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The deaf-mute man (Ephphatha)

Mark 7:31–37 · Later ministry in Galilee

Scripture

Mark 7:31–37

nd again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 36And 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; 37And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

King James Version · public domain

Marku 7:31–37

dhe përsëri dolli nga sinorët’ e Tyrës’ e të Sidhonësë, edhe erdhi ndaj detit të Galilesë ndëpër mest të sinorëvet të Dhekapolësë. 32Edhe i sjellënë një të-shurdhërë belbacuk, edhe i lutenë të vërë dorënë mbi atë. 33Edhe ay e mori prej gjindjesë veçanë, edhe vuri gishtërit’ e ti ndë veshët t’ati, edhe si pshtyti, i preku gjuhënë; 34Edhe si ngriti sytë ndë qiellt, psherëtiti, edhe i thotë ati, Effatha, që do me thënë, Hapu. 35Edhe për-një-here uhapnë veshët’ e ati, edhe usgith të-lidhurit’ e gjuhës’ s’ati, edhe fliste drejt. 36Edhe i porositi të mos i thonë asnjeriu; po sa më tepërë i porositte ay, kaqë më tepërë ata e lëçitninë. 37Edhe çuditeshinë fort tepërë e thoshinë, Mirë i ka bërë të-gjitha; edhe të-shurdhërit’ i bën të dëgjonjënë, edhe memecëtë të flasënë.

Kristoforidhi, Dhiata e Re Toskërisht 1879 · zotërim publik

In their own words

Christ made use of this mystery in the Gospel, as we read, when He healed him who was deaf and dumb.

St. Ambrose of Milan, On the Mysteries (The Book Concerning the Mysteries), Chapter I, section 4. NPNF2 Vol. 10.

The Deaf-Mute Man, "Ephphatha" (Mark 7:31–37)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Mark 7, trans. J. H. Newman, 1841. Public domain. Full text: https://ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena2/catena2.iii.vii.html

On His looking up to heaven and His sighing:

He looked up to heaven, that He might teach us that thence is to be procured speech for the dumb, hearing for the deaf, health for all who are sick. And He sighed, not that it was necessary for Him to be any thing from His Father with groaning, for He, together with the Father, gives all things to them who ask, but that He might give us an example of sighing, when for our own errors and those of our neighbours, we invoke the guardianship of the Divine mercy.

On the word "Ephphatha" and what it opens:

But that which He says, "Ephphatha, that is, Be opened," belong properly to the ears, for the ears are to be opened for hearing, but the tongue to be loosed from the bonds of its impediment, that it may be able to speak.

On the two natures shown in one act:

Where each nature of one and the same Christ is manifestly distinct, looking up indeed into Heaven as man, praying unto God, He groaned, but presently with one word, as being strong in the Divine Majesty, He healed.

On who is spiritually deaf and dumb:

Or he is deaf and dumb, who neither has ears to hear the words of God, nor opens his mouth to speak them, and such must be presented to the Lord for healing, by men who have already learned to hear and speak the divine oracles.

Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Mark 7, trans. J. H. Newman, 1841. Public domain.

On why He did not linger among the Gentiles:

The Lord did not wish to stay in the parts of the Gentiles, lest He should give the Jews occasion to say, that they esteemed Him a transgressor of the law, because He held communion with the Gentiles, and therefore He immediately returns.

On why He healed with His own spittle:

That He might shew that all the members of His sacred body are divine and holy, even the spittle which loosed the string of the tongue. For the spittle is only the superflous moisture of the body, but in the Lord, all things are divine.

On the charge to silence, and the lesson it teaches us:

By this we are taught, when we confer benefits on any, by no means to seek for applause and praise; but when we have received benefits, to proclaim and praise our benefactors, even though they be unwilling.

Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Mark 7, trans. J. H. Newman, 1841. Public domain.

On why He forbade what He knew would be proclaimed:

If however He, as one Who knew the present and the future wills of men, knew that they would proclaim Him the more in proportion as He forbade them, why did He give them this command? If it were not that He wished to prove to men who are idle, how much more joyfully, with how much greater obedience, they whom He commands to proclaim Him should preach, when they who were forbidden could not hold their peace.

Patristic sources

Read the sources: Ambrose, On the Sacraments / Mysteries (CCEL)