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Legacy Standard Bible Translation Notes
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NOTES

BIBLE

John 9

1

As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.

Καὶ παράγων εἶδεν ἄνθρωπον τυφλὸν ἐκ γενετῆς.

 
2

And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”

καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Ῥαββί, τίς ἥμαρτεν, οὗτος ἢ οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ, ἵνα τυφλὸς γεννηθῇ;

 
3

Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this was so that the works of God might be manifested in him.

ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· Οὔτε οὗτος ἥμαρτεν οὔτε οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλʼ ἵνα φανερωθῇ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ.

 
4

We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.

ἡμᾶς δεῖ ἐργάζεσθαι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πέμψαντός με ἕως ἡμέρα ἐστίν· ἔρχεται νὺξ ὅτε οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐργάζεσθαι.

 
5

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

ὅταν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ὦ, φῶς εἰμι τοῦ κόσμου.

 
6

When He had said this, He spat on the ground, made clay of the saliva, and rubbed the clay on his eyes,

ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἔπτυσεν χαμαὶ καὶ ἐποίησεν πηλὸν ἐκ τοῦ πτύσματος, καὶ ἐπέχρισεν αὐτοῦ τὸν πηλὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς,

 
7

and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.

καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ὕπαγε νίψαι εἰς τὴν κολυμβήθραν τοῦ Σιλωάμ (ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται Ἀπεσταλμένος). ἀπῆλθεν οὖν καὶ ἐνίψατο, καὶ ἦλθεν βλέπων.

 
8

Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?”

οἱ οὖν γείτονες καὶ οἱ θεωροῦντες αὐτὸν τὸ πρότερον ὅτι προσαίτης ἦν ἔλεγον· Οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ καθήμενος καὶ προσαιτῶν;

 
9

Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the one.”

ἄλλοι ἔλεγον ὅτι Οὗτός ἐστιν· ἄλλοι ἔλεγον· Οὐχί, ἀλλὰ ὅμοιος αὐτῷ ἐστιν. ἐκεῖνος ἔλεγεν ὅτι Ἐγώ εἰμι.

 
10

So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?”

ἔλεγον οὖν αὐτῷ· Πῶς ἠνεῴχθησάν σου οἱ ὀφθαλμοί;

 
11

He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and rubbed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so when I went away and washed, I received sight.”

ἀπεκρίθη ἐκεῖνος· Ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ λεγόμενος Ἰησοῦς πηλὸν ἐποίησεν καὶ ἐπέχρισέν μου τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ εἶπέν μοι ὅτι Ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν Σιλωὰμ καὶ νίψαι· ἀπελθὼν οὖν καὶ νιψάμενος ἀνέβλεψα.

 
12

And they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”

καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Ποῦ ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος; λέγει· Οὐκ οἶδα.

 
13

They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind.

Ἄγουσιν αὐτὸν πρὸς τοὺς Φαρισαίους τόν ποτε τυφλόν.

 
14

Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.

ἦν δὲ σάββατον ἐν ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ τὸν πηλὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἀνέῳξεν αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς.

 
15

So the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

πάλιν οὖν ἠρώτων αὐτὸν καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι πῶς ἀνέβλεψεν. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Πηλὸν ἐπέθηκέν μου ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, καὶ ἐνιψάμην, καὶ βλέπω.

So
“So” translates the conjunction οὖν (oun) in this verse, though the reader will notice the translation varies throughout this section. The variances occur to show how John employs this conjunction to build the narrative in a logical fashion (vv. 15–18), such that in a climactic statement he may write, “The Jews did not believe…” (v. 18). This draws attention to the blindness of the Pharisees, who were unable to believe in the One who gives sight.

 
16

So then some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

ἔλεγον οὖν ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων τινές· Οὐκ ἔστιν οὗτος παρὰ θεοῦ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι τὸ σάββατον οὐ τηρεῖ. ἄλλοι ἔλεγον· Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος ἁμαρτωλὸς τοιαῦτα σημεῖα ποιεῖν; καὶ σχίσμα ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς.

