John 9 - NKJV Study Bible

9:1 The man who was blind from birth was a beggar (v. 8). Beggars waited by the gates of the temple for gifts from worshipers. Therefore, it is likely that this scene took place near the temple shortly after the confrontation recorded in Ch. 8.

9:2 who sinned: It was commonly supposed that sickness was a result of sin. It would follow that sins committed by a baby still in the womb or sin committed by parents could result in a baby being born with a disease. Jesus rejected both suggestions (v. 3).

9:3 God allowed the man to be born blind so that Jesus could heal him and thus reveal the works of God, His healing power.

9:6 Mixing clay with saliva was a common practice used for eye infections. Jesus may have used the clay to provide an opportunity for the man to exercise his faith in washing it off.

9:7 Siloam: Hezekiah had a tunnel cut through solid rock to transport water from Gihon (the “Virgin’s Fountain”) into the city of Jerusalem, to the Pool of Siloam (see 2 Kin. 20:20; 2 Chr. 32:30). John emphasizes that the name Siloam means “Sent,” because Jesus had just announced that He had been sent by God (v. 4).

9:16 some of the Pharisees said . . . Others said: The Pharisees could not believe that Jesus was from God because He had healed on the Sabbath, thereby breaking the oral traditions that had grown up around the Law. But those who fairly evaluated Jesus’ miraculous signs came to the conclusion that He was from God.

9:17 The blind man concluded that Jesus was a prophet. This does not mean he had decided that Jesus was the Messiah (1:20,21; 6:14).

9:22 To be put out of the synagogue was to be excommunicated. The Jews had three types of excommunication: one lasting 30 days, during which the person could not come within six feet of anybody else; one for an indefinite time, during which the person was excluded from all fellowship and worship; and one that meant absolute expulsion forever. These judgments were very serious because no one could conduct business with a person who was excommunicated.

9:24 The command to Give God the glory was a solemn charge to declare the whole truth (see Josh. 7:19; 1 Sam. 6:5). Attempting to put words in the man’s mouth, the Jewish leaders said they knew Jesus was a sinner. In their view, healing on the Sabbath was breaking the Law. So to them, Jesus was a sinner (5:16).

9:28 You are His disciple: The healed man had not claimed to be Jesus’ disciple. He only asked the Jewish leaders if they were interested in this case because they wished to become Jesus’ disciples (v. 27).

9:30–33 unheard of: There is no healing of a blind man recorded anywhere in the OT.

9:36 Who is He: Faith must have a proper object. Jesus, not faith, saves. Faith is only a channel to the worthy object, the Lord Jesus Christ.

9:38 Note the progression throughout this chapter of the healed man’s understanding of the person of Christ. First, he called Jesus “a Man” (v. 11); then “a prophet” (v. 17); and finally he realized that Jesus is the Son of God (vv. 35–38).

9:39 For judgment I have come into this world: Jesus did not come into the world to execute judgment (3:17). Nevertheless, the inevitable result of His coming is judgment, because some refuse to believe (3:18). As the light of the world, Jesus came that the blind might see and those who think they can see will be made blind.