Lexical Summary ptuó: To spit Original Word: πτύω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance spit. A primary verb (compare ptusso); to spit -- spit. see GREEK ptusso NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition to spit NASB Translation spat (1), spitting (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4429: πτύωπτύω: ((Latinspuo, ourspue; Curtius, § 382)); 1 aorist ἐπτυσα; from Homer down; to spit: Mark 7:33; Mark 8:23; John 9:6. (Compare: ἐκπτύω, ἐμπτύω.) Topical Lexicon Greek Term Overview Strong’s Greek number 4429, πτύω, describes the physical act of expelling saliva from the mouth. In ordinary speech it is simply “to spit,” yet in the inspired record it appears only in three healing scenes of Jesus Christ. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Mark 7:33 – The healing of the deaf-mute man in the Decapolis. Cultural and Historical Background In the ancient Mediterranean world spitting conveyed several ideas. It could express contempt (Job 30:10; Isaiah 50:6), but it also carried popular medicinal associations. Rabbinic sources attest that saliva, particularly from a firstborn son, was thought to possess curative properties for eye diseases. While Scripture never endorses folklore as efficacious in itself, the Lord occasionally accommodated familiar cultural symbols to teach deeper truths, much as He did with parables drawn from agriculture, fishing, or wedding customs. Spitting and Healing Narratives Mark 7:33 – “So He took him aside privately, away from the crowd, put His fingers into the man’s ears, and after spitting, He touched the man’s tongue.” Mark 8:23 – “Taking the blind man by the hand, He led him out of the village, and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked, ‘Do you see anything?’” John 9:6 – “When Jesus had said this, He spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and applied it to the man’s eyes.” These acts share four striking features: personal contact, deliberate use of saliva, physical touch, and a gradual unfolding of the cure (immediate in Mark 7 yet staged in Mark 8 and John 9). Each element underscores the incarnational ministry of Jesus—He does not heal from a distance here but enters into the sufferer’s brokenness. Theological and Ministry Significance 1. Incarnation revealed: By employing something as humble as saliva, Christ dignifies the physical world He created (John 1:3). Contrasts with Contemptuous Spitting Isaiah 50:6 prophesies Messiah enduring disgrace: “I did not hide My face from mocking and spitting.” The Gospels record that fulfillment (Matthew 26:67; Mark 14:65; Mark 15:19). Thus, Jesus experiences spitting in both benevolent and hostile forms—He uses it to heal others, and He endures it from sinners to heal them spiritually. The same substance becomes a sign of divine compassion or human contempt, depending on whose mouth it issues from. Related Old Testament Background Numbers 12:14 and Deuteronomy 25:9 depict spitting as public shame. By transforming the gesture into a means of mercy, Jesus subverts a cultural symbol of disgrace, much like He reorients the curse of the tree into the blessing of the cross (Galatians 3:13). Practical Application for Contemporary Ministry • The Lord may employ unlikely means to accomplish His purposes; ministers should remain open to God’s creativity while staying rooted in Scripture. Summary Strong’s 4429 marks three strategic healings where Jesus turns a common, even distasteful act into a vessel of divine power. Embracing the lowly and overturning cultural expectations, He reveals His authority over both body and symbol, inviting His followers to trust His word, participate in His compassionate presence, and anticipate the ultimate restoration when “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4). Forms and Transliterations έπτυσε επτυσεν ἔπτυσεν πτυσας πτύσας πτύων eptusen eptysen éptysen ptusas ptysas ptýsasLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Mark 7:33 V-APA-NMSGRK: αὐτοῦ καὶ πτύσας ἥψατο τῆς NAS: into his ears, and after spitting, He touched KJV: ears, and he spit, and touched his INT: of him and having spit he touched the Mark 8:23 V-APA-NMS John 9:6 V-AIA-3S Strong's Greek 4429 |
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