John 9:31 kjv
Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
John 9:31 nkjv
Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.
John 9:31 niv
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.
John 9:31 esv
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.
John 9:31 nlt
We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will.
John 9 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 9:31 | "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, him he hears." | John 10:27, Proverbs 1:28-29, Isaiah 59:1-2, 1 John 5:14-15, Psalm 66:18, Proverbs 15:29, Psalm 34:15-16, Matthew 7:7-8, Jeremiah 11:11, Psalm 145:18-19, Romans 8:26-27, James 5:16, 1 Peter 3:12, Job 35:12-13, Psalm 18:41, Proverbs 28:9, Isaiah 1:15, Mark 11:24, Luke 18:1, John 11:41-42, 1 John 3:22 |
| John 10:27 | "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." | Directly echoes the theme of God's recognition of His own. |
| Proverbs 1:28-29 | "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but will not find me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD." | Illustrates the consequence of ignoring God, aligning with not hearing sinners. |
| Isaiah 59:1-2 | "Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear deafened, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God; and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear." | Shows how sin creates a barrier to divine hearing. |
| 1 John 5:14-15 | "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we ask of him." | Expands on the condition of praying according to His will, similar to doing His will. |
| Psalm 66:18 | "If iniquity is in my heart, the Lord would not hear." | A direct Old Testament statement reinforcing the condition of a pure heart for answered prayer. |
| Proverbs 15:29 | "The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous." | Directly contrasts God's response to the wicked versus the righteous. |
| Psalm 34:15-16 | "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and his ears toward their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth." | Illustrates God's attentive ear to the righteous and His opposition to evildoers. |
| Matthew 7:7-8 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." | Promises God's responsiveness to sincere seeking, a general principle applied here specifically to the faithful. |
| Jeremiah 11:11 | "Therefore, thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am bringing disaster upon them that they cannot escape. Though they cry to me, I will not listen to them.’" | Shows God's withholding of hearing in response to persistent disobedience. |
| Psalm 145:18-19 | "The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them." | Emphasizes God's nearness and response to those who fear Him and call in truth. |
| Romans 8:26-27 | "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." | Connects divine will and understanding in prayer through the Spirit, supporting the idea that God hears according to His will. |
| James 5:16 | "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." | Highlights the efficacy of a righteous person's prayer. |
| 1 Peter 3:12 | "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." | A strong parallel from Peter, reinforcing God's attention to the righteous. |
| Job 35:12-13 | "But he does not answer when they cry for help because of the pride of the wicked. Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty overturn everything." | Elihu's argument, suggesting that pride and wickedness prevent effective prayer. |
| Psalm 18:41 | "They cry for help, but there is none to save, even to the LORD, but he does not answer them." | Indicates a situation where cries go unanswered due to internal factors. |
| Proverbs 28:9 | "If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, then even his prayer is an abomination." | Directly links aversion to God's word with the invalidity of prayer. |
| Isaiah 1:15 | "When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood." | Depicts God's refusal to hear prayer from those stained with sin and violence. |
| Mark 11:24 | "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." | While focusing on belief, the context of Jesus' teaching implies this is for those aligned with God's will. |
| Luke 18:1 | "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to lose heart." | Jesus' teaching on the importance of persistent prayer, often to those seeking God's righteousness. |
| John 11:41-42 | "So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’" | Jesus Himself attests to His Father always hearing Him, a model for believers. |
| 1 John 3:22 | "and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him." | Directly links keeping commandments and pleasing God with receiving from Him. |
John 9 verses
John 9 31 Meaning
This verse articulates a foundational principle of a relationship with God: He hears and answers the prayers of those who are devout and faithfully follow His commands. It highlights the active listening of God to His righteous children.
John 9 31 Context
This verse is spoken by the man who was born blind, whom Jesus healed. He is responding to the accusatory questions of the Pharisees who are increasingly hostile and threatened by Jesus’ actions. They had tried to discredit the miracle by asserting that Jesus, being a sinner, could not perform such a sign. The man, testifying to the undeniable reality of his healing, presents this as a logical conclusion: only God would answer the prayer of someone who acts in accordance with divine will. His statement places Jesus firmly on the side of divine power and approval, a stark contrast to the religious leaders' rejection. This conversation is part of Jesus’ public ministry in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles, a period of intense scrutiny and opposition.
