:33; John 11:38).

Bengel's Gnomen

Matthew 9:30. Ἀνεῴχθησαν, were opened) The same verb is used also in the case of ears, Mark 7:34-35, and of the mouth, Luke 1:64.—ἐνεβριμήσατο, straitly charged) perhaps lest an opportunity might be given to the Pharisees. Cf. Matthew 9:34.[431]—ὁρᾶτε, see) A word used absolutely; for neither does the following imperative depend on this.

[431] It would have been better for them to have obeyed His injunction of silence: and yet their conduct is not without affording us means of inferring, how great is the effect which the power of Christ has on those who have experienced it.—V. g.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 30. - And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them (ἐνεβριμήθη αὐτοῖς). The notion is of "coercion springing out of displeasure. The feeling is called out by something seen in another which moves to anger rather than to sorrow" (Bishop Westcott, on John 11:33). Saying, See that no man know it. Partly to avoid publicity for himself, partly for their own sake, for even the recital of the Lord's mercies towards us often becomes an occasion of spiritual harm, since it is apt to degenerate into "display" with its attendant evils.  ῾ημᾶς διδάσκει φεύγειν τὸ ἐπιδεικτικὸν ὡς αἴτιον τῶν κακῶν (Origen, in Cromer's 'Catena'). The other occasions (vide ch. 8:4, note) on which a similar command was given seem all to belong, with this, to the earlier part of his ministry. Matthew 9:30