(Gr., Ephphatha from Aramaic †™etpatah, passive imperative of the verb petah, to be opened). Word that occurs only in Mark 7:34, spoken by Jesus when he healed a deaf man.
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
Word used by the Lord Jesus in the healing of “a deaf and stuttering man” (Mar 7:34). The evangelist offers the translation: “Be open”. It is an Aramaic expression, although some think that it can also be derived from Hebrew. The fact that other Aramaic words are used in Mark (talita cumi; Eloi, Eloi, lama sabactani; Abba, etc.) favors the view that it is that language.
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
effatha (ejffaqav, 2188) is an Aramaic word that means to open, used in the imperative mood: “be open” (Mk 7.34); while the application in this case was to the ears, the tongue was remedially affected.
Source: Vine New Testament Dictionary
The word that Jesus addressed to the deaf (Mr. 7.34). It is probably an Aramaic imperative transliterated into Greek, and the evangelist adds the translation (in Gk.), “be open.” The Aramaic verb used is peṯaḥ, ‘open’; it is not certain whether it was the simple passive (etpeel) or the intensive passive (etpaal). The first would be ˒eṯpeṯaḥthe second ˒eṯpettaḥ. It would seem that in any case the ṯ assimilated to f, this is a regular feature of later Aramaic and its dialects (eg Syriac). Another possibility is that the word is Hebrew (niphal conjugation).
Bibliography. S. Morag, JSS 17, 1972, p. 198–202.
PFD
Douglas, J. (2000). New Biblical Dictionary: First Edition. Miami: United Bible Societies.
Source: New Bible Dictionary