Then was brought unto him one possessed with a
devil
About this time, or some little time after, when he was returned
from the sea of Galilee, and was come into a certain house; see (
Mark 3:19 ) (
Matthew
12:46 Matthew 13:1
) some persons brought him a demoniac, in compassion to the
possessed man, and being persuaded of the power of Christ to heal
him by the late cures he had performed. A like instance we have
in ( Matthew
9:32 Matthew 9:33
Matthew
9:34 ) ( Luke 11:14 Luke 11:15 ) , which had
a like effect upon the people, and cavilled at by the Pharisees
in much the same way; and which cavils were answered in much the
same words; and yet the case is not the same; for that man was
only dumb, but this both
blind and dumb;
not by birth, or through the defect of nature, or by any natural
distemper that had attended him, but through the malice of Satan,
by divine permission; his blindness, and dumbness, were the
effects of his being possessed with a devil, who had deprived him
of his sight, and speech. The word rendered "dumb", signifies
both deaf and dumb, and answers to the Hebrew word (vrx) , which sometimes F13 is
used of a deaf man only, who can speak, but not hear; and often
of one that can neither speak, nor hear; which is the case of
such as are born deaf: it seems as if this man could hear, though
he could not speak; since no mention is made of his want of
hearing, or of Christ's restoring it to him; for it follows,
and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb, both
spake and
saw.
This he did, not by making use of medicines, but by a word
speaking, dispossessing Satan; so that the cause of blindness and
dumbness being removed, the effects ceased, and the man was
restored to his sight, and speech, as before. He had his sight to
behold his Saviour, and a tongue to praise his name: so when men
are turned from Satan unto God, and are delivered from his
thraldom and bondage, they are brought into marvellous light, and
put into a capacity of showing forth the praises of God.