40 And G2532 some of G1537 the Pharisees G5330 which G3588 were G5607 with G3326 him G846 heard G191 these words, G5023 and G2532 said G2036 unto him, G846 Are G3361 G2070 we G2249 blind G5185 also? G2532
Then G5119 came G4334 his G846 disciples, G3101 and said G2036 unto him, G846 Knowest thou G1492 that G3754 the Pharisees G5330 were offended, G4624 after they heard G191 this saying? G3056 But G1161 he answered G611 and said, G2036 Every G3956 plant, G5451 which G3739 my G3450 heavenly G3770 Father G3962 hath G5452 not G3756 planted, G5452 shall be rooted up. G1610 Let G863 them G846 alone: G863 they be G1526 blind G5185 leaders G3595 of the blind. G5185 And G1161 if G1437 the blind G5185 lead G3594 the blind, G5185 both G297 shall fall G4098 into G1519 the ditch. G999
Woe G3759 unto you, G5213 ye blind G5185 guides, G3595 which G3588 say, G3004 Whosoever G3739 G302 shall swear G3660 by G1722 the temple, G3485 it is G2076 nothing; G3762 but G1161 whosoever G3739 G302 shall swear G3660 by G1722 the gold G5557 of the temple, G3485 he is a debtor! G3784 Ye fools G3474 and G2532 blind: G5185 for G1063 whether G5101 is G2076 greater, G3187 the gold, G5557 or G2228 the temple G3485 that sanctifieth G37 the gold? G5557 And, G2532 Whosoever G3739 G1437 shall swear G3660 by G1722 the altar, G2379 it is G2076 nothing; G3762 but G1161 whosoever G3739 G302 sweareth G3660 by G1722 the gift G1435 that is upon G1883 it, G846 he is guilty. G3784 Ye fools G3474 and G2532 blind: G5185 for G1063 whether G5101 is greater, G3187 the gift, G1435 or G2228 the altar G2379 that sanctifieth G37 the gift? G1435 Whoso therefore G3767 shall swear G3660 by G1722 the altar, G2379 sweareth G3660 by G1722 it, G846 and G2532 by G1722 all things G3956 thereon. G1883 G846 And G2532 whoso shall swear G3660 by G1722 the temple, G3485 sweareth G3660 by G1722 it, G846 and G2532 by G1722 him that dwelleth G2730 therein. G846 And G2532 he that shall swear G3660 by G1722 heaven, G3772 sweareth G3660 by G1722 the throne G2362 of God, G2316 and G2532 by G1722 him that sitteth G2521 thereon. G1883 G846 Woe G3759 unto you, G5213 scribes G1122 and G2532 Pharisees, G5330 hypocrites! G5273 for G3754 ye pay tithe G586 of mint G2238 and G2532 anise G432 and G2532 cummin, G2951 and G2532 have omitted G863 the weightier G926 matters of the law, G3551 judgment, G2920 G2532 mercy, G1656 and G2532 faith: G4102 these G5023 ought ye G1163 to have done, G4160 and not G3361 to leave G863 the other G2548 undone. G863 Ye blind G5185 guides, G3595 which strain at G1368 a gnat, G2971 and G1161 swallow G2666 a camel. G2574 Woe G3759 unto you, G5213 scribes G1122 and G2532 Pharisees, G5330 hypocrites! G5273 for G3754 ye make clean G2511 the outside G1855 of the cup G4221 and G2532 of the platter, G3953 but G1161 within G2081 they are full G1073 of G1537 extortion G724 and G2532 excess. G192 Thou blind G5185 Pharisee, G5330 cleanse G2511 first G4412 that which is within G1787 the cup G4221 and G2532 platter, G3953 that G2443 the outside G1622 of them G846 may be G1096 clean G2513 also. G2532 Woe G3759 unto you, G5213 scribes G1122 and G2532 Pharisees, G5330 hypocrites! G5273 for G3754 ye are like G3945 unto whited G2867 sepulchres, G5028 which G3748 indeed G3303 appear G5316 beautiful G5611 outward, G1855 but G1161 are within G2081 full G1073 of dead G3498 men's bones, G3747 and G2532 of all G3956 uncleanness. G167 Even so G3779 ye G5210 also G2532 G3303 outwardly G1855 appear G5316 righteous G1342 unto men, G444 but G1161 within G2081 ye are G2075 full G3324 of hypocrisy G5272 and G2532 iniquity. G458
And G1161 the Lord G2962 said G2036 unto G4314 him, G846 Now G3568 do G2511 ye G5210 Pharisees G5330 make clean G2511 the outside G1855 of the cup G4221 and G2532 the platter; G4094 but G1161 your G5216 inward part G2081 is full G1073 of ravening G724 and G2532 wickedness. G4189 Ye fools, G878 did G4160 not G3756 he that made G4160 that which G3588 is without G1855 make G4160 that which G3588 is within G2081 also? G2532 But rather G4133 give G1325 alms G1654 of such things as ye have; G1751 and, G2532 behold, G2400 all things G3956 are G2076 clean G2513 unto you. G5213 But G235 woe G3759 unto you, G5213 Pharisees! G5330 for G3754 ye tithe G586 mint G2238 and G2532 rue G4076 