So then
Refer to the discussion on verse 15 above. This instance of οὖν (oun) is translated as “so then,” building off the previous usage.

 
17

Therefore, they said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.”

λέγουσιν οὖν τῷ τυφλῷ πάλιν· Τί σὺ λέγεις περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἠνέῳξέν σου τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν ὅτι Προφήτης ἐστίν.

Therefore
Refer to the discussion on verse 15 above. This instance of οὖν (oun) is translated as “therefore,” building off the previous usage.

 
18

Then, the Jews did not believe it of him that he was blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight,

Οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι περὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἦν τυφλὸς καὶ ἀνέβλεψεν, ἕως ὅτου ἐφώνησαν τοὺς γονεῖς αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀναβλέψαντος

Then
Refer to the discussion on verse 15 above. This instance of οὖν (oun) is translated as “Then,” culminating the previous occurrences.

 
19

and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?”

καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτοὺς λέγοντες· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς ὑμῶν, ὃν ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι τυφλὸς ἐγεννήθη; πῶς οὖν βλέπει ἄρτι;

 
20

So his parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

ἀπεκρίθησαν οὖν οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπαν· Οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς ἡμῶν καὶ ὅτι τυφλὸς ἐγεννήθη·

So
Refer to the discussion on verse 15 above. John begins to build the logical flow of the story by using οὖν (oun). Beginning with the parents reply, John demonstrates their acknowledgement of their son’s blindness, culminating in a second climactic expression of unbelief from the Jews, contrasted by the blind man’s faith (cf. v. 24–25).

 
21

but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.”

πῶς δὲ νῦν βλέπει οὐκ οἴδαμεν, ἢ τίς ἤνοιξεν αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἡμεῖς οὐκ οἴδαμεν· αὐτὸν ἐρωτήσατε, ἡλικίαν ἔχει, αὐτὸς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λαλήσει.

 
22

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.

ταῦτα εἶπαν οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἐφοβοῦντο τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, ἤδη γὰρ συνετέθειντο οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἵνα ἐάν τις αὐτὸν ὁμολογήσῃ χριστόν, ἀποσυνάγωγος γένηται.

 
23

For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

διὰ τοῦτο οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ εἶπαν ὅτι Ἡλικίαν ἔχει, αὐτὸν ἐπερωτήσατε.

 
24

Therefore, a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner.”

Ἐφώνησαν οὖν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐκ δευτέρου ὃς ἦν τυφλὸς καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Δὸς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ· ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἁμαρτωλός ἐστιν.

Therefore
Refer to the discussion on verse 15 and 20 above. This instance of οὖν (oun) is translated as “therefore,” showing a logical continuation from the parents’ response (v. 23), and highlighting how the Pharisees intimidatingly call the man to “give glory to God” or risk being put out of the synagogue (v. 22). Meanwhile, they themselves fail to give God glory by blaspheming, calling Jesus a “sinner.”

 
25

He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

ἀπεκρίθη οὖν ἐκεῖνος· Εἰ ἁμαρτωλός ἐστιν οὐκ οἶδα· ἓν οἶδα ὅτι τυφλὸς ὢν ἄρτι βλέπω.

then
Refer to the discussion on verses 15 and 20 above. This instance of οὖν (oun) is translated as “then,” as a culmination of the scene. John is here showcasing that the man, once physically blind, has spiritual eyes to see that Jesus is who He claims to be (v. 38). This is a reality to which the Pharisees themselves are blind, as fulfillment of what Jesus says later (v. 39).

 
26

So they said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”

εἶπον οὖν αὐτῷ· Τί ἐποίησέν σοι; πῶς ἤνοιξέν σου τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς;

 
27

He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to listen again? Do you want to become His disciples too?”

ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς· Εἶπον ὑμῖν ἤδη καὶ οὐκ ἠκούσατε· τί πάλιν θέλετε ἀκούειν; μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς θέλετε αὐτοῦ μαθηταὶ γενέσθαι;

Do you want…
This question opens with the Greek negative particle μή (), which, according to normal Greek usage, sets an expectation of a negative answer. This is why some translations structure the question, “You do not…do you?” However, to avoid adding words which do not appear in the Greek, the rhetorical question is simply translated with a familiar English structure. This way, nothing external is added and the force of the rhetorical question and the expected negative answer remains perfectly intact. The man’s phrasing of this question here communicates a note of sarcasm, as he knows that the Jews would answer negatively because of their animus toward Jesus.

 
28

And they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

ἐλοιδόρησαν αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπον· Σὺ μαθητὴς εἶ ἐκείνου, ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἐσμὲν μαθηταί·

 
29

We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.”

ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν ὅτι Μωϋσεῖ λελάληκεν ὁ θεός, τοῦτον δὲ οὐκ οἴδαμεν πόθεν ἐστίν.

 
30

The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from, and He opened my eyes.

ἀπεκρίθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ τὸ θαυμαστόν ἐστιν ὅτι ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε πόθεν ἐστίν, καὶ ἤνοιξέν μου τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς.

 
31

We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him.

οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ὁ θεὸς οὐκ ἀκούει, ἀλλʼ ἐάν τις θεοσεβὴς ᾖ καὶ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ποιῇ τούτου ἀκούει.

 
32

Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.

ἐκ τοῦ αἰῶνος οὐκ ἠκούσθη ὅτι ἠνέῳξέν τις ὀφθαλμοὺς τυφλοῦ γεγεννημένου·

 
33

If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

εἰ μὴ ἦν οὗτος παρὰ θεοῦ, οὐκ ἠδύνατο ποιεῖν οὐδέν.

 
34

They answered and said to him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out.

ἀπεκρίθησαν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Ἐν ἁμαρτίαις σὺ ἐγεννήθης ὅλος, καὶ σὺ διδάσκεις ἡμᾶς; καὶ ἐξέβαλον αὐτὸν ἔξω.

 
35

Jesus heard that they had put him out, and after finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

Ἤκουσεν Ἰησοῦς ὅτι ἐξέβαλον αὐτὸν ἔξω, καὶ εὑρὼν αὐτὸν εἶπεν· Σὺ πιστεύεις εἰς τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου;

 
36

He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

ἀπεκρίθη ἐκεῖνος καὶ εἶπεν· Καὶ τίς ἐστιν, κύριε, ἵνα πιστεύσω εἰς αὐτόν;

 
37

Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.”

εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Καὶ ἑώρακας αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ λαλῶν μετὰ σοῦ ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν.

 
38

And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him.

ὁ δὲ ἔφη· Πιστεύω, κύριε· καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ.

 
39

And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.”

καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Εἰς κρίμα ἐγὼ εἰς τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον ἦλθον, ἵνα οἱ μὴ βλέποντες βλέπωσιν καὶ οἱ βλέποντες τυφλοὶ γένωνται.

 
40

Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “Are we blind too?”

ἤκουσαν ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων ταῦτα οἱ μετʼ αὐτοῦ ὄντες, καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ· Μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς τυφλοί ἐσμεν;

Are we blind too?
Refer to the discussion on verse 27 above. The phrasing of this question demonstrates that the Pharisees indeed assumed that they were not blind. Jesus makes their assumption explicit in verse 41, as He rephrases their question into the statement, “We see.” Ironically, it is precisely the Pharisees’ self-deception that Jesus attributes to their spiritual blindness, which He simply calls “sin” (cf. v. 41).

 
41

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Εἰ τυφλοὶ ἦτε, οὐκ ἂν εἴχετε ἁμαρτίαν· νῦν δὲ λέγετε ὅτι Βλέπομεν· ἡ ἁμαρτία ὑμῶν μένει.

 
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