Biblical commentary on the New Testament - The Christian ...

890 Matthew IX. 23-27.
Lord commanded them to conceal in the depths of their souls, lest,
by their busy talkativeness, they should immediately destroy again
the slight spark of life which was but just enkindled. (Mark v. 43 ;
Luke viii. 56. Comp. also the remarks on Matth. viii. 4.) Mark
with still greater care, reports what happened in presence of the
parents, and of Peter, John, and James. (Concerning the presence,
on many occasions, of these three apostles only, compare the remarks
on Matth. x. 2.) Jesus seized the hand of the damsel and
called, 'wrp itn-'h'a. (The substantive is the Syriac form of nVta, which
properly signifies " lamb," but is frequently used of children also.)
It may be best to consider here the call of Christ, Lis life-giving
word, as the means of resuscitation. Not the slightest mention is
made of the application of any other means, and there is no reason
for supposing that such were used, though it is not absolutely im-
possible that such should have been employed, inasmuch as Jesus,
upon other occasions, makes use of such means. (Comp. the remarks
on Mark vii. 23.) But just because everything is recorded in a plain
and straight-forward manner, and in its proper place, it is as natural
to suppose that, where no such thing is spoken of, it did not take
place. Christ and the apostles, who were free from all charlatanry,
represent the most wonderful occurrences in the plainest and sim-
plest manner ; and as our Lord, after having fed thousands with a
few loaves, yet, in strict accordance with human nature, gives orders
to gather carefully the fragments that remained ; so also he, who
himself is the life, and who hereafter shall awaken all the dead by
his voice (John v. 25), orders that the little child, whom he had
awakened from her trance, and whom he declares not to have been
dead, should be supplied with food. (Mark v. 43 ; Luke viii. 55.)
He thus permits everything to go on in a natural and simple way,
and manifests thereby a truth of the inner life which forms, in a
peculiar manner, the true foil to his great actions.
§ 14. Healing of Two Blind Men and of a Dumb Man.
(Matth. ix. 2^-34.)
Matthew alone relates that, during the time which Jesus spent
in his house, he healed therein two blind men, and a dumb man.
The words, avrCdv 61 i^epxoix^vo)v Idov K. r. A., and as they came out,
etc. (ver. 32), connect immediately the healing of the dumb man
with that of the blind men. The similar narrative in Matthew, xi.
22, seq., must therefore be regarded as a different event. The ac-
cusation of the Pharisees, h rw dpxovTi rCJv dainoviwv iKpdXXei rd
dainovia, he casteth out devils hy the i^rince, etc., will, when that pas-
sage is under consideration, be subjected to more special inquiry.