and G2532 all manner G3956 of herbs, G3001 and G2532 pass over G3928 judgment G2920 and G2532 the love G26 of God: G2316 these G5023 ought ye G1163 to have done, G4160 and not G3361 to leave G863 the other G2548 undone. G863 Woe G3759 unto you, G5213 Pharisees! G5330 for G3754 ye love G25 the uppermost seats G4410 in G1722 the synagogues, G4864 and G2532 greetings G783 in G1722 the markets. G58 Woe G3759 unto you, G5213 scribes G1122 and G2532 Pharisees, G5330 hypocrites! G5273 for G3754 ye are G2075 as G5613 graves G3419 which G3588 appear not, G82 and G2532 the men G444 that walk G4043 over G1883 them are G1492 not G3756 aware G1492 of them. Then G1161 answered G611 one G5100 of the lawyers, G3544 and said G3004 unto him, G846 Master, G1320 thus G5023 saying G3004 thou reproachest G5195 us G2248 also. G2532 And G1161 he said, G2036 Woe G3759 unto you G5213 also, G2532 ye lawyers! G3544 for G3754 ye lade G5412 men G444 with burdens G5413 grievous to be borne, G1419 and G2532 ye yourselves G846 touch G4379 not G3756 the burdens G5413 with one G1520 of your G5216 fingers. G1147 Woe G3759 unto you! G5213 for G3754 ye build G3618 the sepulchres G3419 of the prophets, G4396 and G1161 your G5216 fathers G3962 killed G615 them. G846 Truly G686 ye bear witness G3140 that G2532 ye allow G4909 the deeds G2041 of your G5216 fathers: G3962 for G3754 they G846 indeed G3303 killed G615 them, G846 and G1161 ye G5210 build G3618 their G846 sepulchres. G3419 Therefore G1223 G5124 also G2532 said G2036 the wisdom G4678 of God, G2316 I will send G649 G1519 them G846 prophets G4396 and G2532 apostles, G652 and G2532 some of G1537 them G846 they shall slay G615 and G2532 persecute: G1559 That G2443 the blood G129 of all G3956 the prophets, G4396 which G3588 was shed G1632 from G575 the foundation G2602 of the world, G2889 may be required G1567 of G575 this G5026 generation; G1074 From G575 the blood G129 of Abel G6 unto G2193 the blood G129 of Zacharias, G2197 which G3588 perished G622 between G3342 the altar G2379 and G2532 the temple: G3624 verily G3483 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 It shall be required G1567 of G575 this G5026 generation. G1074 Woe G3759 unto you, G5213 lawyers! G3544 for G3754 ye have taken away G142 the key G2807 of knowledge: G1108 ye entered G1525 not G3756 in G1525 yourselves, G846 and G2532 them that were entering in G1525 ye hindered. G2967 And G1161 as he G846 said G3004 these things G5023 unto G4314 them, G846 the scribes G1122 and G2532 the Pharisees G5330 began G756 to urge G1758 him vehemently, G1171 and G2532 to provoke G653 him G846 to speak G653 of G4012 many things: G4119 Laying wait for G1748 him, G846 and G2532 seeking G2212 to catch G2340 something G5100 out of G1537 his G846 mouth, G4750 that G2443 they might accuse G2723 him. G846
Then G3767 answered G611 them G846 the Pharisees, G5330 Are G4105 ye G5210 also G2532 deceived? G4105 G3361 Have any G3387 of G1537 the rulers G758 or G2228 of G1537 the Pharisees G5330 believed G4100 on G1519 him? G846 But G235 this G3778 people G3793 who G3588 knoweth G1097 not G3361 the law G3551 are G1526 cursed. G1944 Nicodemus G3530 saith G3004 unto G4314 them, G846 (he that came G2064 to Jesus G846 by G4314 night, G3571 being G5607 one G1520 of G1537 them,) G846 Doth G2919 our G2257 law G3551 judge G2919 G3361 any man, G444 before G4386 G3362 it hear G191 G3844 him, G846 and G2532 know G1097 what G5101 he doeth? G4160 They answered G611 and G2532 said G2036 unto him, G846 Art G3361 G1488 thou G4771 also G2532 of G1537 Galilee? G1056 Search, G2045 and G2532 look: G2396 for G3754 out of G1537 Galilee G1056 ariseth G1453 no G3756 prophet. G4396
And G5037 art confident G3982 that thou thyself G4572 art G1511 a guide G3595 of the blind, G5185 a light G5457 of them which are in G1722 darkness, G4655 An instructor G3810 of the foolish, G878 a teacher G1320 of babes, G3516 which hast G2192 the form G3446 of knowledge G1108 and G2532 of the truth G225 in G1722 the law. G3551 Thou therefore G3767 which G3588 teachest G1321 another, G2087 teachest thou G1321 not G3756 thyself? G4572 thou that preachest G2784 a man should G2813 not G3361 steal, G2813 dost thou steal? G2813 Thou that sayest G3004 a man should G3431 not G3361 commit adultery, G3431 dost thou commit adultery? G3431 thou that abhorrest G948 idols, G1497 dost thou commit sacrilege? G2416
