John 9:1
AS JESUS PASSED BY - As he was leaving the temple, John 8:59. This man was in the way in which Jesus was going to escape from the Jews.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS JESUS PASSED BY - As he was leaving the temple, John 8:59. This man was in the way in which Jesus was going to escape from the Jews.... [ Continue Reading ]
MASTER, WHO DID SIN? ... - It was a universal opinion among the Jews that calamities of all kinds were the effects of sin. See the notes at Luke 13:1. The case, however, of this man was that of one that was blind from his birth, and it was a question which the disciples could not determine whether i... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER HATH THIS MAN SINNED ... - That is, his blindness is not the effect of his sin, or that of his parents. Jesus did not, evidently, mean to affirm that he or his parents were without any sin, but that this blindness was not the effect of sin. This answer is to be interpreted by the nature of t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORKS OF HIM ... - The works of beneficence and mercy which God has commissioned me to do, and which are expressive of his goodness and power. This was on the Sabbath day John 9:14; and though Jesus had endangered his life (John 5:1 by working a similar miracle on the Sabbath, yet he knew that t... [ Continue Reading ]
AS LONG AS I AM IN THE WORLD ... - As the sun is the natural light of the world, even while it sinks away to the west, so am I, although my days are drawing to a close, the light of the spiritual world. What a sublime description is this! Jesus occupied the same place, filled the same space, shed hi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MADE CLAY ... - Two reasons may be assigned for making this clay, and anointing the eyes with it. One is, that the Jews regarded spittle as medicinal to the eyes when diseased, and that they forbade the use of medicines on the Sabbath. They regarded the Sabbath so strictly that they considered t... [ Continue Reading ]
WASH IN THE POOL - In the fountains. OF SILOAM - See the notes at Luke 13:4. BY INTERPRETATION, SENT - From the Hebrew verb to send perhaps because it was regarded as a blessing sent or given by God. Why Jesus sent him to wash there is not known. It is clear that the waters had no efficacy themselv... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NEIGHBOURS ... - This man seems to have been one who attracted considerable attention. The number of persons totally blind in any community is very small, and it is possible that this was the only blind beggar in Jerusalem. The case was one, therefore, likely to attract attention, and one where... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THE PHARISEES - To the members of the Sanhedrin. They did this, doubtless, to accuse Jesus of having violated the Sabbath, and not, as they ought to have done, to examine into the evidence that he was from God.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PHARISEES ASKED HIM HOW ... - The proper question to have been asked in the case was whether he had in fact done it, and not in what way. The question, also, about a sinner’s conversion is whether in fact it has been done, and not about the mode or manner in which it is effected; yet it is remar... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS MAN IS NOT OF GOD - Is not sent by God, or cannot be a friend of God. BECAUSE HE KEEPETH NOT THE SABBATH-DAY - They assumed that their views of the Sabbath were correct, and by those views they judged others. It did not occur to them to inquire whether the interpretation which they put on the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT SAYEST THOU OF HIM? ... - The translation here expresses the sense obscurely. The meaning is, “What sayest thou of him for giving thee sight?” (Campbell); or, “What opinion of him hath this work of power and mercy to thee wrought in thee?” (Hammond). HE IS A PROPHET - That is “I think that the... [ Continue Reading ]
IS THIS YOUR SON? ... - The Pharisees proposed three questions to the parents, by which they hoped to convict the man of falsehood: * Whether he was their son? * Whether they would affirm that he was born blind? and, * Whether they knew by what means he now saw? They evidently intended to int... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS PARENTS ANSWERED ... - To the first two questions they answered without hesitation. They knew that he was their son, and that he was born blind. The third question they could not positively answer, as they had not witnessed the means of the cure, and were afraid to express their belief. It appea... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVE GOD THE PRAISE - This expression seems to be a form of administering an oath. It is used in Joshua 7:19, when Achan was put on his oath and entreated to confess his guilt. Joshua said, “My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel (in the Greek of the Septuagint, the very expressi... [ Continue Reading ]
WHETHER HE BE A SINNER OR NO, I KNOW NOT - The man had just said that he believed Jesus to be a prophet, John 9:17. By his saying that he did not know whether he was a sinner may be meant that though he might be a prophet, yet that he might not be perfect; or that it did not become him, being an obs... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW OPENED HE THINE EYES? - The reason why they asked this so often was doubtless to attempt to draw him into a contradiction; either to intimidate him, or throw him off his guard, so that he might be detected in denying what he had before affirmed. But God gave to this poor man grace and strength t... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ART HIS DISCIPLE - This they cast at him as a reproach. His defense of Jesus they regarded as proof that he was his follower, and this they now attempted to show was inconsistent with being a friend of Moses and his law. Moses had given the law respecting the Sabbath; Jesus had healed a man con... [ Continue Reading ]
WE KNOW ... - We know that God commanded Moses to deliver the law. In that they were correct; but they assumed their interpretation of the law to be infallible, and, hence, condemned Jesus. AS FOR THIS FELLOW - The word “fellow” is not in the original. It is simply “this.” The word “fellow” implies... [ Continue Reading ]
A MARVELOUS THING - This is wonderful and amazing. KNOW NOT FROM WHENCE HE IS - That you cannot perceive that he who has performed such a miracle must be from God.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WE KNOW - That is, it is an admitted or conceded point. No one calls it into question. GOD HEARETH NOT - When a miracle was performed it was customary to invoke the aid of God. Jesus often did this himself, and it was by his power only that prophets and apostles could perform miracles. The word... [ Continue Reading ]
SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN - Neither Moses nor any of the prophets had ever done this. No instance of this kind is recorded in the Old Testament. As this was a miracle which had never been performed, the man argued justly that he who had done it must be from God. As Jesus did it not by surgical operation... [ Continue Reading ]
COULD DO NOTHING - Could do no such work as this. This reasoning was conclusive. The fact that Jesus could perform miracles like this was full proof that he was commissioned by God - proof that never has been and never can be refuted. One such miracle proves that he was from God. But Jesus gave many... [ Continue Reading ]
WAST BORN IN SINS - That is, thou wast born in a state of blindness a state which proved that either thou or thy parents had sinned, and that this was the punishment for it. See John 9:2. Thou wast cursed by God with blindness for crime, and yet thou dost set up for a religious teacher! When people... [ Continue Reading ]
DOST THOU BELIEVE ON THE SON OF GOD? - Hitherto he had understood little of the true character of Jesus. He believed that he had power to heal him, and he inferred that he must be a prophet, John 9:17. He believed according to the light he had, and he now showed that he was prepared to believe all t... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO IS HE? - It is probable that the man did not know that he who now addressed him was the same who had healed him. He had not yet seen him John 9:7, but he was prepared to acknowledge him when he did see him. He inquired, therefore, who the person was, or wished that he might be pointed out to him... [ Continue Reading ]
I BELIEVE - This was the overflowing expression of gratitude and faith. AND HE WORSHIPPED HIM - He did homage to him as the Messiah and as his gracious benefactor. See the notes at Matthew 2:2. This shows: * That it is right and natural to express thanks and praise for mercies. * All blessings... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR JUDGMENT - The word “judgment,” here, has been by some understood in the sense of condemnation - “The effect of my coming is to condemn the world. But this meaning does not agree with those places where Jesus says that he came not to condemn the world, John 3:17; John 12:47; John 5:45. To judge... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE WERE BLIND - If you were really blind had had no opportunities of learning the truth. If you were truly ignorant, and were willing to confess it, and to come to me for instruction. NO SIN - You would not be guilty. Sin is measured by the capacities or ability of people, and by their opportuni... [ Continue Reading ]