◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (David is chosen and anointed); Psalm 23 (My head anointed with oil); Ephesians 5:8-14 (Live as children of light); John 9:1-41 (The man born blind) (New English Translation)

Prev Day

March 22, 2020

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

March 2020
Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31

Return to today's reading

Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.

Duration: 1245 days

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Samuel Anoints David as King

16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel.^[a] Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.”^[b]

²Samuel replied, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you^[c] and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you should do. You will anoint for me the one I point out^[d] to you.”

⁴Samuel did what the Lord told him.^[e] When he arrived in Bethlehem, the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They^[f] said, “Do you come in peace?” ⁵He replied, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶When they arrived, Samuel^[g] noticed^[h] Eliab and said to himself,^[i] “Surely, here before the Lord stands his chosen king.”^[j] ⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by^[k] his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way people do.^[l] People look on the outward appearance,^[m] but the Lord looks at the heart.”

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel.^[n] But Samuel^[o] said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” ⁹Then Jesse presented^[p] Shammah. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” ¹⁰Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel.^[q] But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” ¹¹Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all the young men?” Jesse^[r] replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.”

¹²So Jesse had him brought in.^[s] Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him. This is the one.” ¹³So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.

Psalm 23

Psalm 23^[a]

A psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,^[b]
I lack nothing.^[c]
²He takes me to lush pastures,^[d]
he leads me to refreshing water.^[e]
³He restores my strength.^[f]
He leads me down^[g] the right paths^[h]
for the sake of his reputation.^[i]
⁴Even when I must walk through the darkest valley,^[j]
I fear^[k] no danger,^[l]
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff reassure me.^[m]
⁵You prepare a feast before me^[n]
in plain sight of my enemies.
You refresh^[o] my head with oil;
my cup is completely full.^[p]
⁶Surely your goodness and faithfulness^[q] will pursue^[r] me all my days,^[s]
and I will live in^[t] the Lord’s house^[u] for the rest of my life.^[v]

