John 9:21

But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. BUT BY WHAT MEANS HE NOW SEETH, WE KNOW NOT; OR WHO HATH OPENED HIS EYES, WE KNOW NOT: HE IS OF AGE; ASK HIM: HE SHALL SPEAK FOR HIMSELF. Here, however, they prevaricate, 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, , etc., and by this time pretty well known-that whoever owned Him as the Christ should be put out of the synagogue - i:e., not simply excluded, but excommunicated....

18-23 The Pharisees vainly hoped to disprove this notable miracle. They expected a Messiah, but could not bear to think that this Jesus should be he, because his precepts were all contrary to their traditions, and because they expected a Messiah in outward pomp and splendour. The fear of man brings a snare, Proverbs 29:25, and often makes people deny and disown Christ and his truths and ways, and act against their consciences. The unlearned and poor, who are simple-hearted, readily draw proper inferences from the evidences of the light of the gospel; but those whose desires are another way, though ever learning, never come to the knowledge of the truth....

Verse John 9:21. _HE IS OF AGE_] ηλικιαν εχει, literally, _he has_ _stature_, i.e. he is a full-grown man; and in this sense the phrase is used by the best Greek writers. See _Kypke_ and _Raphelius_. _Mature age_ was fixed among the Jews at _thirty_ years....

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 appears that they had themselves no doubt, but they were not eye-witnesses, and could not be therefore legal evidence. HE IS OF AGE - He is of sufficient age to give testimony. Among the Jews this age was fixed at thirteen years. IF ANY MAN DID CONFESS THAT HE WAS CHRIST - Did acknowledge that he was the Messiah. They had prejudged the case, and were determined to put down all free inquiry, and not to be convinced by any means. PUT OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE - This took place in the temple, or near the temple. It does not refer, ther

EXPOSITION These chapters (9. and 10.) bring the conflict with the Jews to a climax before the commencement of the Peraean ministry. They are doubtless closely connected with what has preceded; but the note of time (John 10:22) implies an interval of some months of intense activity elsewhere—to have carried on the ministry of Christ from the Feast of Tabernacles to the winter. If John 10:22 points back, as Westcott argues by alteration of the Received Text and by special translation, to the preceding discourse, we are compelled to dissociate the cure of the blind man from the teaching of John 8:1., and to regard the opening verse of John 9:1. a

BUT BY WHAT MEANS HE NOW SEETH WE KNOW NOT,.... As to the third question they could say nothing to it, they were not present when the cure was wrought, and knew nothing of the matter, but what they had heard from their son, or from others, or both: OR WHO HATH OPENED HIS EYES WE KNOW NOT; they had heard it was Jesus, and their son had doubtless told them it was he; but since they could say nothing of their own personal knowledge, they choose not to say anything of him: HE IS OF AGE; at man's estate, as, with the Jews, one was, who was at the age of thirteen years, if he could produce the signs of puberty: and such an one was allowed a witness in any case, but not under this age; nor if he was arrived to it, if the above signs could not be produced q. This man very likely was much older, as may be thought from the whole of his conduct, his pertinent answers, and just reasoning: wherefor...

John 9:1. _And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind_ Christ's disciples were often inquisitive even when their Master was bent upon giving proofs of his practical benevolence. Fools may sometimes ask questions which wise men may not think it proper to answer; but on this occasion, our Saviour gave an answer to the enquiry which his disciples had put to him. John 9:3. _Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents : but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work._ Think of our Lord being under the necessity of working: «I mus

JOHN 9:21 auvto.n evrwth,sate In the interest of making a smoother sequence of clauses (cf. the sequence in ver, John 9:23), the Textus Receptus, following A G D L most minuscules itl, q goth syrp, h _al,_ transposes the words auvto.n evrwth,sate to follow h`liki,an e;cei. The omission of the clause in a few witnesses (a* itb copsa Chrysostom) is probably accidental (î75 replaces the clause with auvto,j)....

CHAPTER 9 _ 1. The Man Born Blind, Healed. (John 9:1 .)_ 2. The Healed Man Questioned. (John 9:8 .) 3. Reviled and Cast Out. (John 9:27 .) 4. Jesus Reveals Himself to Him. (John 9:35 .) The healing of the man born blind is a type and an illustration of how Christ, the Light, communicates light and how he who follows the Light walks no more in darkness, but has the light of life. (John 8:12 .) And before He healed the man He testified that His day of activity on earth as Man was rapidly drawing to its close. ...

THE INCOMPETENCE AND ANGER OF THE AUTHORITIES. In what follows the actors are described first as Pharisees, then as Jews, the larger party of whom the Pharisees are one section. In John 9:13 the attempt is made to get evidence out of the man to disprove the fact of the healing, which they refuse to believe, on the ground that a Sabbath-breaker could not do so great a work. They only elicit the man's view that Jesus is a prophet. Interest in the matter spreads. The Jews now question the man's parents, in the hopes of being able to deny his identity. They assert that it is undoubtedly their son, and for the rest they are cautious, knowing the hostility of the authorities to the claims of Jesus. So the man himself is called again, in the hope that his admissions may be made to point to demoniac agency, as the fact of the healing can no longer be denied. He is solemnly adjured to confess the...