And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

MATTHEW 21:14KJV
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Matthew 21:14 (KJV)

What does Matthew 21:14 mean?

Matthew 21:14 describes how blind and lame people came to Jesus in the temple, and he healed them. This verse shows Jesus openly helping those with physical disabilities in a public and sacred place.

In this scene, Jesus is in the temple in Jerusalem after his triumphal entry, surrounded by crowds and religious leaders. The verse highlights that people with significant needs approached him directly in the temple, and he responded with healing. This moment stands out because it happens in the heart of Jewish worship, emphasizing both Jesus' compassion and his authority.

The Greek behind Matthew 21:14

  • "Blind" (τυφλοί, typhloi): This word refers to those who cannot see. Its use here draws attention to people who were often marginalized in society, yet they are welcomed by Jesus.
  • "Lame" (χωλοί, chōloi): This word means those who cannot walk or have difficulty walking. Mentioning both blind and lame together underlines the range of physical suffering Jesus addressed.
  • "Healed" (ἐθεράπευσεν, etherapeusen): This Greek word carries the sense of restoring health or making whole. The action is immediate and complete, showing Jesus’ power to transform lives.

Why Matthew 21:14 matters

  • Matthew 21:14 clarifies that Jesus’ miracles were not hidden or private; they happened in the most public and religiously significant place, the temple.
  • The verse highlights a contrast with the religious leaders, who often excluded or overlooked those with disabilities, while Jesus welcomed and healed them.
  • This event sets up the tension in the following verses, as the religious authorities react to Jesus’ actions and the praise he receives from the people.

Where else these words appear

“lame” Greek G5560 · used in 15 verses

  • Matthew 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
  • Mark 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
  • Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

“healed” Greek G2323 · used in 43 verses

  • Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
  • Matthew 19:2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
  • Luke 8:43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

“blind” Greek G5185 · used in 48 verses

  • Matthew 9:27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
  • Mark 10:46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
  • John 9:17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.

“temple” Greek G2411 · used in 67 verses

  • Matthew 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
  • Luke 19:47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,
  • Acts 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.