Mark 7:32-35
7:33 a The healing was performed privately (7:33 b; see 5:40-43 c; 8:23 d) to prevent the spread of messianic fervor (see 3:11-12 e; cp. John 6:15 f).• Jesus also used saliva in a healing at Mark 8:23 g, where he spit on a man’s eyes in curing his blindness. The medicinal use of saliva in ancient times is well documented.
7:34 h Since Jesus was looking up to heaven when he sighed, his sigh is probably best understood as a prayerful gesture.
• Ephphatha is an Aramaic term that Mark translates for his readers (see also 3:17 i; 5:41 j; 14:36 k; 15:34 l). These are not magical formulas or incantations; Mark is simply recounting some of the original words Jesus spoke. Matthew and Luke do not seem to have attributed any special significance to the Aramaic words of Jesus, since they did not include them in their Gospels.
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