Blindness

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

Disqualified for priestly office

• Leviticus 21:18 No man who has any defect may approach — no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed;

Of animals, disqualified for a sacrifice

• Leviticus 22:22 You are not to present to the LORD any animal that is blind, injured, or maimed, or anything with a running sore, a festering rash, or a scab; you must not put any of these on the altar as a food offering to the LORD.
• Deuteronomy 15:21 But if an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.
• Malachi 1:8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present the lame and sick ones, is it not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the LORD of Hosts.

Miraculously inflicted upon the Sodomites

• Genesis 19:11 And they struck the men at the entrance, young and old, with blindness, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the door.

Syrians

• 2 Kings 6:18–23 As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are s…

Saul of Tarsus

• Acts 9:8–9 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see a thing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and he did not eat or drink anything.

Elymas

• Acts 13:11 Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

Sent as a judgment

• Deuteronomy 28:28 The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness, and confusion of mind,

Miraculous healing of

• Matthew 9:27–30 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” After Jesus had entered the house, the blind men came to Him. “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” He asked. “Yes, Lord,” they answered. Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to y…
• Matthew 11:5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
• Matthew 12:22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see.
• Matthew 21:14 The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.

The miraculous healing of Bartimaeus

• Matthew 20:30–34 And there were two blind men sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” The crowd admonished them to be silent, but they cried out all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them.…
• Mark 10:46–52 Next, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many peopl…

The miraculous healing of a man of Bethsaida

• Mark 8:22–25 When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked. The man looked up and said, “I can see th…

The miraculous healing of a man born blind

• John 9:1–7 Now as Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth, and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him. While it is…

Instances of

Isaac

• Genesis 27:1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” Esau replied.

Jacob

• Genesis 48:10 Now Israel’s eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

Eli

• 1 Samuel 4:15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his gaze was fixed because he could not see.

Ahijah

• 1 Kings 14:4 Jeroboam’s wife did as instructed; she arose and went to Shiloh and arrived at Ahijah’s house. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age.

Spiritual

• Exodus 5:2 But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”
• Deuteronomy 29:4 Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.
• Deuteronomy 32:28–29 Israel is a nation devoid of counsel, with no understanding among them. If only they were wise, they would understand it; they would comprehend their fate.
• Judges 16:20 Then she called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” When Samson awoke from his sleep, he thought, “I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.
• Job 21:14 Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.
• Job 22:13–14 Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness? Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.’
• Psalm 10:5–6 He is secure in his ways at all times; Your lofty judgments are far from him; he sneers at all his foes. He says to himself, “I will not be moved; from age to age I am free of distress.”
• Psalm 14:1 For the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good.
• Psalm 14:4 Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon the LORD.
• Psalm 73:2–28 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggle in their death; their bodies are well-fed. They are free of the burdens others carry; they are not afflicted like other men. Therefore pr…

See AFFLICTION, OBDURACY IN

See MAN, IGNORANCE OF

See GOD, PROVIDENCE OF, MISUNDERSTOOD

Instances of

Israelites

• Numbers 16 Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites — Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth — conducted a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly. They came toget… (whole chapter)
• Numbers 17 And the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and take from them twelve staffs, one from the leader of each tribe. Write each man’s name on his staff, and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi, because there must be one staff for the head of each tribe. Place the staffs in the Tent of Meet… (whole chapter)

Moab

• 2 Kings 3:27 So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. And there was great fury against the Israelites, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.

Scribes

• Matthew 9:3 On seeing this, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”

See in the printed text above for other instances