Footnotes

Psalm 23:1 sn Psalm 23. In vv. 1-4 the psalmist pictures the Lord as a shepherd who provides for his needs and protects him from danger. The psalmist declares, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and then extends and develops that metaphor, speaking as if he were a sheep. In vv. 5-6 the metaphor changes as the psalmist depicts a great royal banquet hosted by the Lord. The psalmist is a guest of honor and recipient of divine favor, who enjoys unlimited access to the divine palace and the divine presence.
Psalm 23:1 sn The Lord is my shepherd. The opening metaphor suggests the psalmist is assuming the role of a sheep. In vv. 1b-4 the psalmist extends the metaphor and explains exactly how the Lord is like a shepherd to him. At the surface level the language can be understood in terms of a shepherd’s relationship to his sheep. The translation of vv. 1-4 reflects this level. But, of course, each statement also points to an underlying reality.
Psalm 23:1 tn The imperfect verbal form is best understood as generalizing; the psalmist highlights his typical or ongoing experience as a result of having the Lord as his shepherd (habitual present use). The next verse explains more specifically what he means by this statement.
Psalm 23:2 tn Heb “he makes me lie down in lush pastures.” The Hiphil verb יַרְבִּיצֵנִי (yarbitseni) has a causative-modal nuance here (see IBHS 445-46 §27.5 on this use of the Hiphil), meaning “allows me to lie down” (see also Jer 33:12). The point is that the shepherd takes the sheep to lush pastures and lets them eat and rest there. Both imperfect verbal forms in v. 2 are generalizing and highlight the psalmist’s typical experience.
Psalm 23:2 tn Both genitives in v. 2 indicate an attribute of the noun they modify: דֶּשֶׁא (desheʾ) characterizes the pastures as “lush” (i.e., rich with vegetation), while מְנֻחוֹת (m^enukhot) probably characterizes the water as refreshing. In this case the plural indicates an abstract quality. Some take מְנֻחוֹת in the sense of “still, calm” (i.e., as describing calm pools in contrast to dangerous torrents), but it is unlikely that such a pastoral scene is in view. Shepherds usually watered their sheep at wells (see Gen 29:2-3; Exod 2:16-19). Another option is to take מְנֻחוֹת as “resting places” and to translate, “water of/at the resting places” (i.e., a genitive of location; see IBHS 147-48 §9.5.2e).sn Within the framework of the metaphor, the psalmist/sheep is declaring in v. 2 that his shepherd provides the essentials for physical life. At a deeper level the psalmist may be referring to more than just physical provision, though that would certainly be included.
Psalm 23:3 tn The appearance of the Hebrew term נַפְשִׁי (nafshi), traditionally translated “my soul,” might suggest a spiritualized interpretation for the first line of v. 3. However, at the surface level of the shepherd/sheep metaphor, this is unlikely. When it occurs with a pronominal suffix נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v.נֶפֶשׁ 4.a). In this context, where the statement most naturally refers to the physical provision just described, the form is best translated simply “me.” The accompanying verb (a Polel form [factitive use] of שׁוּב [shuv]), if referring to the physical provision just described, carries the nuance “refresh, restore strength.”
Psalm 23:3 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 (יְשׁוֹבֵב [y^eshovev] and יַנְחֵנִי [yankheni]), like those in vv. 1-2, highlight what is typical of the shepherd/sheep relationship.
Psalm 23:3 tn The attributive genitive צֶדֶק (tsedeq) is traditionally translated “righteousness” here, as if designating a moral or ethical quality. But this seems unlikely, for it modifies מַעְגְּלֵי (maʿg^ele, “paths”). Within the shepherd/sheep metaphor, the phrase likely refers to “right” or “correct” paths, i.e., ones that lead to pastures, wells, or the fold. While צֶדֶק usually does carry a moral or ethical nuance, it can occasionally refer to less abstract things, such as weights and offerings. In this context, which emphasizes divine provision and protection, the underlying reality is probably God’s providential guidance. The psalmist is confident that God takes him down paths that will ultimately lead to something beneficial, not destructive.
Psalm 23:3 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the shepherd’s reputation. (The English term “name” is often used the same way.) The statement לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ (l^emaʿan sh^emo, “for the sake of his name”) makes excellent sense within the framework of the shepherd/sheep metaphor. Shepherds, who sometimes hired out their services, were undoubtedly concerned about their vocational reputation. To maintain their reputation as competent shepherds, they had to know the “lay of the land” and make sure they led the sheep down the right paths to the proper destinations. The underlying reality is a profound theological truth: God must look out for the best interests of the one he has promised to protect, because if he fails to do so, his faithfulness could legitimately be called into question and his reputation damaged.
Psalm 23:4 tn The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל [tsel] + מָוֶת [mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת). Other scholars prefer to vocalize the form צָלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צָלַם, tsalam) meaning “darkness.” An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. If the word does indeed mean “darkness,” it modifies גַיְא (gayʾ, “valley, ravine”) quite naturally. At the metaphorical level, v. 4 pictures the shepherd taking his sheep through a dark ravine where predators might lurk. The life-threatening situations faced by the psalmist are the underlying reality behind the imagery.
Psalm 23:4 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 4, as in vv. 1-3, highlight what is typical in the psalmist’s experience.
