Mark 10.46-52 The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus

Both 8.22-26 and this passage narrate the healing of a blind man. These two stories serve as literary bookends surrounding the three major predictions of Jesus' death and resurrection (8.31; 9.30-32; 10.32-34), as well as the major instructions on discipleship. The disciples' blindness regarding the true mission of Jesus is thus also being emphasized, but as Jesus teaches them, he is healing this spiritual blindness as well. 

46   Καὶ ἔρχονται εἰς Ἰεριχώ. Καὶ ἐκπορευομένου -αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ Ἰεριχὼ καὶ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ὄχλου ἱκανοῦ ὁ υἱὸς Τιμαίου Βαρτιμαῖος, τυφλὸς προσαίτης, ἐκάθητο παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν.
46   Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road.
B1 Here and Lk. 18.35 mention only one blind man, and here also gives the name. But Mt. 20.30-31 mentions two blind men, any conflicts among the passages here?[Mark and Luke focused on the one]

D1 The meaning is "son of impurity", perhaps reflecting a Jewish tradition that blindness was the consequence of sin (cf. Jn. 9.1-3).

47   καὶ ἀκούσας ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζαρηνός ἐστιν ἤρξατο κράζειν καὶ λέγειν· υἱὲ Δαυὶδ Ἰησοῦ, ἐλέησόν με.
47   When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
A1 Son of David. Jesus was more than a Nazarene to this blind person, who saw quite well that Jesus was Son of David. There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]).

C1 The Gospel author shows us the irony of a blind man who had spiritual insight, while many who could see were spiritually blind. 

48   καὶ ἐπετίμων αὐτῷ πολλοὶ ἵνα σιωπήσῃ· ὁ δὲ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔκραζεν· υἱὲ Δαυίδ, ἐλέησόν με.
48   Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

49   καὶ στὰς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· φωνήσατε αὐτόν. καὶ φωνοῦσιν τὸν τυφλὸν λέγοντες αὐτῷ· θάρσει, ἔγειρε, φωνεῖ σε.
49   And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him here." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you."

50   ὁ δὲ ἀποβαλὼν τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ ἀναπηδήσας ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν.
50   Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.
D1 Perhaps his most important possessions (Exo. 22.25-26). In responding to Jesus' call and leaving all behind, the beggar imitates the disciples (v. 28) and does what the rich man could not do (vv. 22-23)

51   καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· τί σοι θέλεις ποιήσω; ὁ δὲ τυφλὸς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ραββουνι, ἵνα ἀναβλέψω.
51   And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!"
A1 “that I may see [again].” The phrase can be rendered as an imperative of request, “Please, give me sight.” Since the man is not noted as having been blind from birth (as the man in John 9 was) it is likely the request is to receive back the sight he once had.

52   καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ὕπαγε, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε. καὶ εὐθὺς ἀνέβλεψεν καὶ ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ.
52   And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.

D1 The healing here reflects the Jewish understanding of the tight link between salvation and physical wholeness (cf. 2.1-12). 

D2 In healing the blind man, who joyfully follows him on the road into Jerusalem, Jesus fulfills Isaiah's promise that in the new exodus, God would come to save his people, prepare a holy way upon which the blind's eyes are opened so that they could joyfully enter that way into Zion (Is. 35.4-10).

D3 Blind Bartimaeus' insistent cry for mercy (v. 47) express the only bases on which one can enter new exodus salvation. 

11.1-11 Trimphal Entry into Jerusalam

1   Καὶ ὅτε ἐγγίζουσιν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα εἰς Βηθφαγὴ καὶ Βηθανίαν πρὸς τὸ ὄρος τῶν ἐλαιῶν, ἀποστέλλει δύο τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ
1   As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,

2   καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· ὑπάγετε εἰς τὴν κώμην τὴν κατέναντι ὑμῶν, καὶ εὐθὺς εἰσπορευόμενοι εἰς αὐτὴν εὑρήσετε πῶλον δεδεμένον ἐφ᾽ ὃν οὐδεὶς οὔπω ἀνθρώπων ἐκάθισεν· λύσατε αὐτὸν καὶ φέρετε.
2   and said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.

3   καὶ ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ· τί ποιεῖτε τοῦτο; εἴπατε· ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει, καὶ εὐθὺς αὐτὸν ἀποστέλλει πάλιν ὧδε.
3   "If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' you say, 'The Lord has need of it'; and immediately he will send it back here."

4   Καὶ ἀπῆλθον καὶ εὗρον πῶλον δεδεμένον πρὸς θύραν ἔξω ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀμφόδου καὶ λύουσιν αὐτόν.
4   They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it.

5   καί τινες τῶν ἐκεῖ ἑστηκότων ἔλεγον αὐτοῖς· τί ποιεῖτε λύοντες τὸν πῶλον;
5   Some of the bystanders were saying to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?"

6   οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτοῖς καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἀφῆκαν αὐτούς.
6   They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission.

7   Καὶ φέρουσιν τὸν πῶλον πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἐπιβάλλουσιν αὐτῷ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν.
7   They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it.

8   καὶ πολλοὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν ἔστρωσαν εἰς τὴν ὁδόν, ἄλλοι δὲ στιβάδας κόψαντες ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν.
8   And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.

9   καὶ οἱ προάγοντες καὶ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες ἔκραζον· ὡσαννά· εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου·
9   Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;

10   εὐλογημένη ἡ ἐρχομένη βασιλεία τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Δαυίδ· ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις.
10   Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!"

11   Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ περιβλεψάμενος πάντα, ὀψίας ἤδη οὔσης τῆς ὥρας, ἐξῆλθεν εἰς Βηθανίαν μετὰ τῶν δώδεκα.
11   Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.