Matthew 11:5

5 ¹the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers^[a] are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and ²the poor have good news preached to them.

Matthew 11:5 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 11:5

The blind receive their sight
Our Lord here, has reference to several prophecies concerning the Messiah, in ( Isaiah 35:6 ) ( Isaiah 61:1 ) and which having their accomplishment in him, John and his disciples might easily and strongly conclude, that he was he that was to come, and that they should not look for another. The several things here mentioned, were not all done at this time, but were what these disciples had sufficient and authentic evidence of; sight was restored to the blind before them then; and no doubt they were informed of the two blind men, that had their eyes opened, ( Matthew 9:30 )

and the lame walk;
as did the man sick of the palsy, who was brought to him on a bed, carried by four men, but went away himself, with his bed upon his shoulders, ( Matthew 9:2 Matthew 9:6 Matthew 9:7 )

the lepers are cleansed:
as the poor man was, that was full of leprosy, and who was cured by Christ, by touching him, ( Matthew 8:3 )

and the deaf hear;
as did the man, into whose ears Christ put his fingers and said, Ephphatha, be opened, ( Mark 7:33-7:35 )

and the dead are raised:
as were Jairus's daughter, ( Matthew 9:18 Matthew 9:25 ) and the widow's son of Nain, ( Luke 7:15 )

and the poor have the Gospel preached them;
by "the poor" are meant, either the preachers of the Gospel; for so the words may be rendered, "the poor preach the Gospel": and such were the apostles of Christ; they were poor with respect to the things of this world; they were chiefly fishermen; and, with respect to human literature, they were unlearned men, had no stock or furniture of acquired learning, and were mean, abject, and contemptible, in the sight and opinion of men; and yet Christ called, qualified, and sent them forth to preach the Gospel. Or else, the hearers of it are designed; who were also the poor of this world, made a very low figure in life, and had but a small share of knowledge and understanding, and so were despised, and reckoned as cursed by the Scribes and Pharisees: or they were such, who were poor in spirit, or spiritually poor; who saw their spiritual poverty, bewailed and acknowledged it, and sought after the true riches of grace, and glory in Christ. Now these, as they had the Gospel preached to them more fully and clearly, with more power and authority, and so as it never was before or since, so they "received" it, as Tremellius from the Syriac reads the text, readily and willingly, joyfully and gladly, with faith and love; and were, as it may be also rendered, "evangelized" by it, or thrown into a gospel mould and frame: which may be said to be done, when a man has a spirit of liberty, in opposition to a spirit of bondage; when he lives by faith on Christ alone; when his comforts do not spring from his works, but from Christ; when the love and grace of God influence his repentance and obedience; when a man has a spirit of meekness and of love to the saints, is of a forbearing and forgiving spirit: when he is desirous of performing all duties both to God and man, and yet depends upon none of them, but upon Christ alone, for salvation.

Matthew 11:5 In-Context

3 and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"

4 And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:

5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

Cross References

• 1. See Luke 7:22
• 2. Luke 4:18; [Matthew 5:3; James 2:5]

Footnotes

• [a]. Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13