Psalm 23:4 tn The Hebrew term רָע (raʿ) is traditionally translated “evil” here, perhaps suggesting a moral or ethical nuance. But at the level of the metaphor, the word means “danger, injury, harm,” as a sheep might experience from a predator. The life-threatening dangers faced by the psalmist, especially the enemies mentioned in v. 5, are the underlying reality.
Psalm 23:4 tn The Piel of נָחַם (nakham), when used with a human object, means “comfort, console.” But here, within the metaphorical framework, it refers to the way in which a shepherd uses his implements to assure the sheep of his presence and calm their nerves. The underlying reality is the emotional stability God provides the psalmist during life threatening situations.
Psalm 23:5 sn In v. 5 the metaphor switches. (It would be very odd for a sheep to have its head anointed and be served wine.) The background for the imagery is probably the royal banquet. Ancient Near Eastern texts describe such banquets in similar terms to those employed by the psalmist. (See M. L. Barre and J. S. Kselman, “New Exodus, Covenant, and Restoration in Psalm 23, ” The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth, 97-127.) The reality behind the imagery is the Lord’s favor. Through his blessings and protection he demonstrates to everyone, including dangerous enemies, that the psalmist has a special relationship with him.
Psalm 23:5 tn The imperfect verbal form in v. 5a carries on the generalizing mood of vv. 1-4. However, in v. 5b the psalmist switches to a perfect (דִּשַּׁנְתָּ, dishanta), which may have a generalizing force as well. But then again the perfect is conspicuous here and may be present perfect in sense, indicating that the divine host typically pours oil on his head prior to seating him at the banquet table. The verb דָשַׁן (dashan; the Piel is factitive) is often translated “anoint,” but this is misleading, for it might suggest a symbolic act of initiation into royal status. One would expect the verb מָשָׁח (mashan) in this case; דָשַׁן here describes an act of hospitality extended to guests and carries the nuance “refresh.” In Prov 15:30 it stands parallel to “make happy” and refers to the effect that good news has on the inner being of its recipient.
Psalm 23:5 tn The rare noun רְוָיָה (r^evayah) is derived from the well-attested verb רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated, drink one’s fill”). In this context, where it describes a cup, it must mean “filled up,” but not necessarily to overflowing.
Psalm 23:6 tn The noun חֶסֶד (khesed; v. 6) has been the subject of several monographs. G. R. Clark concludes that חֶסֶד “is not merely an attitude or an emotion; it is an emotion that leads to an activity beneficial to the recipient.” He explains that an act of חֶסֶד is “a beneficent action performed, in the context of a deep and enduring commitment between two persons or parties, by one who is able to render assistance to the needy party who in the circumstances is unable to help him- or herself.” (See G. R. Clark, The Word Hesed in the Hebrew Bible [JSOTSup], 267.) HALOT 336-37 s.v. defines the word as “loyalty,” or “faithfulness.” Other appropriate meanings might be “commitment” and “devotion.”
Psalm 23:6 tn The use of רָדַף (radaf, “pursue, chase”) with טוֹב וָחֶסֶד (tov vakhesed, “goodness and faithfulness”) as subject is ironic. This is the only place in the entire OT where either of these nouns appears as the subject of this verb רָדַף (radaf, “pursue”). This verb is often used to describe the hostile actions of enemies. One might expect the psalmist’s enemies (see v. 5) to chase him, but ironically God’s “goodness and faithfulness” (which are personified and stand by metonymy for God himself) pursue him instead. The word “pursue” is used outside of its normal context in an ironic manner and creates a unique, but pleasant word picture of God’s favor (or a kind God) “chasing down” the one whom he loves.
Psalm 23:6 tn Heb “all the days of my life.”
Psalm 23:6 tn The verb form וְשַׁבְתִּי (v^eshavti) is a Qal perfect (with vav [ו] consecutive), first common singular, from שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) and should be translated, “and I will return.” But this makes no sense when construed with the following phrase, “in the house of the Lord.” The term שׁוּב (shuv) appears only here with the following phrase בְּבֵית (b^evet). The form should be emended to וְשִׁבְתִּי (v^eshivti; an infinitive construct from יָשַׁב [yashav, “live”] with pronominal suffix) or to וְיָשַׁבְתִּי (v^eyashavti; a Qal perfect with vav [ו] consecutive, first common singular, from ישׁב [see BHS, note c]). In either case one could then translate, “and I will live [in the house of the Lord].” The phrase “in the house” frequently follows the verb יָשַׁב in the OT.
Psalm 23:6 tn Heb “the house of the Lord.” The phrase may be purely metaphorical here, referring to the royal palace where the royal host of v. 5 holds his banquet and lives. If one takes the phrase more literally, it would refer to the earthly tabernacle (if one accepts Davidic authorship) or the later temple (see Judg 19:18; 1 Sam 1:7, 24; 2 Sam 12:20; 1 Kgs 7:12, 40, 45, 51).
Psalm 23:6 tn The phrase אֹרֶךְ יָמִים (ʾorekh yamim, “length of days”) is traditionally translated “forever.” However, this phrase, when used elsewhere of people, usually refers to a lengthy period of time, such as one’s lifetime, and does not mean “forever” in the sense of eternity. (Cf. Deut 30:20; Job 12:12; Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2, 16; Lam 5:20.) Furthermore, the parallel phrase “all the days of my life” suggests this more limited meaning. Psalm 21:4, where the phrase is followed by “forever and ever,” may be an exception, though the juxtaposition of the phrases may be an example of intensification, where the second phrase goes beyond the limits of the first, rather than synonymity. Even if one takes both expressions as referring to eternal life, the language is part of the king’s hyperbolic description of the Lord’s blessings and should not be taken literally.

