Blindness is extremely common in the East; Its essential causes are smallpox and, above all, inflammation of the eyes, aggravated by intense sunlight, the abundance of dust as fine as flour, and tiny flies.
There are children who are born blind (Jn. 9:1) This is the reason why blind beggars are numerous (Mt. 9:27; 12:22; 20:30; 21:14).
Blindness, total or partial, can come from old age (Gen. 27:1; 1 Sam. 4:15; 1 Kings 14:4).
The Ammonites, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, and barbarian conquerors put out the eyes of their prisoners of war (Judges 16:21; 1 Sam. 11:2; 2 Kings 25:7).
Some people were supernaturally blinded for a period of time (Gen. 19:11; 2 Kings 6:18-22; Acts 9:9; 13:11).
The law of Moses required treating the blind humanely (Lev. 19:14; Deut. 27:18).
It is used metaphorically to describe:
the state of the natural man under the influence of Satan (2 Cor. 4:4);
also of the state of the professed believer who hates his brother (1 Jn. 2:11);
also of the Israelites in their heartless profession (Mt. 23:16-26);
and of judicial blindness upon Israel (John 12:40).
Meaning of BLINDNESS
Blindness is extremely common in the East; Its essential causes are smallpox and, above all, inflammation of the eyes, aggravated by intense sunlight, the abundance of dust as fine as flour, and tiny flies.
