The word “ephphatha” appears only once in the Bible, in Mark 7:34. It is an Aramaic word that Jesus spoke when he healed a deaf man by touching his ears and tongue.
The Biblical Account
The story is recounted in Mark 7:31-37:
Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
So in this account, Jesus encounters a deaf man who has trouble speaking. In order to heal him, Jesus takes him away privately, puts his fingers in the man’s ears, touches his tongue with spit, sighs deeply, and says “Ephphatha,” an Aramaic command meaning “Be opened!” Immediately, the man was able to hear and speak clearly.
Jesus told the people not to spread the news about this miracle, but they were so astonished that they couldn’t stop talking about what Jesus had done. They remarked at how Jesus “does everything well” including restoring hearing and speech.
The Meaning and Significance of “Ephphatha”
The word “ephphatha” comes from the Aramaic language and means “be opened” or “open up.” By saying this word while touching the man’s ears and tongue, Jesus was directly commanding them to open and be restored.
So on a literal level, Jesus was telling the ears and mouth to “be opened.” He spoke in the man’s native Aramaic language for maximum impact and comprehension.
On a symbolic level, Jesus was overcoming the barriers that prevented the man from hearing God’s word and praising him. Jesus frequently used physical healings to demonstrate his divine power to free people from spiritual blindness, deafness, and muteness too.
This miracle vividly illustrated Jesus’ mission to bring God’s salvation and blessing to all people. Although Jesus told the witnesses to stay quiet, they could not contain their amazement at God’s work through Christ.
The Significance of Aramaic
The detail that Jesus spoke Aramaic is noteworthy for a few reasons:
– It shows Jesus conversed with common people in their everyday language. He did not remain aloof or speak only in elite religious language.
– Aramaic was the lingua franca of the Middle East at that time, so this miracle displayed his significance for the entire region.
– Mark’s inclusion of the original Aramaic phrase hints at the eyewitness details in his account. He did not translate Jesus’ words but preserved them in the actual language spoken.
– As the first recorded healing miracle in the region of Decapolis, this signified Jesus’ mission extending beyond the Jews to Gentiles also. The Decapolis region had more Greek-influenced cities.
So the detail about Jesus speaking in Aramaic provides important cultural and historical insights about Jesus’ ministry and mission. The healing transcended ethnic and linguistic barriers.
Echoes of “Ephphatha” Elsewhere in Scripture
The concept of God opening deaf ears and mouths occurs in several other places in the Bible as well:
– Isaiah 35 prophecies that when God comes to redeem Zion, “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.” (Isaiah 35:5-6)
– The Psalms often portray the ungodly as deaf and mute to God’s truth: “They have ears, but they cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell” (Psalm 115:5-6). Yet the faithful pray, “Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise” (Psalm 51:15).
– In Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones, God promises to open Israel’s graves and bring them back to life: “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord’” (Ezekiel 37:14).
– Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah that “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…” (Isaiah 61:1). Jesus later read this passage in the synagogue at the outset of His ministry, declaring “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21).
So Jesus’ healing the deaf man with the word “Ephphatha” directly fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about God’s Messiah opening deaf ears, loose tongues, and releasing people from darkness.
Jesus’ Other Healings of Deafness
In addition to this account in Mark, the Gospels record Jesus healing deafness in at least two other instances:
Matthew 11:5 – When asked by John the Baptist if He was the Messiah, Jesus replied, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”
Mark 9:14-27 – Jesus healed a boy possessed by a demon that made him mute. When rebuked by Jesus, the demon convulsed the boy severely then came out, and the boy could speak again. The disciples had tried unsuccessfully to drive out the demon earlier. Jesus said their unbelief prevented them from healing the boy.
In both cases, Jesus groups restoring hearing with other miraculous signs that accompanied His ministry. Healing deafness displayed Christ’s authority over disability and evil spirits to fulfill His mission of preaching the good news.
Healing of Speech Issues in the Bible
In addition to deafness, the Gospels record several instances where Jesus healed people who had trouble speaking:
– The boy with a demon that made him mute (Mark 9:14-27)
– The man with a speech impediment healed at Decapolis (Matthew 15:29-31)
– A demon-possessed man made mute by the demon’s expulsion (Matthew 9:32-33)
– Zechariah who doubted the angel Gabriel lost his speech until John the Baptist was born (Luke 1:5-25, 57-79)
– Isaiah’s lips purified with a burning coal so he could proclaim God’s message (Isaiah 6:5-7)
Once again, these show examples of God overcoming disabilities of speech to make His word and glory known. The healings spiritually represent opening our mouths to praise God and proclaim His salvation.
Jesus Opens Spiritual Eyes, Ears, and Mouths
While Jesus healed physical blindness, deafness, and muteness, the Gospels also speak of spiritual blindness, deafness, and muteness:
– Jesus rebuked the Pharisees as blind guides of the blind (Matthew 15:12-14, 23:16-26).
– Jesus said His speaking in parables was meant to prevent some from hearing and understanding (Matthew 13:10-17).
– Jesus quoted Isaiah about people who do not understand God’s truth because their hearts have become calloused and their ears are hard of hearing (Matthew 13:14-15).
– Jesus warned that not declaring faith in Him could result in being denied before God in heaven (Luke 12:8-10).
– Jesus chided religious hypocrites as people who honor God with their lips but whose hearts are far from Him (Matthew 15:7-9).
So while Jesus opened natural faculties for hearing and speech, He also warned about spiritual deafness, blindness, and mute faith. His miracles displayed divine power so we might believe in Him and receive true spiritual sight, hearing, and voices set free to praise God.
Lessons for Disciples
The story of Jesus healing the deaf man with “ephphatha” is rich in meaning for Christians today. We learn that Jesus:
– Has divine power and authority over disabilities and suffering.
– Cares about people’s pains and will answer cries for help.
– Brings God’s blessings to all nations, crossing human barriers.
– Fulfills Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s works.
– Performs visual miracles so people might believe His message.
– Desires to free us from spiritual blindness, deafness, and muteness.
– Commands our ears to hear His word and mouths to proclaim His grace.
– Uses believers to carry on His mission to proclaim the gospel.
May we have ears open to God’s word, tongues loosed to praise Jesus, eyes to see His salvation, and hearts receptive to share His love everywhere.