John 9
9
The Man Born Blind. 1#9:1–10:21] Sabbath healing of the man born blind. This sixth sign is introduced to illustrate the saying, “I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12; 9:5). The narrative of conflict about Jesus contrasts Jesus (light) with the Jews (blindness, Jn 9:39–41). The theme of water is reintroduced in the reference to the pool of Siloam. Ironically, Jesus is being judged by the Jews, yet the Jews are judged by the Light of the world; cf. Jn 3:19–21. As he passed by he saw a man blind from birth.#Is 42:7. 2#See note on Jn 5:14, and Ex 20:5, that parents’ sins were visited upon their children. Jesus denies such a cause and emphasizes the purpose: the infirmity was providential. His disciples asked him,#Ex 20:5; Ez 18:20; Lk 13:2. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.#5:14; 11:4. 4We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.#11:9–10; 12:35–36. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”#8:12. 6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes,#5:11; Mk 7:33; 8:23. 7and said to him, “Go wash#Go wash: perhaps a test of faith; cf. 2 Kgs 5:10–14. The water tunnel Siloam (= Sent) is used as a symbol of Jesus, sent by his Father. in the Pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came back able to see.#2 Kgs 5:10–14.
8His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” 9Some said, “It is,” but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.” 10So they said to him, “[So] how were your eyes opened?” 11He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.” 12And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.”
13They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. 14Now Jesus had made clay#In using spittle, kneading clay, and healing, Jesus had broken the sabbath rules laid down by Jewish tradition. and opened his eyes on a sabbath.#5:9. 15So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” 16So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” [But] others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them.#3:2; Mt 12:10–11; Lk 13:10–11; 14:1–4. 17So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”#4:19.
18Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. 19They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” 20His parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” 22#This comment of the evangelist (in terms used again in Jn 12:42; 16:2) envisages a situation after Jesus’ ministry. Rejection/excommunication from the synagogue of Jews who confessed Jesus as Messiah seems to have begun ca. A.D. 85, when the curse against the mînîm or heretics was introduced into the “Eighteen Benedictions.” #7:13; 12:42; 16:2; 19:38. His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Messiah, he would be expelled from the synagogue. 23For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; question him.”#12:42.
24So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give God the praise!#Give God the praise!: an Old Testament formula of adjuration to tell the truth; cf. Jos 7:19; 1 Sm 6:5 LXX. Cf. Jn 5:41. We know that this man is a sinner.”#Jos 7:19; 1 Sm 6:5 LXX. 25He replied, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.” 26So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” 28They ridiculed him and said, “You are that man’s disciple; we are disciples of Moses! 29We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from.”#Ex 33:11. 30The man answered and said to them, “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.#10:21; Ps 34:16; 66:18; Prv 15:29; Is 1:15. 32#A person born blind: the only Old Testament cure from blindness is found in Tobit (cf. Tb 7:7; 11:7–13; 14:1–2), but Tobit was not born blind. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.”#3:2. 34They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.
35When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he.”#4:26; Dn 7:13. 38He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. 39#These verses spell out the symbolic meaning of the cure; the Pharisees are not the innocent blind, willing to accept the testimony of others. Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.”#Mt 13:33–35.
40Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”#Mt 15:14; 23:26; Rom 2:19. 41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.#15:22.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Yoḥanan (John) 9
9
1And passing by, He saw a man, blind from birth.
2And His taught ones asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?”
3יהושע answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of Elohim might be made manifest in him.
4“It is necessary for Me to work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day – night is coming, when no one is able to work.
5“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6Having said this, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and applied the clay to the eyes of the blind man.
7And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Shiloaḥ" (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came seeing.
8Therefore the neighbours and those who saw him before, that he was blind, said, “Is not this he who was sitting and begging?”
9Others said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am.”
10So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
11He answered and said, “A Man called יהושע made clay and applied it to my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Shiloaḥ and wash.’ And I went and washed, and I received sight.”
12And they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”
13They brought to the Pharisees the one who was once blind.
14Now it was a Sabbath when יהושע made the clay and opened his eyes.
15Therefore the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”
16Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from Elohim, because He does not guard the Sabbath.” Others said, “How is a man who is a sinner able to do such miracles?” And there was a division among them.
17So they said to the blind one again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.”
18However, the Yehuḏim did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, till they called the parents of him who had received his sight.
19And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”
20His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind,
21but how he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age, ask him, he shall speak concerning himself.”
22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Yehuḏim, for the Yehuḏim had already agreed that if anyone confessed that He was Messiah, he should be put out of the congregation.
23Because of this his parents said, “He is of age, ask him.”
24So for the second time they called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give esteem to Elohim, we know that this Man is a sinner.”
25Then he answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know. I only know that I was blind, now I see.”
26And they asked him once more, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”
27He answered them, “I have told you already, and you did not hear. Why do you wish to hear it again? Do you wish to become His taught ones too?”
28Then they abused him and said, “You are His taught one, but we are taught ones of Mosheh.
29We know that Elohim has spoken to Mosheh, but this One, we do not know where He is from.
30The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a wonder! You do not know where He is from, yet He opened my eyes!
31And we know that Elohim does not hear sinners. But if anyone fears Elohim and does His desire, He hears him.#See footnote at Pro. 28:9
32“From of old it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.
33“If this One were not from Elohim, He could have done none at all.”
34They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins – and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.
35יהושע heard that they had cast him out, and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Elohim?”
36He answered and said, “Who is He, Master, that I might believe in Him?”
37And יהושע said to him, “You have both seen Him and He who speaks with you is He.”
38And he said, “Master, I believe,” and bowed before Him.
39And יהושע said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those not seeing might see, and those seeing might become blind.”
40And those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind, too?”
41יהושע said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin, but now you say, ‘We see,’ therefore your sin remains.
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