Ephesians 5:8-14

⁸for you were at one time darkness, but now you are^[a] light in the Lord. Live^[b] like children of light— ⁹for the fruit of the light^[c] consists in^[d] all goodness, righteousness, and truth— ¹⁰trying to learn^[e] what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather^[f] expose them.^[g] ¹²For the things they do^[h] in secret are shameful even to mention. ¹³But all things being exposed by the light are made visible. ¹⁴For everything made visible is light, and for this reason it says:^[i]

“Awake,^[j] O sleeper!^[k]
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you!”^[l]

Footnotes

Ephesians 5:8 tn The verb “you are” is implied in the Greek text, but is supplied in the English translation to make it clear.
Ephesians 5:8 tn Grk “Walk,” a common biblical idiom for one’s conduct of life.
Ephesians 5:9 tc Several mss (P⁴⁶ D² Ψ 1175* 1505 M) have πνεύματος (pneumatos, “Spirit”) instead of φωτός (phōtos, “light”). Although most today regard φωτός as obviously the reading of the initial text (UBS⁵ gives it an “A” rating), a case could be made that πνεύματος is what the author wrote. First, although this is largely a Byzantine reading (D² often, if not normally, assimilates to the Byzantine text), P⁴⁶ gives the reading much greater credibility. Internally, the φωτός at the end of v. 8 could have lined up above the πνεύματος in v. 9 in a scribe’s exemplar, thus occasioning dittography. (It is interesting to note that in both P⁴⁹ and א the two instances of φωτός line up.) However, written in a contracted form, as a nomen sacrum (pMnMs)—a practice found even in the earliest mss—πνεύματος would not have been easily confused with fwtos (there being only the last letter to occasion homoioteleuton rather than the last three). Further, the external evidence for φωτός is quite compelling (P⁴⁹ א A B D* F G P 33 81 1175^c 1739 1881 2464 latt co). It is thus doubtful that the early and widespread witnesses all mistook πνεύματος for φωτός. In addition, πνεύματος can be readily explained as harking back to Gal 5:22 (“the fruit of the Spirit”). Thus, on balance, φωτός appears to be autographic, giving rise to the reading πνεύματος.
Ephesians 5:9 tn Grk “in.” The idea is that the fruit of the light is “expressed in” or “consists of.”
Ephesians 5:10 tn BDAG 255 s.v. δοκιμάζω 1 translates δοκιμάζοντες (dokimazontes) in Eph 5:10 as “try to learn.”
Ephesians 5:11 tn The Greek conjunction καὶ (kai) seems to be functioning here ascensively, (i.e., “even”), but is difficult to render in this context using good English. It may read something like: “but rather even expose them!”
Ephesians 5:11 tn Grk “rather even expose.”
Ephesians 5:12 tn The participle τὰ…γινόμενα (ta…ginomena) usually refers to “things happening” or “things which are,” but with the following genitive phrase ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν (hup’ autōn), which indicates agency, the idea seems to be “things being done.” This passive construction was translated as an active one to simplify the English style.
Ephesians 5:14 sn The following passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.
Ephesians 5:14 tn Grk “Rise up.”
Ephesians 5:14 tn The articular nominative participle ὁ καθεύδων (ho katheudōn) is probably functioning as a nominative for vocative. To reflect this, it has been translated as “O sleeper.”
Ephesians 5:14 sn A composite quotation, possibly from Isa 26:19; 51:17; 52:1; and 60:1.

John 9

Healing a Man Born Blind

9 Now as Jesus was passing by,^[a] he saw a man who had been blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him,^[b] “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man^[c] or his parents?”^[d] ³Jesus answered, “Neither this man^[e] nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that^[f] the acts^[g] of God may be revealed^[h] through what happens to him.^[i] ⁴We must perform the deeds^[j] of the one who sent me^[k] as long as^[l] it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work. ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”^[m] ⁶Having said this,^[n] he spat on the ground and made some mud^[o] with the saliva. He^[p] smeared the mud on the blind man’s^[q] eyes ⁷and said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam”^[r] (which is translated “sent”).^[s] So the blind man^[t] went away and washed, and came back seeing.

⁸Then the neighbors and the people who had seen him previously^[u] as a beggar began saying,^[v] “Is this not the man^[w] who used to sit and beg?” ⁹Some people said,^[x] “This is the man!”^[y] while others said, “No, but he looks like him.”^[z] The man himself^[aa] kept insisting, “I am the one!”^[ab] ¹⁰So they asked him,^[ac] “How then were you made to see?”^[ad] ¹¹He replied,^[ae] “The man called Jesus made mud,^[af] smeared it^[ag] on my eyes and told me,^[ah] ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and was able to see.”^[ai] ¹²They said^[aj] to him, “Where is that man?”^[ak] He replied,^[al] “I don’t know.”

The Pharisees’ Reaction to the Healing

¹³They brought the man who used to be blind^[am] to the Pharisees.^[an] ¹⁴(Now the day on which Jesus made the mud^[ao] and caused him to see^[ap] was a Sabbath.)^[aq] ¹⁵So the Pharisees asked him again how he had gained his sight.^[ar] He replied,^[as] “He put mud^[at] on my eyes and I washed, and now^[au] I am able to see.”

