Church Fathers Commentary Mark 7:31-37

"And again he went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak." — Mark 7:31-37 (ASV)

Theophylact of Ohrid: The Lord did not wish to stay in the regions of the Gentiles, so that He would not give the Jews an occasion to say that they considered Him a transgressor of the law for associating with Gentiles. Therefore, He immediately returns.

Therefore it is said, And again departing from the coasts of Tyre, He came through Sidon, to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis.

The Venerable Bede: Decapolis is a region of ten cities across the Jordan, to the east, opposite Galilee.ⁱ Therefore, when it is said that the Lord came to the Sea of Galilee through the midst of the region of Decapolis, it does not mean that He entered the territory of Decapolis itself. For He is not said to have crossed the sea, but rather to have come to the shores of the sea, reaching the place that was opposite the middle of the region of Decapolis, which was situated at a distance across the sea. ¹

It goes on, And they bring Him one that was deaf and dumb, and they begged Him to lay hands upon him.

Theophylact of Ohrid: This is rightly placed after the deliverance of one possessed by a demon, for such an instance of suffering came from the devil.

Then follows, And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers into his ears.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: He takes the deaf and mute man who was brought to Him apart from the crowd, so that He might not perform His divine miracles openly. He teaches us to cast away vainglory and pride, for no one can work miracles as he can who loves humility and is humble in his conduct.

But He puts His fingers into the man's ears, when He could have cured him with a word, to show that His body, being united to the Deity, was consecrated by divine power in all that He did. For since, because of Adam's transgression, human nature had endured much suffering and injury in its members and senses, Christ, coming into the world, showed the perfection of human nature in Himself. For this reason, He opened ears with His fingers and gave the power of speech by His saliva. ²

Therefore it goes on, And spit, and touched his tongue.

Theophylact of Ohrid: He did this to show that all the members of His sacred body are divine and holy—even the saliva that loosed the string of the tongue. For saliva is only the superfluous moisture of the body, but in the Lord, all things are divine.

It goes on, And looking up to heaven, He groaned, and says to him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

The Venerable Bede: He looked up to heaven to teach us that from there we are to obtain speech for the mute, hearing for the deaf, and health for all who are sick. And He sighed, not because it was necessary for Him to ask anything from His Father with groaning—for He, together with the Father, gives all things to those who ask—but to give us an example of sighing when we call upon the protection of divine mercy for our own errors and those of our neighbors.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: He also groaned at the same time, as if taking our cause upon Himself and pitying human nature, seeing the misery into which it had fallen. ³

The Venerable Bede: But what He says, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened, properly belongs to the ears. For the ears are to be opened for hearing, but the tongue is to be loosed from the bonds of its impediment so that it may be able to speak.

Therefore it goes on, And immediately his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

Here each nature of the one and same Christ is clearly distinct: looking up to heaven as a man and praying to God, He groaned; but then, with one word, as one who is strong in divine majesty, He healed.

It goes on, And He charged them that they should tell no one.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: By this He has taught us not to boast in our own powers, but in the cross and humiliation. He also commanded them to conceal the miracle, so that He would not incite the Jews by envy to kill Him before the appointed time. ⁴

Pseudo-Jerome: A city, however, placed on a hill cannot be hidden, and humility always precedes glory.

Therefore it goes on, but the more He charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it.

Theophylact of Ohrid: By this we are taught that when we do good for anyone, we should by no means seek applause and praise. But when we have received benefits, we should proclaim and praise our benefactors, even if they are unwilling.

St. Augustine of Hippo: However, if He, as one who knew the present and future wills of people, knew that they would proclaim Him all the more as He forbade them, why did He give them this command? Was it not because He wished to prove to those who are idle how much more joyfully and obediently those whom He commands to proclaim Him should preach, when even those who were forbidden could not remain silent?

Glossa Ordinaria: However, from the preaching of those who were healed by Christ, the wonder of the multitude and their praise for Christ's good works increased.

Therefore it goes on, And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He has done all things well; he makes the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Pseudo-Jerome: Mystically, Tyre is interpreted as "narrowness" and signifies Judea, to which the Lord said, For the bed is too narrow (Isaiah 28:20), and from which He turns to the Gentiles. Sidon means "hunting," for our race is like an untamed beast, and "sea" signifies a wavering inconstancy. Again, the Savior comes to save the Gentiles in the midst of the region of Decapolis, which may be interpreted as the commands of the Decalogue.

Furthermore, the human race throughout its many members is considered as one man, consumed by various plagues in the first created man. It is blinded—that is, its eye is evil. It becomes deaf when it listens to evil, and mute when it speaks evil. And they prayed Him to lay His hand upon him, because many righteous men and patriarchs wished and longed for the time when the Lord would come in the flesh.

The Venerable Bede: Or, he is deaf and mute who neither has ears to hear the words of God nor opens his mouth to speak them. Such a person must be presented to the Lord for healing by people who have already learned to hear and speak the divine words.

Pseudo-Jerome: Furthermore, he who obtains healing is always drawn aside from turbulent thoughts, disorderly actions, and incoherent speech. The fingers that are put into the ears are the words and gifts of the Holy Spirit, of whom it is said, This is the finger of God (Exodus 8:19; Luke 11:20). The saliva is heavenly wisdom, which loosens the sealed lips of the human race so that it can say, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty," and the rest of the Creed.

And looking up to heaven, he groaned—that is, He taught us to groan and to raise the treasures of our hearts to heaven, because by the groaning of heartfelt remorse, the foolish joy of the flesh is purged away. But the ears are opened to hymns, songs, and psalms, and He looses the tongue that it may pour forth the good word, which neither threats nor beatings can restrain.

1. in Marc., 2, 31
2. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.
3. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.
4. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.