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on John 9
Commentary on John 9 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 9
Joh 9:1-41. The Opening of the Eyes of One Born Blind, and What Followed on It.
1-5. as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from birth—and who "sat begging" (Joh 9:8).
2. who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind—not in a former state of existence, in which, as respects the wicked, the Jews did not believe; but, perhaps, expressing loosely that sin somewhere had surely been the cause of this calamity.
3. Neither … this man, &c.—The cause was neither in himself nor his parents, but, in order to the manifestation of "the works of God," in his cure.
4. I must work the works of him that sent me, &c.—a most interesting statement from the mouth of Christ; intimating, (1) that He had a precise work to do upon earth, with every particular of it arranged and laid out to Him; (2) that all He did upon earth was just "the works of God"—particularly "going about doing good," though not exclusively by miracles; (3) that each work had its precise time and place in His programme of instructions, so to speak; hence, (4) that as His period for work had definite termination, so by letting any one service pass by its allotted time, the whole would be disarranged, marred, and driven beyond its destined period for completion; (5) that He acted ever under the impulse of these considerations, as man—"the night cometh when no man (or no one) can work." What lessons are here for others, and what encouragement from such Example!
5. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world—not as if He would cease, after that, to be so; but that He must make full proof of His fidelity while His earthly career lasted by displaying His glory. "As before the raising of Lazarus (Joh 11:25), He announces Himself as the Resurrection and the Life, so now He sets Himself forth as the source of the archetypal spiritual light, of which the natural, now about to be conferred, is only a derivation and symbol" [Alford].
6, 7. he spat on the ground, and made clay … and he anointed the eyes of the blind man—These operations were not so incongruous in their nature as might appear, though it were absurd to imagine that they contributed in the least degree to the effect which followed. (See Mr 6:13 and see on Joh 7:33.)
7. Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, … Sent, &c.—(See 2Ki 5:10, 14). As the prescribed action was purely symbolical in its design, so in connection with it the Evangelist notices the symbolical name of the pool as in this case bearing testimony to him who was sent to do what it only symbolized. (See Isa 8:6, where this same pool is used figuratively to denote "the streams that make glad the city of God," and which, humble though they be, betoken a present God of Israel.)
8-15. The neighbours therefore … said, Is not this he that sat and begged—Here are a number of details to identify the newly seeing with the long-known blind beggar.
13. They brought to the Pharisees—sitting probably in council, and chiefly of that sect (Joh 7:47, 48).
16, 17. This man is not of God, &c.—(See on Joh 5:9; Joh 5:16).
Others said, &c.—such as Nicodemus and Joseph.
17. the blind man … said, He is a prophet—rightly viewing the miracle as but a "sign" of His prophetic commission.
18-23. the Jews did not believe … he had been born blind … till they called the parents of him that had received his sight—Foiled by the testimony of the young man himself, they hope to throw doubt on the fact by close questioning his parents, who, perceiving the snare laid for them, ingeniously escape it by testifying simply to the identity of their son, and his birth-blindness, leaving it to himself, as a competent witness, to speak as to the cure. They prevaricated, however, in saying they "knew not who had opened his eyes," for "they feared the Jews," who had come to an understanding (probably after what is recorded, Joh 7:50, &c.; but by this time well known), that whoever owned Him as the Christ would be put out of the synagogue—that is, not simply excluded, but excommunicated.