¹⁶Then some of the Pharisees began to say,^[av] “This man is not from God, because he does not observe^[aw] the Sabbath.”^[ax] But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform^[ay] such miraculous signs?” Thus there was a division^[az] among them. ¹⁷So again they asked the man who used to be blind,^[ba] “What do you say about him, since he caused you to see?”^[bb] “He is a prophet,” the man replied.^[bc]

¹⁸Now the Jewish religious leaders^[bd] refused to believe^[be] that he had really been blind and had gained his sight until at last they summoned^[bf] the parents of the man who had become able to see.^[bg] ¹⁹They asked the parents,^[bh] “Is this your son, whom you say^[bi] was born blind? Then how does he now see?” ²⁰So his parents replied,^[bj] “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. ²¹But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see.^[bk] Ask him, he is a mature adult.^[bl] He will speak for himself.” ²²(His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders.^[bm] For the Jewish leaders had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus^[bn] to be the Christ^[bo] would be put out^[bp] of the synagogue.^[bq] ²³For this reason his parents said, “He is a mature adult,^[br] ask him.”)^[bs]

²⁴Then they summoned^[bt] the man who used to be blind^[bu] a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth.^[bv] We know that this man^[bw] is a sinner.” ²⁵He replied,^[bx] “I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing—that although I was blind, now I can see.” ²⁶Then they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he cause you to see?”^[by] ²⁷He answered,^[bz] “I told you already and you didn’t listen.^[ca] Why do you want to hear it^[cb] again? You people^[cc] don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”

²⁸They^[cd] heaped insults^[ce] on him, saying,^[cf] “You are his disciple!^[cg] We are disciples of Moses! ²⁹We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man^[ch] comes from!” ³⁰The man replied,^[ci] “This is a remarkable thing,^[cj] that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see!^[ck] ³¹We know that God doesn’t listen to^[cl] sinners, but if anyone is devout^[cm] and does his will, God^[cn] listens to^[co] him.^[cp] ³²Never before^[cq] has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see.^[cr] ³³If this man^[cs] were not from God, he could do nothing.” ³⁴They replied,^[ct] “You were born completely in sinfulness,^[cu] and yet you presume to teach us?”^[cv] So they threw him out.

The Man’s Response to Jesus

³⁵Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, so he found the man^[cw] and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”^[cx] ³⁶The man^[cy] replied,^[cz] “And who is he, sir, that^[da] I may believe in him?” ³⁷Jesus told him, “You have seen him; he^[db] is the one speaking with you.”^[dc] ³⁸[He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.^[dd] ³⁹Jesus^[de] said,]^[df] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight,^[dg] and the ones who see may become blind.”

⁴⁰Some of the Pharisees^[dh] who were with him heard this^[di] and asked him,^[dj] “We are not blind too, are we?”^[dk] ⁴¹Jesus replied,^[dl] “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin,^[dm] but now because you claim that you can see,^[dn] your guilt^[do] remains.^[dp]

