John 9

John 9:2

And some of his followers asked him, saying, Sir, was it any sin of his own, when his soul was in another body, or was it some sin of his parents at the time of his conception, which caused this blindness in him?

⁸ Neither his own nor his parents’ sins were the cause of this blindness of his, but God’s secret wisdom, who meant by this means to shew forth in me his miraculous power among you.

4, 5. And having received such power from him, I ought, while I am here, to exercise it, and shew the world that I am sent to enlighten it, by this emblem of curing him that is born blind.

⁶ which by the name of it may put you in mind of the Messias, (who is styled, The Sent,) by whom the cure is wrought. He went his way—

⁷ had oft seen him before, and so knew that he had been blind, now seeing this cure wrought, some of them asked if this were not that blind man which was wont to sit and beg at such a place?

¹ dirt with the spittle, and spread the dirt upon the eyes of the blind, πηλὸν—καὶ ἐπίχριστὸν πηλὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς—

[a] this man or his parents] The Jew that asked this question seems to have been of the Pythagoreans’ opinion, (or, as they call it, de sapientibus Mechar,) who believed the transmigration of souls from body to body, called μεταγγισμός, the removal from vessel to vessel, and so supposes by his question that the soul of this man, having formerly offended, is now thus punished by being put into a blind body. That this was the conceit of those ancient philosophers, that according to the degrees of proficiency either in virtue or sin, souls were put into more honourable or less honourable bodies; upon demerit removed from the body of a male to a female, then from a perfect to an imperfect man, and after upon demerit again into a beast; may be seen in Alcinous, δόγμ. Πλατων, and the rest of the Pythagorean writers, which with other the like opinions certainly enough were infused before this time into some of the Jews, and so these disciples here might have imbibed this, and not so early or speedily have laid it aside, but might think it possible, and so ask a question about it. The other part of the question concerning the parents’ sin seems to refer to some particular sin in the act of generation, which might have some influence on the child begotten, and make it imperfect in this or some other kind. This is by learned Jews affirmed of that conjugal sin which is forbidden by the law, Lev. xx. 18, and Ezek. xviii. 6, which, they say, may reasonably hinder, on the woman’s part, a just or complete conception. Of Christ’s answer to this question, which followeth, see Masius on Jos. i. 6. p. 115.

John 9:17

What opinion of him hath this work of power and mercy to thee wrought in thee? He said, He is a prophet.

John 9:18

The consequent of this dispute was, that the Jews at length would not believe the plain matter of fact, that the man that now saw had ever been blind, till the testimony of the parents made that clear.

John 9:19

And asked them these three questions: 1. whether this were their son? 2. whether they will affirm upon their knowledge that he was born blind? 3. whether they know how this cure was wrought, or by whom?

For two of the questions we answer distinctly, We know &c.

he is of age and understanding to answer that third question, and certainly is the fittest to give you an account for that matter which himself is so nearly concerned in.

he should be ignominiously used, and put out of the court.

John 9:22

[b] put out of the synagogue] That συναγωγαί, the synagogues of the Jews, signify all manner of assemblies, hath been said, note [d] Matt. vi. Agreeably the ἀποσυναγωγία, removing or turning out of the synagogues, is the separating any offender from such assemblies, setting a mark of reproach upon him, that he might not be familiarly conversed with by any, which is ἀφορίζειν, Luke vi. 22, the nidui, so known among the Jews. This was always done with circumstances of contumely, and so hath ὀνειδίζειν added to it, contumelious usage, Luke vi. 22; and so, ver. 35 of this chapter, their casting the man out of the synagogue signifies that ceremony of reproach, the officers of the court taking him that was condemned and thrusting him out of the assembly. What thus belonged to excluding him out of the assembly, though it belonged to civil commerce, yet certainly excluded him out of the sacred assembly also; for the lowest degree of excommunication among the Jews being to the separating for the space of four paces, this must needs belong to all kind of assemblies, sacred as well as civil. And therefore St Chrysostom here affirms, ἐξ-βαλον αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ, “they cast him out of the temple,” Hom. 59; and Nonnus,

— ἀπήλασαν ἑκτοθι νηοῦ, and of the disciples in Christ’s name, Ὑμέας ἐξελάσουσι θεοκλήτοιο μελάθρου, γ 2

John 9:23

To avoid which danger it was that his parents waved the answering of this question, and put it off to their son; for this was a thing of such a nature, that the affirming Jesus to have done it was in effect the affirming him to be the Messias.

John 9:24

Then a second time they sent for and examined the man that had this miraculous cure wrought on him, attempting to draw him from that opinion of Christ which he seemed to have, by bidding him ascribe the praise of his cure wholly to God, and not to look on Christ with any veneration, telling him, that if he did it on the day and in the manner forementioned, it was thereby evident, that he was one that broke the sabbath, and so not from God, but an impostor, (see ver. 16, and 2 Thess. ii. 3,) who consequently had no such virtue or piety as could contribute any thing to this matter.

an impostor. I have told you, and you did not heed it; or else,

John 9:31

It being resolved on among all men, that an impostor or false teacher is not enabled by God to work such miracles as these, (or if he were, God must be thought to assist him in his impostures,) but only pious and faithful servants of God, that came to do his will, not their own.

John 9:32

It is above all human power to open the eyes of one that was born blind.

John 9:33

If he were not sent and empowered by God, he could never do such things as these. ° Thy being born blind is a mark and character of some extraordinary ill in thee, which makes thee very unfit to teach doctors and rabbis in matters of this moment. And they cast him out of the court (see note [b]) with disgrace. ⁴ Some copies omit oix, not, saith Rob. Stephanus.