Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary-28 Verse 22-28. See these verses explained at large on Matthew xi. 4-15.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 22. Then Jesus answering said unto them , etc.] To the disciples, as the Persic; to both, as the Arabic: when he had wrought these cures, he turned himself to the disciples of John, and made answer to their question.
The Vulgate Latin leaves out the word Jesus, rendering it, and he answering; in the following words: go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard . They had just seen many cured of infirmities, plagues, and evil spirits, and they had heard the doctrines of the Gospel preached by him; and the former were in confirmation of the latter, and both were proofs of his being the Messiah: the particulars of which follow, how that the blind see ; that is, they that had been blind, and some that were born blind received their sight, which was what was never heard of before, from the beginning of the world; and which, as it is an instance of Christ's almighty power, showing him to be God; so it was a fulfilment of a prophecy concerning him as the Messiah, who, when he came, was to open the eyes of the blind, ( Isaiah 35:5) and this was true, not only in a corporeal, but in a spiritual sense: and generally so it was, that when the blind received their bodily sight, they also received their spiritual sight; and both were evidences of the true Messiahship of our Lord Jesus. The lame walk ; these were among those who were cured of their infirmities; and this also was prophesied of the Messiah, and was now accomplished by Jesus, that the lame man should leap as an hart, ( Isaiah 35:6) and so was to be considered by John, and his disciples, as another proof of his being the true Messiah: the lepers are cleansed ; of this sort were they who were cured of their plagues: the leprosy was called a plague; hence the treatise of leprosy, in the Misna, is, by the Jews, called Negaim, or plagues. The deaf hear ; so in the above prophecy in Isaiah, it is predicted, that the ears of the deaf should be unstopped in the days of the Messiah; and which therefore must be considered as a further confirmation of Jesus being he that was to come, and that another was not to be looked for. The dead are raised : whether there were any raised at this time, or no, is not certain; but certain it is, that there had been one raised from the dead, if not in the presence of these disciples, yet just before they came to Christ, of which John had been informed by some of his disciples, if not these; and of which an account is given before in this chapter, and which is what none but the mighty God can do. To the poor the Gospel is preached : it was preached both by the poor, the disciples of Christ, and to the poor, mean, base, and illiterate among the Jews; and also to the poor, meek, and lowly in heart, as was prophesied should be, by the Messiah, ( Isaiah 61:1) so that put all together, here were undoubted proofs, and a full demonstration, that Jesus was the Messiah; (See Gill on Matthew 11:4). (See Gill on Matthew 11:5).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-35 - To his miracles in the kingdom of nature, Christ adds this in the kingdom of grace, To the poor the gospel is preached. It clearl pointed out the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom, that the messenger he sent before him to prepare his way, did it by preachin repentance and reformation of heart and life. We have here the jus blame of those who were not wrought upon by the ministry of Joh Baptist or of Jesus Christ himself. They made a jest of the methods God took to do them good. This is the ruin of multitudes; they are no serious in the concerns of their souls. Let us study to prove ourselve children of Wisdom, by attending the instructions of God's word, an adoring those mysteries and glad tidings which infidels and Pharisee deride and blaspheme.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ αποκριθεις 611 5679 V-AOP-NSM ο 3588 T-NSM ιησους 2424 N-NSM ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S αυτοις 846 P-DPM πορευθεντες 4198 5679 V-AOP-NPM απαγγειλατε 518 5657 V-AAM-2P ιωαννη 2491 N-DSM α 3739 R-APN ειδετε 1492 5627 V-2AAI-2P και 2532 CONJ ηκουσατε 191 5656 V-AAI-2P οτι 3754 CONJ τυφλοι 5185 A-NPM αναβλεπουσιν 308 5719 V-PAI-3P χωλοι 5560 A-NPM περιπατουσιν 4043 5719 V-PAI-3P λεπροι 3015 A-NPM καθαριζονται 2511 5743 V-PPI-3P κωφοι 2974 A-NPM ακουουσιν 191 5719 V-PAI-3P νεκροι 3498 A-NPM εγειρονται 1453 5743 V-PPI-3P πτωχοι 4434 A-NPM ευαγγελιζονται 2097 5743 V-PPI-3P
Vincent's NT Word Studies
22. The blind receive, etc. Better, are receiving, are walking, even while Jesus is speaking and John is in doubt.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:22 {What things ye have seen and heard} (ha eidete kai ekousate). In #Mt 11:4, present tense "which ye do hear and see." Rest of verse #22,23 as in #Mt 11:4-6, which see for details. Luke mentions no raisings from the dead in verse #21, but the language is mainly general, while here it is specific. skandalizomai used here has the double notion of to trip up and to entrap and in the N.T. always means causing to sin.
