John 9
The Voice
John and many people in his community are Jews. As a son of Abraham, his criticism of certain Jewish leaders is not a criticism of a whole people. He’s not stereotyping or making generalizations. “The Jews” he remembers in this passage are a corrupt group of power brokers who conspire against Jesus with the Romans to have Him crucified and who later have John’s own followers expelled from the synagogue. Their behavior may be compared to the behavior of those Israelites condemned by Old Testament prophets. Prophets have the duty—Jeremiah said he had “a fire in his bones” (20:9)—to speak for God and condemn hypocrisy and unbelief wherever it is found, especially when it’s found close to home. That’s what John’s doing when recalling this event.
9 While walking along the road, Jesus saw a man who was blind since his birth.
Disciples: 2 Teacher, who sinned? Who is responsible for this man’s blindness? Did he commit sins that merited this punishment? If not his sins, is it the sins of his parents?
Jesus: 3 Neither. His blindness cannot be explained or traced to any particular person’s sins. He is blind so the deeds of God may be put on display. 4 While it is daytime, we must do the works of the One who sent Me. But when the sun sets and night falls, this work is impossible. 5 Whenever I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.
6 After He said these things, He spat on the ground and mixed saliva and dirt to form mud, which He smeared across the blind man’s eyes.
Jesus (to the blind man): 7 Go, wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.
Siloam means “sent,” and its name reminded us that his healing was sent by God. The man went, washed, and returned to Jesus, his eyes now alive with sight. 8 Then neighbors and others who knew him were confused to see a man so closely resembling the blind beggar running about.
Townspeople: Isn’t this the man we see every day sitting and begging in the streets?
Others: 9 This is the same man.
Still Others: This cannot be him. But this fellow bears an uncanny resemblance to the blind man.
Formerly Blind Man: I am the same man. It’s me!
Townspeople: 10 How have your lifeless eyes been opened?
Formerly Blind Man: 11 A man named Jesus approached me and made mud from the ground and applied it to my eyes. He then said to me, “Go, wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.” I went and washed, and suddenly I could see.
Townspeople: 12 Where is this man who healed you?
Formerly Blind Man: I don’t know.
13-14 The townspeople brought the formerly blind beggar to appear before the Pharisees the same day Jesus healed him, which happened to be on the Sabbath Day. 15 The Pharisees began questioning him, looking for some explanation for how he could now see.
Formerly Blind Man: He smeared mud on my eyes, and I washed; now I see.
Some Pharisees: 16 God can’t possibly be behind this man because He is breaking the rules of the Sabbath.
Other Pharisees: How can such a lawbreaking scoundrel do something like this?
The Pharisees were at odds with one another about Jesus and could not agree whether His power came from God or the devil.
Pharisees (to the formerly blind man): 17 What do you say about this man, about the fact He opened your eyes so you could see?
Formerly Blind Man: I have no doubt—this man is a prophet.
18 Some of the Jews suspected the whole situation was a charade, that this man was never blind. So they summoned the man’s parents to testify about his condition.
Pharisees: 19 Is this man your son? Do you testify that he has been blind from birth? How therefore does he now see?
Parents: 20 We can tell you this much: he is our son, and he was born blind. 21 But his new sight is a complete mystery to us! We do not know the man who opened his eyes. Why don’t you ask our son? He is old enough to speak for himself.
22 The man’s parents were a bit evasive because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. It had been rumored that anyone who spoke of Jesus as the Anointed One would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 So they deferred the thorny question to their son, 24 and the Pharisees called on him a second time.
Pharisees: Give God the credit. He’s the One who healed you. All glory belongs to God. We are persuaded this man you speak of is a sinner who defies God.
Formerly Blind Man: 25 If this man is a sinner, I don’t know. I am not qualified to say. I only know one thing: I was blind, and now I see.
Pharisees: 26 What did He do to you? How did He give you sight?
Formerly Blind Man: 27 Listen, I’ve already answered all these questions, and you don’t like my answers. Do you really need me to say it all over again? Are you thinking about joining up with Him and becoming His followers?
Pharisees (berating him): 28 You’re one of His followers, but we follow Moses. 29 We have confidence that God spoke to Moses, but this man you speak of is a mystery; we don’t even know where He comes from.
Formerly Blind Man: 30 Isn’t it ironic that you, our religious leaders, don’t even know where He comes from; yet He gave me sight! 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does respond and work through those who worship Him and do His will. 32 No one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of any person blind from birth. 33 This man must come from God; otherwise, this miracle would not be possible. Only God can do such things.
Pharisees: 34 You were born under a cloud of sin. How can you, of all people, lecture us?
The religious leaders banished him from their presence. 35 Jesus heard what had happened and sought out the man.
Jesus: Do you believe in the Son of Man?
Formerly Blind Man: 36 I want to believe, Lord. Who is He?
Jesus: 37 You have seen His face with your new eyes, and you are talking to Him now.
Formerly Blind Man: 38 Lord, I do believe.
The man bowed low to worship Jesus.
Jesus: 39 I have entered this world to announce a verdict that changes everything. Now those without sight may begin to see, and those who see may become blind.
Some Pharisees (who overheard Jesus): 40 Surely we are not blind, are we?
Jesus: 41 If you were blind, you would be without sin. But because you claim you can see, your sin is ever present.