Footnotes

John 9:1 tn Or “going along.” The opening words of chap. 9, καὶ παράγων (kai paragōn), convey only the vaguest indication of the circumstances. sn Since there is no break with chap. 8, Jesus is presumably still in Jerusalem, and presumably not still in the temple area. The events of chap. 9 fall somewhere between the feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2) and the feast of the Dedication (John 10:22). But in the author’s narrative the connection exists—the incident recorded in chap. 9 (along with the ensuing debates with the Pharisees) serves as a real-life illustration of the claim Jesus made in 8:12, I am the light of the world. This is in fact the probable theological motivation behind the juxtaposition of these two incidents in the narrative. The second serves as an illustration of the first, and as a concrete example of the victory of light over darkness. One other thing which should be pointed out about the miracle recorded in chap. 9 is its messianic significance. In the OT it is God himself who is associated with the giving of sight to the blind (Exod 4:11, Ps 146:8). In a number of passages in Isa (29:18; 35:5; 42:7) it is considered to be a messianic activity.
John 9:2 tn Grk “asked him, saying.”
John 9:2 tn Grk “this one.”
John 9:2 tn Grk “in order that he should be born blind.”sn The disciples assumed that sin (regardless of who committed it) was the cause of the man’s blindness. This was a common belief in Judaism; the rabbis used Ezek 18:20 to prove there was no death without sin, and Ps 89:33 to prove there was no punishment without guilt (the Babylonian Talmud, b. Shabbat 55a, although later than the NT, illustrates this). Thus in this case the sin must have been on the part of the man’s parents, or during his own prenatal existence. Song Rabbah 1:41 (another later rabbinic work) stated that when a pregnant woman worshiped in a heathen temple the unborn child also committed idolatry. This is only one example of how, in rabbinic Jewish thought, an unborn child was capable of sinning.
John 9:3 tn Grk “this one.”
John 9:3 tn Grk “but so that.” There is an ellipsis that must be supplied: “but [he was born blind] so that” or “but [it happened to him] so that.”
John 9:3 tn Or “deeds”; Grk “works.”
John 9:3 tn Or “manifested,” “brought to light.”
John 9:3 tn Grk “in him.”
John 9:4 tn Grk “We must work the works.”
John 9:4 tn Or “of him who sent me” (God).
John 9:4 tn Or “while.”
John 9:5 sn Jesus’ statement I am the light of the world connects the present account with 8:12. Here (seen more clearly than at 8:12) it is obvious what the author sees as the significance of Jesus’ statement. “Light” is not a metaphysical definition of the person of Jesus but a description of his effect on the world, forcing everyone in the world to ‘choose up sides’ for or against him (cf. 3:19-21).
John 9:6 tn Grk “said these things.”
John 9:6 tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency). The textual variant preserved in the Syriac text of Ephraem’s commentary on the Diatessaron (“he made eyes from his clay”) probably arose from the interpretation given by Irenaeus in Against Heresies: “that which the Artificer, the Word, had omitted to form in the womb, he then supplied in public.” This involves taking the clay as an allusion to Gen 2:7, which is very unlikely.
John 9:6 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) was replaced by a third person pronoun and a new sentence started here in the translation.
John 9:6 tn Grk “on his.”
John 9:7 tn The pool’s name in Hebrew is shiloah from the Hebrew verb “to send.” In Gen 49:10 the somewhat obscure shiloh was interpreted messianically by later Jewish tradition, and some have seen a lexical connection between the two names (although this is somewhat dubious). It is known, however, that it was from the pool of Siloam that the water which was poured out at the altar during the feast of Tabernacles was drawn.
John 9:7 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Why does he comment on the meaning of the name of the pool? Here, the significance is that the Father sent the Son, and the Son sent the man born blind. The name of the pool is applicable to the man, but also to Jesus himself, who was sent from heaven.
John 9:7 tn Grk “So he”; the referent (the blind man) is specified in the translation for clarity.
John 9:8 tn Or “formerly.”
John 9:8 tn An ingressive force (“began saying”) is present here because the change in status of the blind person provokes this new response from those who knew him.
John 9:8 tn Grk “the one.”
John 9:9 tn Grk “Others were saying.”
John 9:9 tn Grk “This is the one.”
John 9:9 tn Grk “No, but he is like him.”
John 9:9 tn Grk “That one”; the referent (the man himself) is specified in the translation for clarity.
John 9:9 tn Grk “I am he.”
John 9:10 tn Grk “So they were saying to him.”
John 9:10 tn Grk “How then were your eyes opened” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
John 9:11 tn Grk “That one answered.”
John 9:11 tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).
John 9:11 tn Grk “and smeared.” Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when obvious from the context.
John 9:11 tn Grk “said to me.”
John 9:11 tn Or “and I gained my sight.”
John 9:12 tn Grk “And they said.”
John 9:12 tn Grk “that one.” “Man” is more normal English style for the referent.
John 9:12 tn Grk “He said.”
John 9:13 tn Grk “who was formerly blind.”
John 9:13 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
John 9:14 tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).
John 9:14 tn Grk “and opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
