The Meaning of Matthew 9:30 Explained

Matthew 9:30

KJV: And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

YLT: and their eyes were opened, and Jesus strictly charged them, saying, 'See, let no one know;'

Darby: And their eyes were opened; and Jesus charged them sharply, saying, See, let no man know it.

ASV: And their eyes were opened. And Jesus strictly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  their  eyes  were opened;  and  Jesus  straitly charged  them,  saying,  See  [that] no man  know  [it]. 

What does Matthew 9:30 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 9:27-34 - The Merciful Deliverer
It is thus that the Master speaks to us: Believe ye that I am able to make you happy, though you are cut off from the light and gladness of the world? Believe ye that I am able to enrich you in poverty, strengthen you in weakness, and raise you even out of death itself, so that the barren rod may bear blossom and fruit? Believe ye that I am able to give a knowledge of God which eye hath not seen nor the heart of man conceived?
It may be with a trembling faith that we answer, Yea, Lord. But how blessed is the soul that dares to say Yea to the Master's challenge. Understand that there is no limit to what He will do for you, if only you will trust Him. The measure of His giving is according to the measure of your faith, and the measure of your faith will be according to the measure of your abandonment to Him. Spread abroad His fame. Pharisees hate Him, but demons flee. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 9

1  Jesus heals a paralytic
9  calls Matthew from the receipt of custom;
10  eats with tax collectors and sinners;
14  defends his disciples for not fasting;
20  cures the sick woman;
23  raises Jairus' daughter from death;
27  gives sight to two blind men;
32  heals a mute man possessed of a demon;
36  and has compassion on the multitude

Greek Commentary for Matthew 9:30

Were opened [ηνεωιχτησαν]
Triple augment (on οιωι ε — oî= αν ην — ōi ενεβριμητη αυτοις — e and then on preposition εν — an= βριμαομαι — ēn). [source]
Strictly charged them [εν εαυτωι]
A difficult word, compound of ενεβριμησατο — en and ενεβριμητη — brimaomai (to be moved with anger). It is used of horses snorting (Aeschylus, Theb. 461), of men fretting or being angry (Daniel 11:30). Allen notes that it occurs twice in Mark (Mark 1:43; Mark 14:5) when Matthew omits it. It is found only here in Matthew. John has it twice in a different sense (John 11:33 with απεκριτη — en heautōi). Here and in Mark 1:32 it has the notion of commanding sternly, a sense unknown to ancient writers. Most manuscripts have the middle ορατε μηδεις γινωσκετω — enebrimēsato but Aleph and B have the passive enebrimēthē which Westcott and Hort accept, but without the passive sense (cf. apekrithē). “The word describes rather a rush of deep feeling which in the synoptic passages showed itself in a vehement injunctive and in John 11:33 in look and manner” (McNeile). Bruce translates Euthymius Zigabenus on Mark 1:32: “Looked severely, contracting His eyebrows, and shaking His head at them as they are wont to do who wish to make sure that secrets will be kept.” “See to it, let no one know it” Note elliptical change of persons and number in the two imperatives. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 9:30

Mark 1:43 Strictly charged [εμβριμησαμενος]
Only in Mark. Luke 5:14 has παρηγγειλεν — parēggeilen (commanded). Mark‘s word occurs also in Mark 14:5 and in Matthew 9:30 and John 11:38. See note on Matthew 9:30. It is a strong word for the snorting of a horse and expresses powerful emotion as Jesus stood here face to face with leprosy, itself a symbol of sin and all its train of evils. The command to report to the priests was in accord with the Mosaic regulations and the prohibition against talking about it was to allay excitement and to avoid needless opposition to Christ. [source]
John 11:33 He groaned in the spirit [ἐνεβριμήσατο τῷ πνεύματι]
See on Mark 1:43. The word for groaned occurs three times elsewhere: Matthew 9:30; Mark 1:43; Mark 14:5. In every case it expresses a charge, or remonstrance, accompanied with a feeling of displeasure. On this passage there are two lines of interpretation, both of them assuming the meaning just stated. (1) Τῷ πνευ.ματι , the spirit, is regarded as the object of Jesus' inward charge or remonstrance. This is explained variously: as that Jesus sternly rebuked the natural shrinking of His human spirit, and summoned it to the decisive conflict with death; or that He checked its impulse to put forth His divine energy at once. (2) Takes in the spirit, as representing the sphere of feeling, as John 13:21; Mark 8:12; Luke 10:21. Some explain the feeling as indignation at the hypocritical mourning of the Jews, or at their unbelief and the sisters' misapprehension; others as indignation at the temporary triumph of Satan, who had the power of death. The interpretation which explains τῷ πνεύματι as the sphere of feeling is to be preferred. Comp. John 11:38, in himself. The nature of the particular emotion of Jesus must remain largely a matter of conjecture. Rev. renders, in margin, was moved with indignation in the spirit. [source]
John 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping [Ιησους ουν ως ειδεν αυτην κλαιουσαν]
Proleptic position of “Jesus,” “Jesus therefore when he saw.” She was weeping at the feet of Jesus, not at the tomb. And the Jews also weeping Mary‘s weeping was genuine, that of the Jews was partly perfunctory and professional and probably actual “wailing” as the verb κλαιω — klaiō can mean. Κλαιω — Klaiō is joined with αλαλαζω — alalazō in Mark 5:38, with ολολυζω — ololuzō in James 5:1, with τορυβεω — thorubeō in Mark 5:39, with πεντεω — pentheō in Mark 16:10. It was an incongruous combination. He groaned in the spirit First aorist middle indicative of εμβριμαομαι — embrimaomai old verb (from εν — en and βριμη — brimē strength) to snort with anger like a horse. It occurs in the lxx (Dan 11:30) for violent displeasure. The notion of indignation is present in the other examples of the word in the N.T. (Mark 1:43; Mark 14:5; Matthew 9:30). So it seems best to see that sense here and in John 11:38. The presence of these Jews, the grief of Mary, Christ‘s own concern, the problem of the raising of Lazarus - all greatly agitated the spirit of Jesus (locative case τωι πνευματι — tōi pneumati). He struggled for self-control. Was troubled First aorist active indicative of ταρασσω — tarassō old verb to disturb, to agitate, with the reflexive pronoun, “he agitated himself” (not passive voice, not middle). “His sympathy with the weeping sister and the wailing crowd caused this deep emotion” (Dods). Some indignation at the loud wailing would only add to the agitation of Jesus. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 9:30 mean?

And were opened their - eyes strictly instructed them - Jesus saying See that no one knows
καὶ ἠνεῴχθησαν αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί ἐνεβριμήθη αὐτοῖς Ἰησοῦς λέγων Ὁρᾶτε μηδεὶς γινωσκέτω

ἠνεῴχθησαν  were  opened 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀνοίγω 
Sense: to open.
οἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ὀφθαλμοί  eyes 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ὀφθαλμός  
Sense: the eye.
ἐνεβριμήθη  strictly  instructed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: βριμάομαι 
Sense: to charge with earnest admonition, sternly to charge, threatened to enjoin.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
λέγων  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Ὁρᾶτε  See  that 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
μηδεὶς  no  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: μηδείς 
Sense: nobody, no one, nothing.
γινωσκέτω  knows 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γινώσκω  
Sense: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel.