What Does Matthew 20:30 Mean in the King James?
And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The men who cannot see Jesus recognize him by what they hear, and their cry for mercy names who they believe is passing by.
THE MEANING
When what is happening cannot be seen, hearing still makes recognition possible. The cry is specific: it names Jesus as Lord and Son of David and asks for mercy. Need here speaks with recognition.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that lack of sight means lack of recognition: the men cannot see Jesus, yet they name him as Lord and Son of David.
THE ROOT
ἐλέησον
eleēson
GROWS FROM
ἐλεε-
to show mercy
“have mercy” in this verse is eleēson. The plea ἐλέησον (eleēson) belongs to the Greek ἐλεέω (eleeō) family: asking for mercy is asking for it to be shown. English can make “mercy” sound like an attitude alone; the Greek word also holds the act of responding mercifully.
ALSO GROWS
eleos: mercy
ἔλεος
This noun names the mercy the men ask to have shown.
eleēmōn: merciful
ἐλεήμων
This related word describes one who acts with mercy, keeping the request connected to a merciful response.
eleēmosynē: an act of mercy; almsgiving
ἐλεημοσύνη
This branch shows mercy expressed in an act toward someone in need.
κύριε
kyrie
GROWS FROM
κυρι-
lordship, authority
“Lord” in this verse is kyrie. The men address Jesus with a word from the κύρι- family, which also forms words for ruling and lordship. Their cry is both a request for mercy and an address that recognizes authority.
ALSO GROWS
kyrios: lord, master
κύριος
This is the nominative form of the title they speak directly to Jesus.
kyrieuō: rule over, exercise lordship
κυριεύω
The verb makes the authority within their address visible.
kyriotēs: lordship, dominion
κυριότης
This noun names the domain of authority carried by the same Greek word family.
דָּוִד
Dāwīd
GROWS FROM
דּוֹד
beloved; beloved kin
The Hebrew name David is connected with דּוֹד (dod), beloved. In “Son of David,” the name carries a resonance of belovedness alongside the identity the men confess.
ALSO GROWS
dodi: my beloved
דּוֹדִי
This form shares the root and makes its intimate sense plain.
dodim: loves; beloved ones
דּוֹדִים
This plural branch carries the root’s association with love and belovedness into the name David.
THE PATTERN
When distress is voiced, hidden need becomes an appeal for mercy or deliverance.
And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.THE THREAD
And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.Matthew 9:27 repeats the same Greek plea, ἐλέησον (eleēson, show mercy), from the ἐλεέω (eleeō) family. The shared root makes the cry for mercy a repeated line of recognition: the speakers name Jesus as Son of David as they ask him to act mercifully.
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