Blindness, natural

The inability to see properly. The healing of such physical blindness was one of the many miracles performed by Jesus Christ, who restored sight to the blind at several points during his ministry. Scripture often treats blindness as a symbol of the human inability or refusal to realise the importance of God and the gospel. The restoration of sight can thus be treated as a symbol of coming to faith.

The causes of blindness

A natural affliction

Exodus 4:11 See also Genesis 27:1, Genesis 29:17; 1 Samuel 3:2, 1 Samuel 4:15; John 9:1–3; Acts 22:11; Galatians 4:15

And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

A consequence of sin

Genesis 19:11; Deuteronomy 28:28–29; 2 Kings 6:18; Psalm 69:23; Acts 13:9–11

A result of human cruelty

Numbers 16:14; Judges 16:21; 2 Kings 25:7 parallels Jeremiah 39:7, Jeremiah 52:11

Directions to care for the blind

Leviticus 19:14; Deuteronomy 27:18; Job 29:15; Jeremiah 31:8

The healing of blindness

Luke 14:13

The LORD makes blind eyes see

2 Kings 6:17, 2 Kings 6:20; Psalm 146:8; Isaiah 35:5, Isaiah 61:1

The healing of the blind by Jesus Christ

Luke 4:18 See also Matthew 9:27–30, Matthew 11:5 parallel Luke 7:21–22; Matthew 12:22, Matthew 15:30–31, Matthew 20:29–34 parallels Mark 10:46–52, Luke 18:35–43; Mark 8:22–25; John 9:6–7; Acts 9:17–18 through Ananias

“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,

Blindness as a symbol

Of moral defect

Leviticus 20:4; Deuteronomy 16:19; 1 Samuel 12:3; Proverbs 28:27; Matthew 5:29, Matthew 6:23, Matthew 18:9; Luke 6:39

Of grief

Genesis 21:19; 1 Samuel 2:33; Job 17:7; Psalm 6:7, Psalm 31:9, Psalm 38:10, Psalm 88:9; Isaiah 38:14

Of the powerlessness of idols

Psalm 115:5 parallel Psalm 135:16