The Gospel According to Saint John
John 9
Chapter IX · Vol. IV, pp. 225–228
1 The man that was born blind restored to sight. 8 He is brought to the Pharisees. 13 They are offended at it, and excommunicate him: 35 but he is received of Jesus, and confesseth him. 39 Who they are whom Christ enlighteneth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who adid sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?2
A.M. cir. 4036. A.D. cir. 32.
2 See note * below.
* Some think the question of the disciples had reference to the doctrine of metempsychosis, or transmigration of the soul of a dead man into a living infant—a doctrine prevalent among the Egyptians, and at least to some extent among the Greeks. But had it been their object to obtain information concerning this doctrine, it seems scarcely possible our Lord should have neglected or refused to answer. Their meaning, therefore, seems rather to be—'Who hath sinned? this man, that he is become blind? or his parents, that he was born blind?' for, being generally Galileans, they knew nothing about the man or his parents. See ver.8.—C.
3 Jesus answered, bNeither hath this man sinned, nor his parents:3 but cthat the works of God should be made manifest in him.Cited in HC 27
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, dwhile it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
d Lu.13.32,33; 19.42. Ec.9.10. Ep.5.16. ch.4.34; 5.19; 13.9; 12.35; 17.4. Col.4.5.
6 When he had thus spoken, ghe spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,4
7 And said unto him, hGo, wash in the ipool of Siloam, (which is, by interpretation, jSent.) He went5 his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
h 2 Ki.5.10,14.
j ch.10.36. Ro.8.3. Ga.4.4. Ac.3.26.
5 The sending of the blind man, and his ready compliance, without any mention of a guide, when contrasted with the reference to the common practice of leading the blind (Mat.15.14), furnishes a striking internal proof of the truth of the narrative, and that it was written by an eyewitness of the fact: for men 'born blind' do frequently acquire the most wonderful local knowledge, so that they can find out any place as readily as those who see. But the inventor of a 'cunningly-devised fable' would never have omitted to add to the verisimilitude of the miracle the accompaniment of a guide.—Note, The use of the clay, and washing in Siloam, may perhaps represent that incrustation of worldliness (Hab.2.6) which the water of life 'sent' from above must wash away before the eyes of a sinner can be spiritually opened; and the act of washing, in obedience to the word of the Lord, may well represent the 'diligent use of all the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.'—C.
8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
11 He answered and said, A man that is called kJesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam,6 and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
k ver.6,7. Mat.1.21,25. Lu.1.47; 2.10,11. 1 Th.1.10. Tit.2.13,14.
6 Or, Shiloah. This pool was without the walls of Jerusalem, at the bottom of Mount Moriah. It is said to have had two pools; the pool of Siloam, near the south-east of the temple, and the pool of Shelah, or Siloah, somewhere to the westward, Ne.3.15. Is.8.6.
12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
15 Thenn again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
n ch.5.9. Mar.1.21,25,26. Lu.6.7; 13.14; 14.3,4. ver.16.
16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man ois not of God, because he pkeepeth not the sabbath-day. qOthers said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
o ch.3.2; ver.33.
p ch.5.9,16. Lu.6.7,9; 13.10-16; 14.1-5, with Ex.31.12; 35.2,3. Nu.15.32-36. Ex.20.10.
q ver.31; ch.7.12,43; 10.19. Lu.12.51-53.
17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, rHe is a prophet.
r ch.1.21; 4.19; 6.14. De.18.15-18. Ac.3.22; 7.37; 10.36,38.
18 But the 7Jews sdid not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
20 His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
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.
22 These words spake his parents, tbecause they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already that uif any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, vGive God the praise: we know that this man is xa sinner.8
v Jos.7.19. Ps.50.14,15. 1 Sa.6.5. Ro.16.18.
x ver.16. Ge.13.13. Lu.7.39; 15.2.
8 Light is thrown upon this passage by comparing it with Jos.7.19, where Joshua is represented as saying to Achan:—'My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done.' To give God the praise, or glory, is then equivalent to telling the truth. It was a form of adjuration. So it appears to have been used in this verse.—P.
25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know; that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
27 He answered them, I have told you already, and zye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
z Zec.7.11,12. Mat.7.6. Pr.26.4,5.
28 Then they areviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are bMoses' disciples.
a 1 Pe.2.23.
b ch.5.45; 7.19. Ac.6.11,14. Ro.2.17.
30 The man answered and said unto them, Why gherein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
g ch.3.10,12. Mat.11.5. Ps.119.18. Is.29.18,19; 35.4,5. 2 Co.4.3,4,6. 1 Co.2.14.
