But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

MATTHEW 9:31KJV
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Matthew 9:31 (KJV)

What does Matthew 9:31 mean?

Matthew 9:31 says that after Jesus healed two blind men, they left and spread news about him throughout the whole region, making his reputation widely known. Even though Jesus had instructed them not to tell anyone, they could not keep quiet about what he had done for them.

In this verse, Matthew is describing the actions of the two men who had just received their sight from Jesus. The setting is in Galilee, where Jesus is performing miracles and gaining attention. Their excitement and gratitude led them to tell everyone about Jesus, which increased his fame in that area.

The Greek behind Matthew 9:31

  • The word for "spread abroad" and "fame" is διαφημίζω (diaphēmizō), which means to spread news widely or to make something known everywhere. The repetition of this idea in the verse shows how quickly and thoroughly the news about Jesus traveled.
  • The word for "country" is γῆ (gē), which often means "land" or "region." Here, it emphasizes that the news about Jesus was not just local but reached the entire surrounding area.

Why Matthew 9:31 matters

  • Matthew 9:31 shows how people responded to Jesus’s miracles with enthusiasm that could not be contained, even when he asked for secrecy.
  • This verse highlights the growing public awareness of Jesus’s identity and works, setting the stage for both increased interest and opposition in the chapters that follow.
  • It helps clarify that Jesus’s fame was not the result of self-promotion, but rather the natural reaction of those who experienced his power firsthand.

Where else these words appear

“abroad” Greek G1310 · used in 3 verses

  • Matthew 28:15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
  • Mark 1:45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

“all” Greek G3650 · used in 99 verses

  • Matthew 1:22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
  • Mark 15:33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
  • Acts 15:22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: