1A man that was born blind receiveth sight: 8he relateth to his neighbours the means of his cure: 13he is brought to the Pharisees, who examine strictly into the fact, and are offended with his acknowledgement of the divine mission of the author: 34they excommunicate him: 35he is received of Jesus, and confesseth him: 39Christ taxeth the Pharisees with spiritual blindness.
1AND as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was 1blind from his birth.
1 Namely, who sat and begged, verse 8.
2And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did 2sin, 3this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
2 That is, committed any special great sin.
3 It seems that the disciples were in this error, which then was in some of the Jews, that when a man dies, then his soul would go again into another body, and that for this cause the soul of him that was born blind would have sinned in another body.
3Jesus answered, 4Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: buta that the works 5of God should be made manifest in him.
4 Namely, that he would therefore be born blind.
a John 11:4.
5 That is, of God’s mercy and power, when Christ would show the same on him, thereby to confirm that He is the true Messiah, according to prophecy, Isa. 35:5.
4 Ib must work 6the works of him that sent me, 7while it is day: 8the night cometh, when no man can work.
b John 5:19.
6 Which are to preach the Gospel, and to confirm the same by miracles.
7 That is, as long as this, My life and the time of My ministry appointed by God, shall endure.
8 That is, death, after which as no man can do that which concerns this calling in this life, so neither shall I Myself, after My death, do anymore such kind of works upon earth.
59As long as I am in the world, I am the 10lightc of the world.
9 Gr. when.
10 That is, I must enlighten the world with My doctrine and miracles, although I am reproached and persecuted for it.
c Isa. 42:6; Luke 2:32; John 1:9; 8:12; 12:35, 46; Acts 13:47.
6When he had thus spoken, he spatd on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he 11anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
d Mark 8:23.
11 This sign Christ uses, not that there was any virtue in it, seeing the same rather serves to make one blind, but to show that the power to give sight came from Him alone, as He also formed the whole man out of the clay of the earth, Gen. 2:7.
7And said unto him, Go, wash in the 12pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
12 Of this pool see Isa. 8:6 and Luke 13:4. Some think that it was the same water that is spoken of in John 5:2.
8¶The neighbours therefore, and they which before had 13seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that 14sat ande begged?
13 Gr. saw.
14 Namely, about the temple, as it seems by the last verse of the previous chapter, compared with the first verse of this chapter. See the like in Acts 3:2.
e Acts 3:2.
9Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
10Therefore said they unto him, 15How were thine eyes opened?
15 That is, how art thou become seeing.
11He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and 16anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and 17I received sight.
16 Or, spread.
17 Or, I became seeing.
12Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
13 ¶ 18They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
18 Namely, the neighbors or acquaintances.
14Andf it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
f Mat. 12:1; Mark 2:23; Luke 6:1; John 5:9.
15Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
16Therefore said some of the Pharisees, 19This man is not of God, because he 20keepeth not the sabbath day. 21Others said, Howg can a man that is 22a sinner do such miracles? Andh there was a division among them.
19 Namely, Who on the sabbath anointed your eyes with clay and opened them.
20 Or, holdeth.
21 Namely, of their assembly, as Nicodemus or someone alike, John 7:50.
g verse 33; John 3:2.
22 That is, ungodly, or a public despiser of God’s law, as they here accused Him.
h John 7:12; 10:19.
17They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, 23that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, Hei is a prophet.
23 Or, since.
i Luke 7:16; 24:19; John 4:19; 6:14.
18But 24the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and 25received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
24 That is, the rulers of the Jews, as appears from verse 22.
25 Gr. and saw, or was seeing.
19And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
20His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
21But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
22These words spake his parents, becausej they feared the Jews: fork26the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put 27out of the synagogue.
j John 7:13; 12:42.
k John 12:42.
26 That is, the rulers of the Jews had agreed together.
27 That is, excluded from the communion of the worship of God, as they are now accounted who are excommunicated out of the church.
23Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
24Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, 28Givel God the praise: we know that this man is 29a sinner.
28 Confess sincerely the truth before God, whereby His honor is given Him, Who knows the hearts. See Joshua 7:19; 1 Sam. 6:5.
l Joshua 7:19.
29 That is, a public transgressor of God’s law.
25He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
26Then said they to him 30again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
30 Namely, the third time, to see whether they could catch him in anything.
27He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did 31not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
31 That is, not willing to understand or to accept.
28Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.
29We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not 32from whence he is.
32 That is, from Whom He is sent, and has received power to teach, which is not contradictory to what they said before, John 7:27, for, at that place they speak of His country.
30The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened 33mine eyes.
33 That is, has shown by such an excellent miracle that He is sent from God, as he concludes in verse 33. See also John 3:2.
31Nowm we know that God 34heareth not 35sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
m Prov. 15:29; 28:9; Isa. 1:15; Micah 3:4.
34 That is, answers.
35 See verses 16, 24.
3236Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened 37the eyes of one that was born blind.
36 That is, so long as the world has stood.
37 That is, has given sight. See verse 10.
33If this man 38were not of God, he could do 39nothing.
38 Namely, came or sent.
39 Gr. not anything, namely, suchlike.
34They answered and said unto him, Thou wast 40altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him 41out.
40 See before in verses 1, 2.
41 Gr. without, that is, out of their assembly or synagogue, as verse 22.
35Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
36He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
37And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, andn it is he that talketh with thee.
n John 4:26.
38And he said, Lord, I believe. And he 42worshipped him.
42 Namely, as now acknowledging Him to be the Son of God.
39¶And Jesus said, Foro43judgment I am come into this world, thatp they 44which see not 45might see; and that they 46which see might be made 47blind.
o John 3:17; 12:47.
43 That is, with power to execute the judgments of God, in punishing the despisers of His Word, to whom the same is a savor of death, as well as in the receiving of penitent sinners, to whom it is a savor of life, 2 Cor. 2:16.
p Mat. 13:13.
44 That is, who know their spiritual blindness and desire to be delivered from it.
45 That is, may be brought to the true and saving knowledge of God.
46 That is, they who presume they have this knowledge, which, notwithstanding, they have not aright, Rom. 1:22 and 2:18.
47 That is, that they, despising the light of the Gospel, by God’s just judgment may be left in their blindness and be more and more hardened. See Psalm 69:23; Isa. 6:9; Mat. 13:14.
40And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41Jesus said unto them, 48If ye were blind, ye should have 49no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin 50remaineth.
48 That is, if you did not embrace My doctrine out of simple ignorance; or, if you were sensible of your ignorance and blindness.
49 That is, not so great and incurable sin, John 15:22.
50 Namely, lying upon you as an incurable sickness.