The Meaning of Mark 8:22 Explained

Mark 8:22

KJV: And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

YLT: And he cometh to Bethsaida, and they bring to him one blind, and call upon him that he may touch him,

Darby: And he comes to Bethsaida; and they bring him a blind man, and beseech him that he might touch him.

ASV: And they come unto Bethsaida. And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he cometh  to  Bethsaida;  and  they bring  a blind man  unto him,  and  besought  him  to  touch  him. 

What does Mark 8:22 Mean?

Verse Meaning

As mentioned above, Bethsaida Julius stood on the northeast shore of the lake (cf. Mark 6:45). Evidently friends of the blind man led him to Jesus.

Context Summary

Mark 8:22-38 - The Cost Of Following Jesus
Our attention has been drawn to the Master's sighs; here, however, was another characteristic act. He spat on the eyes of the blind man, perhaps to excite his expectation and faith. Repulsive as ophthalmia is in the East, it did not repel Him nor staunch the flow of His pity.
We do not at once see everything clearly, but step by step we come unto perfect vision. Here we see through a glass darkly, there face to face. There was a great price to be paid; it was only through suffering and death that Jesus could do His greatest work, in redeeming and cleansing the children of men. He might have been the miracle-worker apart from Calvary; but to be the Savior, He must not spare Himself but be willing to pour out His soul even unto death. It was hard for the Apostles to learn this lesson; they wanted the Master to spare Himself. Peter, especially, sought to dissuade Him; but the Lord knew better the desperate need of men and how it must be met. There are three conditions to be fulfilled by those who have resolved to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. 1. We must deny self; 2. Each must take up his cross; 3. We must think more of others than of ourselves. If these are realized, the soul is following Christ and making progress, even though it deems itself stagnant or drifting back. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 8

1  Jesus feeds the people miraculously;
10  refuses to give a sign to the Pharisees;
14  admonishes his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod;
22  gives a blind man his sight;
27  acknowledges that he is the Jesus who should suffer and rise again;
34  and exhorts to patience in persecution for the profession of the gospel

Greek Commentary for Mark 8:22

Unto Bethsaida [εις ητσαιδαν]
On the Eastern side not far from the place of the feeding of the five thousand, Bethsaida Julias. Note dramatic presents they come This incident in Mark alone (Mark 8:22-26). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 8:22

Mark 8:22 Unto Bethsaida [εις ητσαιδαν]
On the Eastern side not far from the place of the feeding of the five thousand, Bethsaida Julias. Note dramatic presents they come This incident in Mark alone (Mark 8:22-26). [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 8:22 mean?

And they come to Bethsaida they bring to Him a blind [man] implore Him that him He might touch
Καὶ ἔρχονται εἰς Βηθσαϊδάν φέρουσιν αὐτῷ τυφλὸν παρακαλοῦσιν αὐτὸν ἵνα αὐτοῦ ἅψηται

ἔρχονται  they  come 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
Βηθσαϊδάν  Bethsaida 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Βηθσαϊδά 
Sense: a small fishing village on the west shore of Lake Gennesaret, home of Andrew, Peter, Philip and John.
φέρουσιν  they  bring 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: φέρω  
Sense: to carry.
αὐτῷ  to  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
τυφλὸν  a  blind  [man] 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: τυφλός  
Sense: blind.
παρακαλοῦσιν  implore 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: παρακαλέω  
Sense: to call to one’s side, call for, summon.
ἵνα  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
ἅψηται  He  might  touch 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἅπτω  
Sense: to fasten one’s self to, adhere to, cling to.