John 9
Legacy Standard Bible
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “(A)Rabbi, who sinned, (B)this man or his (C)parents, that he would be born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this was so (D)that the works of God might be manifested in him. 4 We must work the works of Him who sent Me (E)as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am (F)the light of the world.” 6 When He had said this, He (G)spat on the ground, made clay of the saliva, and rubbed the clay on his eyes, 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in (H)the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and (I)washed, and (J)came back seeing. 8 Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is not this the one who used to (K)sit and beg?” 9 Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” [a]He kept saying, “I am the one.” 10 So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and rubbed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to (L)Siloam and wash’; so when I went away and washed, I received sight.” 12 And they said to him, “Where is He?” He *said, “I do not know.”
Controversy over the Man Born Blind
13 They *brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. 14 (M)Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 (N)So the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 So then some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He (O)does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a sinful man do such [b](P)signs?” And (Q)there was a division among them. 17 Therefore, they *said to the blind man (R)again, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a (S)prophet.”
18 (T)Then, the Jews did not believe it of him that he was blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, 19 and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 20 So his parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they (U)were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews (V)had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be [c]Christ, (W)he was to be put out of the synagogue. 23 For this reason his parents said, “(X)He is of age; ask him.”
24 Therefore, a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “(Y)Give glory to God; we know that (Z)this man is a sinner.” 25 He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 So they said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “(AA)I told you already and you did not (AB)listen. Why do you want to listen again? Do you want to become His disciples too?” 28 And they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but (AC)we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, (AD)we do not know where He is from.” 30 The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from, and He opened my eyes. 31 We know that (AE)God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him. 32 [d]Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 (AF)If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” 34 They answered and said to him, “(AG)You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they (AH)put him out.
Jesus Affirms His Deity
35 Jesus heard that they had (AI)put him out, and after finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the (AJ)Son of Man?” 36 He answered and said, “(AK)Who is He, [e]Lord, that I may believe in Him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and (AL)He is the one who is talking with you.” 38 And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he (AM)worshiped Him. 39 And Jesus said, “(AN)For judgment I came into this world, so that (AO)those who do not see may see, and that (AP)those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “(AQ)Are we blind too?” 41 Jesus said to them, “(AR)If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now that you say, ‘(AS)We see,’ your sin remains.
John 9
International Children’s Bible
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. 2 His followers asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind—his own sin or his parents’ sin?”
3 Jesus answered, “It is not this man’s sin or his parents’ sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God’s power could be shown in him. 4 While it is daytime, we must continue doing the work of the One who sent me. The night is coming. And no one can work at night. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After Jesus said this, he spit on the ground and made some mud with it. He put the mud on the man’s eyes. 7 Then he told the man, “Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.” (Siloam means Sent.) So the man went to the pool. He washed and came back. And he was able to see.
8 Some people had seen this man begging before. They and the man’s neighbors said, “Look! Is this the same man who always sits and begs?”
9 Some said, “Yes! He is the one.” But others said, “No, he’s not the same man. He only looks like him.”
So the man himself said, “I am the man.”
10 They asked, “What happened? How did you get your sight?”
11 He answered, “The man named Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. Then he told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and came back seeing.”
12 They asked him, “Where is this man?”
The man answered, “I don’t know.”
Pharisees Question the Healing
13 Then the people took to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 The day Jesus had made mud and healed his eyes was a Sabbath day. 15 So now the Pharisees asked the man, “How did you get your sight?”
He answered, “He put mud on my eyes. I washed, and now I can see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man does not keep the Sabbath day. He is not from God!”
Others said, “But a man who is a sinner can’t do miracles like these.” So they could not agree with each other.
17 They asked the man again, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”
The man answered, “He is a prophet.”
18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and could now see again. So they sent for the man’s parents 19 and asked them, “Is this your son? You say that he was born blind. Then how does he see now?”
20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and we know that he was born blind. 21 But we don’t know how he can see now. We don’t know who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is old enough to answer for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. The Jews had already decided that anyone who said that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That is why his parents said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
24 So for the second time, they called the man who had been blind. They said, “You should give God the glory by telling the truth. We know that this man is a sinner.”
25 He answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. But one thing I do know. I was blind, and now I can see.”
26 They asked, “What did he do to you? How did he make you see again?”
27 He answered, “I have already told you that. But you would not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his followers, too?”
28 Then they insulted him and said, “You are his follower. We are followers of Moses. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses. But we don’t even know where this man comes from!”
30 The man answered, “This is a very strange thing. You don’t know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We all know that God does not listen to sinners. But God listens to anyone who worships and obeys him. 32 Nobody has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34 They answered, “You were born full of sin! Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw the man out.
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out. So Jesus found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 He asked, “Who is the Son of Man, sir? Tell me, so I can believe in him!”
37 Jesus said to him, “You have already seen him. The Son of Man is the one talking with you now.”
38 He said, “Yes, Lord, I believe!” Then the man bowed and worshiped Jesus.
39 Jesus said, “I came into this world so that the world could be judged. I came so that the blind[a] could see and so that those who see will become blind.”
40 Some of the Pharisees were near Jesus. When they heard him say this, they asked, “What? Are you saying that we are blind, too?”
41 Jesus said, “If you were really blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But now that you say you can see, your guilt remains.”
Footnotes
- 9:39 blind Jesus is talking about people who are spiritually blind, not physically blind.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
