Bible Strands
Luke 18:41
“What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “let me see again.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses a blind beggar who has just been brought to Him after Jesus stopped and directed the man to approach. The inquiry occurs immediately before the restoration of sight and follows the physical nearness described in the preceding verse.
The words — The Greek τί (ti) means "What" and θέλεις (theleis) means "you desire," forming the structural core of Jesus' question. The beggar's reply opens with κύριε ("Lord"), a title of authority that precedes his explicit request for sight.
The thread — The pattern of direct divine inquiry and human request appears in 1 Kings 3:5 where God invites Solomon to ask, and in Matthew 20:21 where Jesus asks a petitioner what she wants. The expectation of unseen restoration aligns with the patient waiting described in Romans 8:25.
Why it lands — The text records a direct question demanding a specific answer before action follows. It requires the reader to formulate a precise request rather than rely on vague hope or unspoken need.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 3:5 One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
- Matthew 20:21 “What do you want?” He inquired. She answered, “Declare that in Your kingdom one of these two sons of mine may sit at Your right hand, and the other at Your left.”
- Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.
- Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.