John 9:7

νίψαι εἰς τ. κ. Either, Wash the clay off into the pool, or, Go to the pool and wash. Νίπτω, Attic νίζω, besides John 9:11; John 9:15 and John 13:5-14 occurs only Matthew 6:17; Matthew 15:2; Mark 7:3; 1 Timothy 5:10, and is always used of washing part of the body. For bathing the whole either λούειν (John 13:10; Acts 9:37; Hebrews 10:22; 2 Peter 2:22; Revelation 1:5) or βαπτίζειν is used; the latter in N.T. always of ceremonial immersion (John 1:25-33, &c.). Πλύνειν (Revelation 7:14; Revelation 22:14; Luke 5:2) is to wash inanimate objects, as clothes and nets. Comp. LXX. in Leviticus 15:11, τὰς χεῖρας οὐ νένιπται ὕδατι, πλυνεῖ τὰ ἱμάτια, καὶ λούσεται τὸ σῶμα. see on John 13:10. The washing was probably part of the means of healing (comp. Naaman) and was a strong test of the man’s faith.

Σιλωάμ. Satisfactorily identified with Birket Silwân in the lower Tyropoean valley, S.E. of the hill of Zion. This is probably the Siloah of Nehemiah 3:15 and the Shiloah of Isaiah 8:6. ‘The tower in Siloam’ (Luke 13:4) was very possibly a building connected with the water; perhaps part of an aqueduct.

ὁ ἑρμ. ἀπεσταλμένος. Which is interpreted, Sent. The interpretation is admissible; but the original meaning is rather Sending, Missio or Emissio aquarum, ‘outlet of waters.’ Comp. ‘the waters of Shiloah that go softly’ (Isaiah 8:6). S. John sees in the word ‘nomen et omen’ of the man’s cure: and he also appears to see that this water from the rock is again (see on John 7:37) an image of Him who was sent (John 3:17; John 8:42; John 18:3, &c.) by the Father, τὸν� (Hebrews 3:1).

ἀπῆλθεν … ἦλθεν. He went away to Siloam and came home, as what follows seems to shew. Jesus had gone away (John 9:12); the man did not return to Him. Has any poet attempted to describe this man’s emotions on first seeing the world in which he had lived so long?