He spat indeed, and put His hand upon the blind man, because He wished to shew that wonderful are the effects of the Divine word added to action; for the hand is the symbol of working, but the spittle, of the word proceeding out of the mouth. Again He asked him whether he could see any thing, which He had not done in the case of any whom He had healed, thus shewing that by the weak faith of those who brought him, and of the blind man himself, his eyes could not altogether be opened.
Wherefore there follows: “And He looked up, and said, I see men as trees walking;” because he was still under the influence of unfaithfulness, he said that he saw men obscurely.
Reproduced in full. Translation: Oxford 1841 (Newman), public domain (Public domain).
Also cites: Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.