Blindness as a picture

Of the 86 verses in the Bible that use the word blind, 36 use it as a figure of speech, and six more are promises that may be meant either way. This is the word's most common use, and the one a blind reader hears differently from everyone else. Every one of these verses makes blindness stand for something wrong.

These pages do not soften that. Where Jesus says "blind fools," the page says so. What the pages add is three questions put to every passage. What does the picture mean? What does it assume about blind people, and does the rest of Scripture agree? And who gets called blind, and who never does? The answer to the last one turns out to be the most interesting thing in this part of the Bible.

The idea for this study came from Brian's pastor, John. The Other voices slot on each page is waiting for him.

The pages

• Blind guides. Matthew 15:12-14; Matthew 23:13-28; Luke 6:39-42; Isaiah 56:9-11; Romans 2:17-21.
• Eyes that cannot see. John 9:39-41; John 12:37-41; Romans 11:7-10; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; 2 Peter 1:5-9; 1 John 2:9-11.
• God's own people called blind. Isaiah 29:9-14; Isaiah 42:16-20; Isaiah 43:8-10; Revelation 3:14-18.
• Like the blind. Deuteronomy 28:28-29; Isaiah 59:9-10; Lamentations 4:13-15; Zephaniah 1:17.
• Eyes dim with grief. Job 17:7; Psalm 6:6-7; Psalm 38:9-10; Psalm 88:8-9; Lamentations 5:15-17.
• Bribes and curses. Exodus 23:6-8; Deuteronomy 16:18-20; Zechariah 11:15-17; Zechariah 12:4.
• The eyes of the blind will be opened. Psalm 146:7-9; Isaiah 29:18-19; Isaiah 35:4-6; Isaiah 42:6-7; Isaiah 42:16; Luke 4:16-21.