CHAPTER IX. _Account of the man who was born blind_, 1-5. _Christ heals him_, 6, 7. _The man is questioned by his neighbours_, 8-12. _He is brought to the Pharisees, who question him_, 13-17, _and then his parents_, 18-23. _They again interrogate the man, who, vindicating the conduct_ _of Chr... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:2. _WHO DID SIN, THIS MAN, OR HIS PARENTS_] The doctrine of the transmigration of souls appears to have been an article in the creed of the Pharisees, and it was pretty general both among the Greeks and the Asiatics. The _Pythagoreans_ believed the souls of men were sent into other bodi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:3. _NEITHER HATH THIS MAN SINNED, NOR HIS PARENTS_] That is, the blindness of this person is not occasioned by any sin of his own, nor of his parents, but has happened in the ordinary course of Divine providence, and shall now become the instrument of salvation to _his_ soul, edificatio... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:4. _WHILE IT IS DAY_] Though I plainly perceive that the cure of this man will draw down upon me the malice of the Jewish rulers, yet I must accomplish the work for which I came into the world whole it is day-while the term of this life of mine shall last. It was about six months after... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:5. _I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD._] Like the _sun_, it is my business to dispense _light_ and _heat_ every where; and to neglect no opportunity that may offer to enlighten and save the bodies and souls of men. See John 8:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:6. _ANOINTED THE EYES OF THE BLIND MAN_] It would be difficult to find out the reason which induced our Lord to act thus. It is certain, this procedure can never be supposed to have been any likely _medical_ means to restore sight to a man who was _born blind_; this action, therefore,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:7. _SILOAM_] Called also _Shiloah, Silos_, or _Siloa_, was a fountain under the walls of Jerusalem, towards the east, between the city and the brook _Kidron_. _Calmet_ thinks that this was the same with _En-rogel_, or the _fuller's fountain_, which is mentioned in Joshua 15:7; Joshua 18... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:8. _THAT HE WAS BLIND_] Ὁτι τυφλος ην: but, instead of this, προσαιτης, _when he begged_, or _was a beggar_, is the reading of ABC*DKL, _seven_ others, both the _Syriac_, both the _Arabic_, later _Persic, Coptic, AEthiopic, Armenian, Sahidic, Gothic,_ _Slavonic, Vulgate_, eight copies... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:9. _SOME SAID, THIS IS HE_] This miracle was not wrought in _private_-nor before a _few_ persons - nor was it _lightly_ credited. Those who knew him before were divided in their opinion concerning him: not whether the man who sat there begging was blind _before _- for this was known to... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:11. _A MAN THAT IS CALLED JESUS_] The whole of this relation is simple and artless in the highest degree. The blind man had never _seen_ Jesus, but he had _heard_ of his name - he _felt_ that he had put something on his eyes, which he afterwards found to be _clay _ - but how this was ma... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:12. _WHERE IS HE?_] They had designed to seize and deliver him up to the Sanhedrin, as a violater of the law, because he had done this on the Sabbath day.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:13. _THEY BROUGHT TO THE PHARISEES_] These had the chief rule, and determined all controversies among the people; in every case of religion, their judgment was final: the people, now fully convinced that the man had been cured, brought him to the Pharisees, that they might determine _ho... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:14. _IT WAS THE SABBATH_] Some of the ancient rabbins taught, and they have been followed by some moderns, not much better skilled in physic than themselves, that the _saliva_ is a cure for several disorders of the eyes; but the former held this to be contrary to the law, if applied on... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:16. _THIS MAN IS NOT OF GOD_] He can neither be the _Messiah_, nor a _prophet_, for he has broken the Sabbath. The Jews always argued falsely on this principle. The law relative to the observation of the Sabbath never forbade any work but what was of the _servile_ and _unnecessary_ kind... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:17. _HE IS A PROPHET._] They had intended to lay snares for the poor man, that, getting him to acknowledge Christ for the Messiah, they might put him out of the synagogue, John 9:22, or put him to death, that such a witness to the Divine power of Christ might not appear against them. B... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:18. _BUT THE JEWS DID NOT BELIEVE_] All the subterfuge they could use was simply to sin against their conscience, by asserting that the man _had not been blind_; but out of this subterfuge they were soon driven by the testimony of the parents, who, if tried farther on this subject, migh... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 22. _PUT OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE._] That is, _excommunicated _- separated from all religious connection with those who worshipped God. This was the _lesser_ kind of excommunication among the Jews and was termed _nidui_. The _cherem_, or _anathema_, was not used against the followers of Christ til... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 24. _GIVE GOD THE PRAISE_] Having called the man a _second_ time, they proceeded to deal with him in the most solemn manner; and therefore they put him to his _oath_; for the words above were the form of an oath, proposed by the chief magistrate to those who were to give evidence to any partic... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 25. _WHEREAS I WAS BLIND, NOW I SEE._] He pays no attention to their cavils, nor to their perversion of justice; but, in the simplicity of his heart, speaks _to the fact_, of the reality of which he was ready to give them the most substantial evidence.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 27. _I HAVE TOLD YOU ALREADY_] So he did, John 9:15. _And did ye not hear_? Ye certainly did. _Why then do you wish to_ _hear it again_? Is it because ye wish to become his disciples? The poor man continued steady in his testimony; and, by putting this question to them, he knew he should soon... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 28. _THEN THEY REVILED HIM_] ελοιδορησαν. _Eustathius_ derives λοιδορια from λογος, _a word_, and δορυ, _a_ _spear_:- they spoke _cutting, piercing_ words. Solomon talks of some who _spoke like the piercings of a sword_, Proverbs 12:18. And the psalmist speaks of _words that are like drawn swo... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 29. _WE KNOW NOT FROM WHENCE HE IS._] As if they had said: We have the fullest assurance that the commission of Moses was Divine; but we have no proof that this man has such a commission: and should we leave Moses, and attach ourselves to this stranger? No.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 30. _WHY HEREIN IS A MARVELLOUS THING_] As if he had said, _This is wonderful indeed_! Is it possible that such persons as you are, whose business it is to distinguish good from evil, and who pretend to know a true from a false prophet, cannot decide in a case so plain? Has not the man opened... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 31. _GOD HEARETH NOT SINNERS_] I believe the word αμαρτωλων signifies _heathens_, or persons not proselyted to the Jewish religion; and therefore it is put in opposition to θεοσεβης, _a_ _worshipper of the true God_. See the note on Luke 7:37. But in what sense may it be said, following our co... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 32. _SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN_] εκ του αιωνος, _From the_ _age _- probably meaning from the commencement of time. Neither Moses nor the prophets have ever opened the eyes of a man who was born blind: if this person then were not the best of beings, would God grant him a privilege which he has hit... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 33. _IF THIS MAN WERE NOT OF GOD_, c.] A very just conclusion: God is the fountain of all good: all good must proceed from him, and no good can be done but through him if this person were not commissioned by the good God, he could not perform such beneficent miracles as these.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 34. _THOU WAST ALTOGETHER BORN IN SINS_] Thou hast not only been a vile wretch in some other pre-existent state, but thy parents also have been grossly iniquitous; therefore thou and they are punished by this blindness: Thou wast altogether born in sins-thou art no other than a sinful lump of... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 35. _DOST THOU BELIEVE ON THE SON OF GOD?_] This was the same with, _Dost thou believe on the Messiah_? for these two characters were inseparable; see John 1:34; John 1:49; John 10:36; Matthew 16:16; Mark 1:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 36. _WHO IS HE, LORD?_] it is very likely that the blind man did not know that it was Jesus the Christ who now spoke to him; for it is evident he had never seen him before this time; and he might now see him without knowing that he was the person by whom he was cured, till our Lord made that d... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 38. _AND HE SAID, LORD, I BELIEVE._] That is, I believe thou art _the Messiah_; and, to give the fullest proof of the sincerity of his faith, he fell down before and adored him. Never having seen Jesus before, but simply knowing that a person of that name had opened his eyes, he had only cons... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 39. _FOR JUDGMENT I AM COME_] I am come to manifest and execute the just judgment of God: 1. By giving _sight_ to the _blind_, and _light_ to the _Gentiles_ who sit in darkness. 2. By removing the true light from those who, pretending to make a proper use of it, only abuse the mercy of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:40. _ARE WE BLIND ALSO?_] These Pharisees understood Christ as speaking of blindness in a _spiritual_ sense, and wished to know if he considered _them_ in that state.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 9:41. _IF YE WERE BLIND_] If ye had not had sufficient opportunities to have acquainted yourselves with my Divine nature, by the unparalleled miracles which I have wrought before you? and the holy doctrine which I have preached, then your rejecting me could not be imputed to you as sin;... [ Continue Reading ]