John 9 18

John 9:18 kjv

But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.

John 9:18 nkjv

But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight.

John 9:18 niv

They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents.

John 9:18 esv

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight

John 9:18 nlt

The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents.

John 9 verses

John 9 18 Meaning

The Jews, to whom Jesus spoke, refused to accept that the man born blind had been healed, even though he could now see. Their doubt stemmed from the fact that Jesus performed the healing on the Sabbath. They sent for the healed man and his parents, seeking to invalidate the miracle by discrediting the source.

John 9 18 Context

In chapter 9 of John, Jesus encounters a man blind from birth. Jesus heals him by applying mud to his eyes and sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. This act, performed on the Sabbath, immediately draws the attention and scrutiny of the religious authorities. The chapter details the interrogation of the healed man and his parents by the Pharisees. They are desperate to find fault with Jesus and invalidate His miraculous work. The healed man's unwavering testimony and defense of Jesus further exasperate them, ultimately leading to his expulsion from the synagogue. This passage highlights the conflict between Jesus' divine authority and the rigid legalism of the religious leaders.

John 9 18 Word Analysis

• “But” (ἀλλὰ, alla): This conjunction introduces a contrast, shifting the focus from the parents’ previous statements or their role, to the specific inquiry about the healing.
• “they” (αὐτοὶ, autoi): Refers to the Jewish leaders who were questioning the man and his parents.
• “sent” (ἀπέστειλαν, apesteilan): Indicates they took action to bring in their own son for examination.
• “to” (πρὸς, pros): A preposition indicating direction or destination, here, towards the man born blind.
• “the” (τὸν, ton): The definite article.
• “man” (ἄνθρωπον, anthropon): Refers to the individual who had been blind.
• “who” (ὃς, hos): A relative pronoun connecting the clause to the man.
• “had” (ἦν, en): The imperfect tense of "to be," indicating a past continuous state.
• “been” (γεγεννημένος, gegennēmenos): The perfect passive participle of "to be born," emphasizing his lifelong condition of blindness from birth.
• “born” (ἐγεννήθη, egennēthē): The aorist passive indicative of "to be born," confirming his birth status.
• “blind” (τυφλός, typhlos): Adjective meaning blind.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• “sent ... to the man who had been born blind”: This phrase highlights the intentional action of the authorities to confront the evidence directly. They are not willing to accept the word of the parents; they need to question the recipient of the miracle themselves. This reflects their desire to control the narrative and discredit Jesus.
• “born blind”: This reiterates the lifelong nature of the man's condition. It underscores the miraculous power displayed by Jesus, as the healing wasn't of an acquired condition but one from birth, which normally would be considered permanent and unalterable by human means.

John 9 18 Bonus Section

The leaders’ strategy is a common tactic of opposition: create doubt by demanding irrefutable evidence of the source of good, especially when it challenges their established authority. Their focus on the method and the day of healing, rather than the result, is a characteristic of legalism that blinds the spiritual understanding. This episode also foreshadows the excommunication of the healed man, demonstrating the cost of true discipleship in the face of religious persecution. Jesus’ own words in John 9:39, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind," are powerfully illustrated here, as the leaders, claiming spiritual sight, are shown to be blind to the very truth standing before them.

John 9 18 Commentary

The Jewish leaders’ persistent questioning of the healed man and his parents reveals their deep-seated resistance to Jesus. They attempt to discredit the miracle by focusing on their interpretation of Sabbath law rather than the undeniable evidence of a changed life. Their demand for an explanation of how the healing occurred, while feigning concern for God's glory, is a thinly veiled attempt to find a way to attribute the power to something other than God. The healed man’s simple and resolute response, "one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see," is a powerful testimony to the truth of Jesus’ divine work, standing in stark contrast to the leaders’ theological obfuscation.