31 Now hwe know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him ihe heareth.1
h Job 27.9; 35.12. Ps.18.41; 66.18. Pr.1.28; 15.8,29; 28.9. Is.1.15. Je.11.11. Eze.8.18. Mi.3.4. Zec.7.13. Je.14.12.
i Ps.34.6,15; 91.15. Ja.5.16-18. Ps.18.6; 50.15; 65.2.
1 This statement is abundantly sustained by Pr.1.28; 15.8,29, or Is.1.15, to any of which, or many other correspondent scriptures, it may be an allusion.—C.
34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and ldost thou teach us?2 And they cast him out.3
l ch.7.48,49; 11.49.
2 It was the belief of the Jews that bodily deformity or defect in an infant was the judicial result of parental sin. Their reply to him who was born blind was thus all the more insulting. He had beaten them in argument, and, as is usually the case, the vanquished replied by personal invective.—P.
3 Or, excommunicated him, ver.22; ch.12.42; 16.2. Is.65.5; 66.5.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; nand when he had found him, he said unto him, oDost thou believe on the pSon of God?
37 And Jesus said unto him, rThou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
A.M. cir. 4036. A.D. cir. 32.
r ch.4.26; 8.25,58.
39 And Jesus said, tFor judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see;4 and that they which see might be made blind.
t ch.5.22,27; 12.47; 3.17,19. Lu.2.34. 2 Co.2.16; 4.3,4,6; 3.14. Mat.11.25; 13.13. 1 Pe.2.9.
4 That they which see not might see—that is, that the eyes of many naturally, and of many spiritually, blind, might be opened; and that they which see the evidences of my divine commission might be given over to judicial blindness as a righteous punishment for their rejection of the light, Jn.3.18-20.—C.
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Areu we blind also?
u ver.28,34; ch.7.48,49. Ro.2.19,20. Re.3.17.
41 Jesus said unto them, vIf ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.5
v ch.15.22,24. He.10.26. Pr.26.12. Is.5.21; 42.19,20. Lu.18.14. 1 Jn.1.8-10.
5 If ye were (really) blind—ignorant—ye would have no sin—ye would be chargeable with no sin; or your eyes, in mercy, being opened, your sin would be taken away; but now ye say, We see. You boast of your knowledge of the Scriptures—you really see the prophetic and miraculous evidences of my divine mission—yet, through the enmity of your hearts you reject me—wherefore your sin remaineth. It cleaves to you like the leprosy of Naaman, that could not be removed unless he had washed in Jordan.—C.
Notes
Ver. 3, 4. It was not on account of any particular crime, either of his own or his parents, more than others, that this man was born blind; but that, by opening his eyes, I might manifest my Father's love, and prove myself to be the Messiah, in miraculously curing him. I must therefore improve the present opportunity of giving him his sight as an emblem of my enlightening grace and glory. And since the day of my mortal life hastens to a period, as long as I am in the world I must cure not only corporal blindness, but instruct, enlighten, and comfort them that are spiritually blind. 39-41. I am come to establish a rule of judgment; to alter the present state of the church; to try men's spirits; and, by distinguishing grace, to separate the precious from the vile; to open blind eyes, and teach ignorant souls; and to manifest and occasion the increase of their stupidity and perverseness who, through self-conceit, shut their eyes against the light of my word. If you Pharisees, who pretend to so much knowledge and ability to instruct others, were either grossly ignorant or as sensible of your ignorance as many of the common people, your sin in rejecting me would be far less heinous, and there would be hopes of your deliverance from it; but while you are so self-conceited your sin is highly aggravated, and it is most probable that you will remain under its guilt and power for ever.
Reflections.—We ought to be extremely cautious in our interpretations of providences. Men's sins are not to be judged of from their sufferings. It is enough that God is righteous, and will make all things turn out to his own glory. We have great need to be diligent in working out our salvation while we have life and opportunity to walk in Christ's light. Marvellous is his power and ready his grace towards the unworthy and distressed. He works the most gracious salvation by means the most unlikely. It is his appointment, not any natural virtue, that renders them powerful. And only in obedience to his authority can we justly expect benefit by them.—What blessed experience of his mercy he gives to the obedient! and with cheerful thankfulness it should be acknowledged to his love. He can easily make the weakest of his followers wiser than their teachers—bold confessors of his name, and humble adorers of his majesty. And if men reject and abuse them for his sake, he will reward them with repeated manifestations of his glory. But, alas! how desirous are some to avoid owning him, even after he hath bestowed singular favours upon them. The fear of men causeth a snare. The censures of the church are often turned against her best friends. But inexcusable are they who, through self-conceit, contemn all means of conviction, and upbraid Jesus and his followers. Rage against reproof most plainly discovers real ignorance. But hopeful is the case of such as perceive their own weakness and sinfulness, and dangerous is theirs who are proud of their knowledge and religion.