John 9 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Around AD 29 to 30, in the months between the autumn festival season and the following spring
Location
Jerusalem, near the temple and at the pool of Siloam at the southern end of the city, fed by Hezekiah's tunnel
Audience
Late first-century readers, many of them Jewish believers who had been pushed out of synagogue life for confessing Jesus, plus Greek-speaking gentile converts
Situation
Jesus heals a man born blind by making mud and sending him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The healing sets off an escalating investigation by the religious authorities, who interrogate the man twice, question his parents, and finally throw him out.
Key Background
Being expelled from the synagogue meant losing not just worship but community, business ties, and family standing, so the parents' nervous answer that their grown son can speak for himself carries real fear. Making clay on the Sabbath counted as kneading, one of the categories of work rabbinic teachers forbade, which is why a healing became a legal case. Common belief held that a birth defect traced to someone's sin, and the disciples' opening question assumes exactly that, which Jesus refuses.
As Jesus was walking along, he noticed a man who had been from
His asked him, who — this man or his parents — that he was born blind?"
Jesus answered, "Neither this man failed nor his parents. This happened so that what can do would be through his life."
We need to do the work of the who me while it's still Night is coming when no can work.
As long as I'm in the I am the of the
After he said this, he spit on the ground, some with the saliva, and spread the on the man's eyes.
Then he told him, "Go wash in the of (which means "Sent"). So the man went, washed, and came back able to see.
His neighbors and the people who had seen him before as a started asking, "Isn't this the guy who used to sit and beg?"
Some said, "That's him." Others said, "No, he just looks like him." But the man himself kept saying, "I'm the It's me."
So they asked him, "Then how were
He answered, "The man called Jesus made some mud, spread it on my eyes, and told me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and then I could see."
They asked him, "Where is this man?" He said, "I don't know."
They brought the man who had been blind to the
Now, the Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a
So the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He told them, "He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and now I can see."
Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from — he doesn't keep the Sabbath." But others said, "How could who do such And they were divided.
So they turned back to the blind man and asked, "What do you have to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He's a
The didn't believe that the man had actually been blind and received his sight until they called in his parents.
"Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? So how does he see now?"
His parents answered, "We know this is our son, and we know he was born blind."
But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes — we have no idea. Ask him. He's an adult. He can speak for himself.
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had already decided that anyone who acknowledged Jesus as the would be out of the
That's why his parents said, "He's an adult. Ask him."
So for a second time they called in the man who had been blind and said to him, to by telling the truth. We know this man is who
He answered, "Whether he or not, I have no idea. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see."
They asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"
He answered, "I already told you and you didn't listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his too?"
They at him and said, "You are this man's student! We are of
"We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we don't even know where he from."
The man answered, "Now that's remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes."
"We know that God doesn't listen to people who fail He listens to those who and do what he wants."
"Nobody has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind since the beginning of time."
"If this man were not from God, he couldn't do anything."
They answered "You were in and you're trying to teach us?" And they out.
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he asked, "Do you in the of
"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so I can trust in him."
Jesus said, "You've already seen him. In fact, he's the one talking with you right now."
Then the man said, I trust you." And he in
Jesus said, "I came into this world to bring — so that those who are blind will see, and those who think they see will become blind."
Some Pharisees who were nearby heard him say this and asked, "Wait — are you saying we're blind too?"
Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be of But since you claim you can see,