John 9 31 Word Analysis
- "We know" (oidaMEN): First-person plural perfect active indicative of oida. Indicates a certain, settled knowledge or understanding, a conviction based on observation or evidence.
- "that" (hoti): Subordinating conjunction, introducing a direct object clause.
- "God" (theOS): Noun, masculine, nominative singular. Refers to the supreme creator and ruler.
- "does not hear" (OUk eisakOUei): ou (negative particle) + eisakOUo (present active indicative). The present tense indicates a continuous state or habitual action. 'Eisakouo' implies hearing with the intent to answer or respond. Thus, "does not habitually or effectively hear."
- "sinners" (HAMARTOLON): Noun, masculine, genitive plural of hamartolos. Refers to those who transgress God's law, those who habitually sin, or are characterized by their sin.
- "but" (ean de): conjoining conjunction, introducing a conditional clause. 'De' is a particle of contrast or transition.
- "if" (ean): Conjunction introducing a hypothetical condition.
- "anyone" (TIS): Indefinite pronoun, masculine, nominative singular. Refers to any person, irrespective of background.
- "is a worshiper of God" (theosebēs h): Theosebēs is an adjective meaning "God-fearing" or "devout." In the genitive case here, attached to the noun it modifies in a predicative construction with the verb "to be". Refers to someone who reveres, fears, and actively serves God.
- "and" (kai): Conjunction, linking phrases.
- "does his will" (TO THELIMA AUTOU poiei): To thelima (neuter, accusative singular of thelema) meaning "will" or "desire." Autou (masculine, genitive singular pronoun) referring to God. Poiei (present active indicative of poieo) meaning "to do" or "to make." "Does His will" implies obedience, alignment of actions with God's commandments and purpose.
Word Group Analysis:
- "God does not hear sinners": This statement is a theological declaration. The implication is not that God is deaf, but that the state of sin creates a spiritual separation or resistance that prevents Him from responding favorably to prayers from such individuals. This doesn't negate God's universal awareness, but His attentive, salvific, or responsive hearing.
- "but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, him he hears": This forms a clear conditional contrast. The key conditions for God's hearing are: 1) being a "worshiper of God" (theosebēs) – indicating a life of devotion and reverence, and 2) "doing His will" – demonstrating active obedience and conformity to God's commands and desires. The repetition of "he hears" (eisakouei) emphasizes the positive and direct consequence of fulfilling these conditions.
John 9 31 Bonus Section
This verse serves as a theological defense for Jesus' ministry against the accusations of the Pharisees. The man, having experienced Jesus’ divine power directly, grounds his argument in the certainty that God only acts on behalf of the faithful. This underscores a core belief within Israelite theology – that God’s covenant relationship was contingent on obedience. The phrasing "does his will" is central to understanding the nature of true discipleship, which is not merely about ritual observance but about alignment of one’s entire life with God’s purpose. Jesus Himself often pointed to His doing the Father's will as His ultimate motivation and criterion (John 6:38). The verse also implicitly highlights the inadequacy of outward religious profession without inward devotion and obedience, a critique the Pharisees themselves embodied.
John 9 31 Commentary
The statement is a direct testament to faith from the healed man. He contrasts the "sinners," who are separated from God's ear, with those who actively worship Him and obey His commands. This aligns with Old Testament principles where purity and righteous living were prerequisites for divine favor and prayer reception. For instance, Psalm 18:41 notes cries for help that receive no answer. The man’s declaration is not a generalization that God ignores all those who sometimes sin, but rather addresses those whose lives are characterized by rebellion against God. Conversely, a life marked by genuine devotion ("worshiper") and obedient action ("does his will") ensures God's attentive ear and responsiveness, as stated in 1 John 3:22: "whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him." This emphasizes that a relationship with God, wherein our prayers are heard and answered, is built on a foundation of adherence to His ways.