John 9:14 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 9:15 tn Or “how he had become able to see.”sn So the Pharisees asked him. Note the subtlety here: On the surface, the man is being judged. But through him, Jesus is being judged. Yet in reality (as the discerning reader will realize) it is ironically the Pharisees themselves who are being judged by their response to Jesus who is the light of the world (cf. 3:17-21).
John 9:15 tn Grk “And he said to them.”
John 9:15 tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).
John 9:15 tn The word “now” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate the contrast between the man’s former state (blind) and his present state (able to see).
John 9:16 tn As a response to the answers of the man who used to be blind, the use of the imperfect tense in the reply of the Pharisees is best translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to say” or “started saying”).
John 9:16 tn Grk “he does not keep.”
John 9:16 sn The Jewish religious leaders considered the work involved in making the mud to be a violation of the Sabbath.
John 9:16 tn Grk “do.”
John 9:16 tn Or “So there was discord.”
John 9:17 tn Grk “the blind man.”
John 9:17 tn Grk “since he opened your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
John 9:17 tn Grk “And he said, ‘He is a prophet.’”sn At this point the man, pressed by the Pharisees, admitted there was something special about Jesus. But here, since prophet is anarthrous (is not accompanied by the Greek article) and since in his initial reply in 9:11-12 the man showed no particular insight into the true identity of Jesus, this probably does not refer to the prophet of Deut 18:15, but merely to an unusual person who is capable of working miracles. The Pharisees had put this man on the spot, and he felt compelled to say something about Jesus, but he still didn’t have a clear conception of who Jesus was, so he labeled him a “prophet.”
John 9:18 tn Or “the Jewish religious authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers mainly to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16. References in this context to Pharisees and to the synagogue (v. 22) suggest an emphasis on the religious nature of the debate which is brought out by the translation “the Jewish religious leaders.”
John 9:18 tn The Greek text contains the words “about him” at this point: “the Jewish authorities did not believe about him…”
John 9:18 tn Grk “they called.”
John 9:18 tn Or “the man who had gained his sight.”
John 9:19 tn Grk “and they asked them, saying”; the referent (the parents) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 9:19 tn The Greek pronoun and verb are both plural (both parents are addressed).
John 9:20 tn Grk “So his parents answered and said.”
John 9:21 tn Grk “who opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
John 9:21 tn Or “he is of age.”
John 9:22 tn Or “the Jewish religious authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Twice in this verse the phrase refers to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16. The second occurrence is shortened to “the Jewish leaders” for stylistic reasons. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish religious leaders” in v. 18.
John 9:22 tn Grk “confessed him.”
John 9:22 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
John 9:22 tn Or “would be expelled from.”
John 9:22 sn This reference to excommunication from the Jewish synagogue for those who had made some sort of confession about Jesus being the Messiah is dismissed as anachronistic by some (e.g., Barrett) and nonhistorical by others. In later Jewish practice there were at least two forms of excommunication: a temporary ban for thirty days, and a permanent ban. But whether these applied in NT times is far from certain. There is no substantial evidence for a formal ban on Christians until later than this Gospel could possibly have been written. This may be a reference to some form of excommunication adopted as a contingency to deal with those who were proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah. If so, there is no other record of the procedure than here. It was probably local, limited to the area around Jerusalem. See also the note on synagogue in 6:59.
John 9:23 tn Or “he is of age.”
John 9:23 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author explaining the parents’ response.
John 9:24 tn Grk “they called.”
John 9:24 tn Grk “who was blind.”
John 9:24 tn Grk “Give glory to God” (an idiomatic formula used in placing someone under oath to tell the truth).
John 9:24 tn The phrase “this man” is a reference to Jesus.
John 9:25 tn Grk “Then that one answered.”
John 9:26 tn Grk “open your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
John 9:27 tn Grk “He answered them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
John 9:27 tn Grk “you did not hear.”
John 9:27 tn “It” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when they were clearly implied in the context.
John 9:27 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
John 9:28 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
John 9:28 tn The Greek word means “to insult strongly” or “slander.”
John 9:28 tn Grk “and said.”
John 9:28 tn Grk “You are that one’s disciple.”
John 9:29 tn Grk “where this one.”
John 9:30 tn Grk “The man answered and said to them.” This has been simplified in the translation to “The man replied.”
John 9:30 tn Grk “For in this is a remarkable thing.”
John 9:30 tn Grk “and he opened my eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
John 9:31 tn Grk “God does not hear.”
John 9:31 tn Or “godly.”
John 9:31 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 9:31 tn Or “hears.”
John 9:31 tn Grk “this one.”
John 9:32 tn Or “Never from the beginning of time,” Grk “From eternity.”
John 9:32 tn Grk “someone opening the eyes of a man born blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
