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

John 9:18 describes the initial reaction of the Jewish religious leaders (often identified as the hostile group in John's Gospel) to the miracle of the man born blind being healed. Despite the undeniable evidence and the man's clear testimony, these authorities actively refused to believe that he had genuinely been blind from birth and subsequently received his sight. Their disbelief was so profound that they initiated an official inquiry, calling for the man's parents to obtain further testimony, not to confirm the miracle but to seek grounds to discredit it and Jesus. This verse encapsulates their obstinate rejection of divine truth, prioritizing their preconceptions over manifest proof.

John 9 18 Context

John 9 details the miraculous healing of a man born blind. This miracle takes place on the Sabbath (Jn 9:14), intentionally provoking the Jewish authorities who considered such an act a violation of their interpretation of Sabbath law. The chapter follows a narrative progression: the disciples' question about the cause of blindness, Jesus' healing of the man, the man's initial encounter with neighbors who debate his identity, and then his examination by the Pharisees. The Pharisees, acting as legal and religious adjudicators, scrutinize the miracle's authenticity, questioning the man and then his parents. Their consistent goal is not to acknowledge a divine work, but to find a reason to condemn Jesus, thus portraying Jesus as a law-breaker and deceiver, while simultaneously undermining the miracle's credibility. Verse 18 marks a critical juncture in this investigation, revealing their determined unbelief before they even interview the parents. Historically, the Sadducees, focused on temple practices, and the Pharisees, meticulous about the Mosaic Law and oral tradition, were the primary religious leaders. The latter, specifically, were fiercely protective of their interpretations of the Law and were deeply suspicious of anyone, especially a perceived radical like Jesus, who challenged their authority or conventions. The episode serves as a powerful polemic against religious hypocrisy and spiritual blindness within leadership, demonstrating that even incontrovertible evidence can be rejected by hearts unwilling to believe.

John 9 18 Word analysis

• The Jews (οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι - hoi Ioudaioi): In John's Gospel, this term often refers not to all Jewish people, but specifically to the hostile religious authorities in Jerusalem—the Temple hierarchy, scribes, and Pharisees—who consistently opposed Jesus. Their institutional identity underscores their official capacity and their determined, unified resistance to Jesus' claims and actions.
• did not believe (οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν - ouk episteusan): This is a strong statement of active unbelief, a conscious and willful refusal to accept. It is not mere doubt or skepticism but a hardened rejection of a fact, despite witnesses and the physical reality. It denotes an entrenched disposition against Jesus, rendering them impervious to divine revelation.
• concerning him (περὶ αὐτοῦ - peri autou): This refers to the man who was healed. Their disbelief centers directly on the reality of his experience, because accepting his miracle would mean accepting Jesus' power and divine origin, which they sought to deny.
• that he had been blind (ὅτι τυφλὸς ἦν - hoti typhlos ēn): Emphasizes the man's state from birth. This initial condition is crucial because it makes the healing unique and undeniable; healing congenital blindness was widely understood as an exclusive work of God, foretold in prophecy (e.g., Isa 35:5). Their attempt to deny this origin aimed to reduce the significance of the miracle.
• and had received his sight (καὶ ἀνέβλεψεν - kai aneblepsen): The Aorist tense here signifies a definite, completed action, meaning "he regained/looked up/received sight." This is the objective, verifiable outcome of Jesus' action. Their refusal to believe this fact is an open rejection of what was plainly evident to all, highlighting their deliberate spiritual blindness.
• until they called (ἕως ὅτου ἐφώνησαν - heōs hotou ephōnēsan): This conjunction points to their next step in their determined, yet ultimately futile, investigation. It signifies that their disbelief persisted and fueled a methodical process of seeking external evidence, not to confirm, but to disprove the miracle, a tactic often seen when religious authorities oppose truth.
• the parents (τοὺς γονεῖς - tous goneis): The parents are legally recognized witnesses according to Jewish custom (Deut 19:15). By summoning them, the authorities hoped to uncover any inconsistencies, family secrets, or perceived deceptions that might discredit the man's testimony and, by extension, Jesus. Their reliance on external legal testimony ironically highlighted their internal lack of spiritual discernment.
• of him that had received his sight (τοῦ ἀναβλέψαντος - tou anablepsantos): A present participle referring to "the one who had received sight." The description reaffirms the miraculous event itself even as the authorities attempt to investigate it, making their continued unbelief starkly irrational.

John 9 18 Bonus section

The concept of "the Jews" as primarily the hostile Jewish authorities in John's Gospel, rather than the entire ethnic group, is critical for understanding this verse without misinterpreting it as anti-Semitic. This distinction highlights that Jesus' conflict was with a specific religious-political establishment, not with his own people broadly. Furthermore, the spiritual blindness of the leaders stands in stark contrast to the physical man's newfound physical and spiritual sight. While they literally "see" (their eyes work) but cannot grasp divine truth, the man who was blind now not only sees Jesus but truly perceives who he is, progressing to worship (Jn 9:38). The legalistic approach of calling parents to confirm or deny the "facts" of the miracle underscores their inability to see beyond the letter of the law to its Spirit or the work of God directly before them. This behavior of rejecting manifest truth by seeking counter-evidence is a recurring theme when divine intervention clashes with entrenched human power and ideology.

John 9 18 Commentary

John 9:18 is a pivotal verse demonstrating the determined unbelief of the Jewish religious leadership in Jerusalem. Their refusal to believe was not born of honest skepticism but stemmed from a hardened spiritual blindness and an agenda to discredit Jesus. Even after examining the man himself and hearing his straightforward testimony (Jn 9:11-12, 15), they actively did not believe that he was truly the one born blind and miraculously healed. This deliberate denial forced them into a further, procedural inquiry: summoning the parents. This act, while appearing to seek "facts," was actually a desperate attempt to find any loophole, any contradiction, or any human explanation to nullify the divine sign performed by Jesus. Their commitment was not to truth but to maintaining their theological framework and their position of authority against Jesus' challenge. The episode powerfully illustrates that physical evidence is often insufficient for those whose hearts are already closed to God's work, foreshadowing their ultimate rejection of Jesus.

• Example: Imagine someone refusing to believe the sun exists, despite seeing it and feeling its warmth, because they've decided the sky is always cloudy. Their subsequent "investigation" by asking others if they see the sun is not about genuinely learning but about confirming their personal denial.