24-34. Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner—not wishing him to own, even to the praise of God, that a miracle had been wrought upon him, but to show more regard to the honor of God than ascribe any such act to one who was a sinner.
25. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, &c.—Not that the man meant to insinuate any doubt in his own mind on the point of His being "a sinner," but as his opinion on such a point would be of no consequence to others, he would speak only to what he knew as fact in his own case.
26. Then said they … again, What did he to thee? &c.—hoping by repeated questions to ensnare him, but the youth is more than a match for them.
27. I have told you already … will ye also be his disciples?—In a vein of keen irony he treats their questions as those of anxious inquirers, almost ready for discipleship! Stung by this, they retort upon him as the disciple (and here they plainly were not wrong); for themselves, they fall back upon Moses; about him there could be no doubt; but who knew about this upstart?
30. The man answered, Herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes—He had no need to say another word; but waxing bolder in defense of his Benefactor, and his views brightening by the very courage which it demanded, he puts it to them how they could pretend inability to tell whether one who opened the eyes of a man born blind was "of God" or "a sinner"—from above or from beneath—and proceeds to argue the case with remarkable power. So irresistible was his argument that their rage burst forth in a speech of intense Pharisaism, "Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?"—thou, a base-born, uneducated, impudent youth, teach us, the trained, constituted, recognized guides of the people in the things of God! Out upon thee!
31. they cast him out—judicially, no doubt, as well in fact. The allusion to his being "born in sins" seems a tacit admission of his being blind from birth—the very thing they had been so unwilling to own. But rage and enmity to truth are seldom consistent in their outbreaks. The friends of this excommunicated youth, crowding around him with their sympathy, would probably express surprise that One who could work such a cure should be unable to protect his patient from the persecution it had raised against him, or should possess the power without using it. Nor would it be strange if such thoughts should arise in the youth's own mind. But if they did, it is certain, from what follows, that they made no lodgment there, conscious as he was that "whereas he was blind, now he saw," and satisfied that if his Benefactor "were not of God, He could do nothing" (Joh 9:33). There was a word for him too, which, if whispered in his ear from the oracles of God, would seem expressly designed to describe his case, and prepare him for the coming interview with his gracious Friend. "Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at His word. Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for My name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified; BUT He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed" (Isa 66:5). But how was He engaged to whom such noble testimony had been given, and for whom such persecution had been borne? Uttering, perhaps, in secret, "with strong crying and tears," the words of the prophetic psalm, "Let not them that wait on Thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake; let none that seek Thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel; because for Thy sake I have borne reproach … and the reproaches of them that reproached Thee are fallen upon me" (Ps 69:6, 7, 9).
35-38. Jesus heard—that is, by intelligence brought Him.
that they had cast him out; and when he had found him—by accident? Not very likely. Sympathy in that breast could not long keep aloof from its object.
he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?—A question stretching purposely beyond his present attainments, in order the more quickly to lead him—in his present teachable frame—into the highest truth.
36. He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him?—"His reply is affirmative, and believing by anticipation, promising faith as soon as Jesus shall say who He is" [Stier].
37. Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him—the new sense of sight having at that moment its highest exercise, in gazing upon "the Light of the world."
38. he said, Lord, I believe: and he worshipped him—a faith and a worship, beyond doubt, meant to express far more than he would think proper to any human "prophet" (Joh 9:17)—the unstudied, resistless expression, probably of SUPREME faith and adoration, though without the full understanding of what that implied.
39-41. Jesus said—perhaps at the same time, but after a crowd, including some of the skeptical and scornful rulers, had, on seeing Jesus talking with the healed youth, hastened to the spot.
that they which see not might see, &c.—rising to that sight of which the natural vision communicated to the youth was but the symbol. (See on Joh 9:5, and compare Lu 4:18).
that they which see might be made blind—judicially incapable of apprehending and receiving the truth, to which they have wilfully shut their eyes.
40. Are we blind also?—We, the constituted, recognized guides of the people in spiritual things? pride and rage prompting the question.
41. If ye were blind—wanted light to discern My claims, and only waited to receive it.
ye should have no sin—none of the guilt of shutting out the light.
ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth—Your claim to possess light, while rejecting Me, is that which seals you up in the guilt of unbelief.