New Testament · Gospel

Mark 7:32

Beyond the Boundaries

Some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him. Mark 7:32 · Berean Standard Bible
What It Means

Mark 7:32, in plain English

Some caring friends brought a man who couldn't hear or speak clearly to Jesus, pleading for His help. Their love for this man moved them to action.

Why it's here

Jesus is in a non-Jewish area, showing that His compassion isn't limited by cultural boundaries. He meets people wherever they are.

Who's speaking

Mark tells us about the community stepping in for someone who couldn't ask for himself.

Where it sits in the story

Picture a man trapped in silence, unable to hear or express himself clearly. His friends refuse to let him stay that way and carry their hope straight to Jesus.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

The Greek kophos indicates both deafness and speech impediment; mogilalon (hardly able to speak) appears only here and in Isaiah 35:6 (LXX), forming a deliberate prophetic link.

Language and setting

This healing occurs in the Decapolis, a predominantly Gentile region, signaling the extension of messianic restoration beyond Israel's borders.

Voice

Mark narrates the community's intercession on behalf of the afflicted man.

Significance

A deaf man with a speech impediment is brought to Jesus by friends who beg for a laying on of hands. Their faith-driven initiative sets the stage for a deeply personal healing encounter.

In context

Mark 7:30–34

30And she went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

31Then Jesus left the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.

32Some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him.

33So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue.

34And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”).

Read all of Mark 7 — Jesus declares all foods clean and then crosses into Gentile territory to heal a woman's daughter. The walls are coming down.

Understand every verse, not just this one

This page covers one. BibleKey does all 31,102 — tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and keep reading without leaving the chapter.

Get BibleKey

Understand every verse.

Not just the famous ones. BibleKey is free on iPhone and iPad.

Download on the App Store

Free on iPhone & iPad