Mark 7:33

Modern

So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue.

Traditional

And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

Literal

And having taken him away from the crowd by himself, He put His fingers into his ears. And having spit, He touched his tongue.

Latin

Et apprehendens eum de turba seorsum, misit digitos suos in auriculas ejus: et exspuens, tetigit linguam ejus:

Greek

English

So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue.

The healing was done in private (7:33; see 5:40–43; 8:23). This likely helped prevent people from spreading strong excitement about Jesus as the Messiah (God’s chosen king; see 3:11–12; compare John 6:15).
Jesus also used saliva in another healing (Mark 8:23), when he put it on a man’s eyes to heal his blindness. The use of saliva for healing was common in the ancient world. People believed it could help heal certain conditions.

This miracle is very similar in order and wording to the healing of the blind man in 8:22–26. Healing miracles in the Gospels often follow a similar pattern. As these stories were told and retold, their form and wording likely became more consistent.
This miracle also includes a change of location. Some think the next miracle happened in a Gentile area such as Sidon or the Decapolis. However, it is more likely that it took place after Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee. The next event clearly happens there (8:10), with no change in location mentioned.

Mark 8:23
So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked.
John 9:6–7
When Jesus had said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud, and applied it to the man’s eyes.
Mark 5:40
And they laughed at Him. After He had put them all outside, He took the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and went in to see the child.
1 Kings 17:19–22
But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.
2 Kings 4:33–34
So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.
2 Kings 4:4–6
Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.”