John 9:33 tn Grk “this one.”
John 9:34 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.” This has been simplified in the translation to “They replied.”
John 9:34 tn Or “From birth you have been evil.” The implication of this insult, in the context of John 9, is that the man whom Jesus caused to see had not previously adhered rigorously to all the conventional requirements of the OT law as interpreted by the Pharisees. Thus he had no right to instruct them about who Jesus was.
John 9:34 tn Grk “and are you teaching us?”
John 9:35 tn Grk “found him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 9:35 tc Although most witnesses (A L Θ Ψ 070 0250 ƒ^1,13 33 M lat) have θεοῦ (theou, “of God”) instead of ἀνθρώπου (anthrōpou, “of man”) here, the better witnesses (P^66,75 א B D W sy^s) have ἀνθρώπου. Not only is the external evidence decidedly on the side of ἀνθρώπου, but it is difficult to see such early and diverse witnesses changing θεοῦ to ἀνθρώπου. The wording “Son of Man” is thus virtually certain.
John 9:36 tn Grk “That one.”
John 9:36 tn Grk answered and said.” This has been simplified in the translation to “replied.”
John 9:36 tn Or “And who is he, sir? Tell me so that…” Some translations supply elliptical words like “Tell me” (NIV, NRSV) following the man’s initial question, but the shorter form given in the translation is clear enough.
John 9:37 tn Grk “that one.”
John 9:37 tn The καί—καί (kai—kai) construction would normally be translated “both—and”: “You have both seen him, and he is the one speaking with you.” In this instance the English semicolon was used instead because it produces a smoother and more emphatic effect in English.
John 9:38 sn Assuming the authenticity of John 9:38-39a (see the tc note following the bracket in v. 39), the man’s response after Jesus’ statement of v. 37 is extremely significant: He worshiped Jesus. In the Johannine context the word would connote its full sense: This was something due God alone. Note also that Jesus did not prevent the man from doing this. The verb προσκυνέω (proskuneō) is used in John 4:20-25 of worshiping God, and again with the same sense in 12:20. This would be the only place in John’s Gospel where anyone is said to have worshiped Jesus using this term. As such, it forms the climax of the story of the man born blind, but the uniqueness of the concept of worshiping Jesus at this point in John’s narrative (which reaches its ultimate climax in the confession of Thomas in John 20:28) may suggest it is too early for such a response and it represents a later scribal addition.
John 9:39 tn Grk “And Jesus.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
John 9:39 tc ‡ Some early and significant witnesses (P⁷⁵ א* W b sa^ms ac² mf) lack the words, “He said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him. Jesus said,” (vv. 38-39a). This is weighty evidence for the omission of these words. It is difficult to overstate the value of P⁷⁵ here, since it is the only currently available papyrus ms extant for the text of John 9:38-39. Further, א is a significant and early Alexandrian witness for the omission. The versional testimony and codex W also give strong support to the omission. Nearly all other mss, however, include these words. The omission may have been occasioned by parablepsis (both vv. 37 and 39 begin with “Jesus said to him”), though it is difficult to account for such an error across such a wide variety of witnesses. On the other hand, the longer reading appears to be motivated by liturgical concerns (so R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:375), since the verb προσκυνέω (proskuneō, “I worship”) is used in John 4:20-25 of worshiping God, and again with the same sense in 12:20. If these words were authentic here, this would be the only place in John’s Gospel where Jesus is the explicit object of προσκυνέω. Even if these words are not authentic, such an omission would nevertheless hardly diminish John’s high Christology (cf. 1:1; 5:18-23; 14:6-10; 20:28), nor the implicit worship of him by Thomas (20:28). Nevertheless, a decision is difficult, and the included words may reflect a very early tradition about the blind man’s response to Jesus.
John 9:39 tn Or “that those who do not see may see.”
John 9:40 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
John 9:40 tn Grk “heard these things.”
John 9:40 tn Grk “and said to him.”
John 9:40 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are we?”).
John 9:41 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
John 9:41 tn Grk “you would not have sin.”
John 9:41 tn Grk “now because you say, ‘We see…’”
John 9:41 tn Or “your sin.”
John 9:41 sn Because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains. The blind man received sight physically, and this led him to see spiritually as well. But the Pharisees, who claimed to possess spiritual sight, were spiritually blinded. The reader might recall Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in 3:10, “Are you the teacher of Israel and don’t understand these things?” In other words, to receive Jesus was to receive the light of the world, to reject him was to reject the light, close one’s eyes, and become blind. This is the serious sin of which Jesus had warned before (8:21-24). The blindness of such people was incurable since they had rejected the only cure that exists (cf. 12:39-41).

New English Translation (NET)

Prev Day

Top

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

Log in to read this devotional and:

Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Samuel Anoints David as King

Footnotes

Psalm 23[a]

A psalm of David.

Footnotes

Footnotes

Healing a Man Born Blind

The Pharisees’ Reaction to the Healing

The Man’s Response to Jesus

Footnotes

Psalm 23^[a]