And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus deliberately took the man aside and used physical touch – his fingers in the ears, spit on the tongue – to bypass the man's inability to hear and instead engage him through sight. This was a profound act of meeting the man where he was, communicating healing through actions that could be seen and felt, not just heard.
And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just finished a teaching section and is traveling through the region of Decapolis. A crowd brings him a deaf man who also has a speech impediment, and they implore him to heal the man. Jesus then isolates the man from the crowd, using a series of physical actions to engage him directly before speaking the command that brings about the healing.
Why did Jesus pull this man aside from the crowd before healing him? It wasn't just about avoiding a spectacle.
Jesus often sought privacy for His miracles, not to hide His power, but to create a focused space for healing.
A Focused Connection
Jesus used His fingers, spit, and touch. What did these intimate, physical actions signify?
Jesus' physical actions were not random but symbolic gestures that communicated God's power to open and restore.
The Language of Signs
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This healing occurs during a period of Roman rule in Judea, following the death of Herod Agrippa I. Jesus' ministry in Decapolis, a mixed Jewish and Gentile region, highlights his compassion extending beyond Jewish territories, while the symbolic actions used in the healing underscore the multifaceted nature of faith and divine intervention.
c. AD 44
Death of Herod Agrippa I
The death of Herod Agrippa I led to the cessation of the client kingdom of Judea, which was then reorganized into a Roman province under direct Roman administration.
c. AD 44 - AD 66
Roman Procuratorial Rule in Judea
Following Agrippa I's death, Judea was ruled by a series of Roman prefects and procurators, a period marked by increasing tension and unrest between the Jewish population and Roman authorities.
c. AD 60
Paul's Imprisonment in Rome
The Apostle Paul is under house arrest in Rome, continuing his ministry by teaching and preaching to all who would come to him.
c. AD 62
The Ministry of Paul in Rome
During his imprisonment, Paul writes letters, including Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, which address theological issues and church life within the Roman Empire.
c. AD 62— this verse
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee and Decapolis
Jesus travels through the region of Decapolis, a predominantly Gentile area east of the Sea of Galilee, where he encounters and heals a deaf man with an impediment in his speech.
c. AD 62
The Deaf and Dumb Man is Healed
Jesus, after taking the man aside and using symbolic actions, commands him to be opened, resulting in immediate restoration of hearing and speech.
c. AD 64-68
Persecution under Nero
The reign of Emperor Nero, known for its growing hostility towards Christians, may have influenced the context or urgency of the writings and ministries of apostles like Paul.
Similar to this healing, Jesus used a tangible substance (mud) and a physical action (spitting) to restore sight to a blind man, demonstrating God's power working through physical means.
Mark 8:23This passage describes Jesus healing another blind man, also involving taking him aside and using a physical touch, showing a pattern of Jesus adapting His methods for individual needs and perhaps for more private, impactful healing.
2 Kings 2:21In the Old Testament, Elisha also used salt in water to bring healing and purification, showing a historical precedent for using common elements to signify divine intervention and restoration.
Matthew 9:29This passage describes Jesus touching the eyes of two blind men and telling them to keep it quiet, similar to how Jesus took the deaf man aside, suggesting a tenderness and intentionality in His healing that prioritized the recipient's faith and perhaps a quiet, personal encounter with God's power.
vincentMark 7:33: "And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;"
Put (ἔβαλεν)Lit., threw: thrust.
calvinMark 7:31-37: "And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis."
- And Jesus departing thence, came near the sea of Galilee, and he went up into the mountain, and sat down there. 30. And great multitudes came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the dumb, the maimed, and many others, and laid them at the feet of Jesus; and he cured them: 31. So that the multitudes wondered, when they perceived the…
Jesus deliberately took the man aside and used physical touch – his fingers in the ears, spit on the tongue – to bypass the man's inability to hear and instead engage him through sight. This was a profound act of meeting the man where he was, communicating healing through actions that could be seen and felt, not just heard.
Jesus has just finished a teaching section and is traveling through the region of Decapolis. A crowd brings him a deaf man who also has a speech impediment, and they implore him to heal the man. Jesus then isolates the man from the crowd, using a series of physical actions to engage him directly before speaking the command that brings about the healing.
Jesus has just finished a teaching section and is traveling through the region of Decapolis. A crowd brings him a deaf man who also has a speech impediment, and they implore him to heal the man. Jesus then isolates the man from the crowd, using a series of physical actions to engage him directly before speaking the command that brings about the healing.
"And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue." — Jesus deliberately took the man aside and used physical touch – his fingers in the ears, spit on the tongue – to bypass the man's inability to hear and instead engage him through sight. This was a pr…
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Last reviewed October 2026