John 9:26-34 · Bible study
John 9:26-34 Commentary: The Blind Man's Witness and the Pharisees' Blindness
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore John 9:26-34: the healed man's bold testimony deepens the contrast between physical sight and spiritual blindness. Learn from the commentators.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The healed man's straightforward testimony exposes the Pharisees' spiritual blindness and moves from personal witness to theological argument.
- Key words: λοιδορέω (loidoreō, revile), θαυμαστός (thaumastos, marvellous), αἰών (aiōn, age/world), θεοσεβής (theosebēs, worshiper of God).
- Main debate: Whether the man's statement 'God heareth not sinners' is a general principle or refers specifically to impenitent sinners. Most commentators see it as a common OT teaching applied correctly here.
- Theological theme: Contrast between physical and spiritual sight; the cost of discipleship; the power of simple testimony.
- Best use: Evangelistic preaching, small-group study on witnessing, or a lesson on standing firm under pressure.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
26“What did He do to you?” they asked. “How did He open your eyes?”
27He replied, “I already told you, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”
28Then they heaped insults on him and said, “You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses.
29We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this man is from.”
30“That is remarkable indeed!” the man said. “You do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes.
31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.
32Never before has anyone heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
33If this man were not from God, He could do no such thing.”
34They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.
WEB World English Bible 2000
26They said to him again, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
27He answered them, “I told you already, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t also want to become his disciples, do you?”
28They insulted him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.
29We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don’t know where he comes from.”
30The man answered them, “How amazing! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
31We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, he listens to him.
32Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind.
33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34They answered him, “You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?” Then they threw him out.
KJV King James Version 1769
26Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
27He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
28Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples.
29We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
30The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
31Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
32Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
33If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
34They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
26They said therefore unto him, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
27He answered them, I told you even now, and ye did not hear; wherefore would ye hear it again? would ye also become his disciples?
28And they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are disciples of Moses.
29We know that God hath spoken unto Moses: but as for this man, we know not whence he is.
30The man answered and said unto them, Why, herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence he is, and yet he opened mine eyes.
31We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth.
32Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind.
33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.
34They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
26And they said to him again, `What did he to thee? how did he open thine eyes?'
27He answered them, `I told you already, and ye did not hear; why again do ye wish to hear? do ye also wish to become his disciples?'
28They reviled him, therefore, and said, `Thou art his disciple, and we are Moses' disciples;
29we have known that God hath spoken to Moses, but this one--we have not known whence he is.'
30The man answered and said to them, `Why, in this is a wonderful thing, that ye have not known whence he is, and he opened my eyes!
31and we have known that God doth not hear sinners, but, if any one may be a worshipper of God, and may do His will, him He doth hear;
32from the age it was not heard, that any one did open eyes of one who hath been born blind;
33if this one were not from God, he were not able to do anything.'
34They answered and said to him, `In sins thou wast born altogether, and thou dost teach us!' and they cast him forth without.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
26And they said to him again, What did he do to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
27He answered them, I told you already and ye did not hear: why do ye desire to hear again? do ye also wish to become his disciples?
28They railed at him, and said, Thou art his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.
29We know that God spoke to Moses; but [as to] this [man], we know not whence he is.
30The man answered and said to them, Now in this is a wonderful thing, that ye do not know whence he is, and he has opened mine eyes.
31[But] we know that God does not hear sinners; but if any one be God-fearing and do his will, him he hears.
32Since time was, it has not been heard that any one opened the eyes of one born blind.
33If this [man] were not of God he would be able to do nothing.
34They answered and said to him, Thou hast been wholly born in sins, and thou teachest us? And they cast him out.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
26They said then to him: What did he to thee? How did he open thy eyes?
27He answered them: I have told you already, and you have heard. Why would you hear it again? Will you also become his disciples?
28They reviled him therefore and said: Be thou his disciple; but we are the disciples of Moses.
29We know that God spoke to Moses: but as to this man, we know not from whence he is.
30The man answered and said to them: why, herein is a wonderful thing, that you know not from whence he is, and he hath opened my eyes.
31Now we know that God doth not hear sinners: but if a man be a server of God and doth his, will, him he heareth.
32From the beginning of the world it hath not been heard, that any man hath opened the eyes of one born blind.
33Unless this man were of God, he could not do anything.
34They answered and said to him: Thou wast wholly born in sins; and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · John 9:26
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the Pharisees' repeated questioning reveals stubborn refusal to accept the miracle. Barnes notes they hoped to intimidate the healed man or force a contradiction. Cambridge says they 'resort to abuse when argument fails.' Calvin observes that the Lord defeats their attempts through the man's unshaken firmness. The healed man moves from simple testimony ('one thing I know') to theological reasoning (vv.30, 33). Clarke calls his conclusion 'very just': a miracle unmatched since the world began must come from God. The man's boldness, even to the point of excommunication, earns him Wesley's praise as a 'confessor.' All commentators see here the contrast between spiritual sight received by the formerly blind and the deepening blindness of the religious leaders.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The healed man's testimony and reasoning are vindicated, and the Pharisees' rejection exposes their spiritual blindness.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of 'God heareth not sinners' (v.31) | Commentators agree the man is not saying God never answers sinners' prayers, but that persistent, impenitent sinners cannot expect God to work through them in miraculous ways. | Clarke suggests 'sinners' here may refer to heathens or non-proselytes in contrast to 'worshiper of God' (theosebēs). Others, like Calvin, take it as a general scriptural principle that God listens to the devout. |
| The nature of the 'casting out' (v.34) | The verb ἐξέβαλον (exebalon) indicates they forcibly expelled him from the gathering, whether from the meeting place or the synagogue community. | Vincent argues this was not formal excommunication, since the group could not do that, but likely a physical expulsion from the room. Others (Barnes, Wesley) see it as excommunication from the synagogue, given the earlier threat in v.22. |
| The interpretation of 'born in sins' (v.34) | The Pharisees mean that his blindness was a punishment for sin, a view Jesus had already refuted (v.3). | Some commentators note the phrase may also imply the Pharisees believe in preexistence or inherited guilt. Calvin mentions the Pharisees thought 'souls, after having finished one life, entered into new bodies.' This view is not shared by all modern interpreters. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The setting is a formal hearing before the Pharisees, following Jesus' healing of a man born blind on the Sabbath (John 9:1, 14). The Pharisees had already agreed to excommunicate anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ (v.22). Into this hostile environment comes a man with no education and a lifetime of begging. His interrogators represent the highest religious authority, yet their questions aim not at truth but at self-protection.
The phrase 'disciples of Moses' (v.28) reflects a common claim: the Pharisees believed their traditions faithfully interpreted the law. But as Poole notes, Moses himself pointed to Christ; clinging to Moses while rejecting the One Moses foretold was a studied blindness. The man's argument that 'God does not listen to sinners' (v.31) echoes familiar Old Testament teaching (Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 1:15) and was a standard part of synagogue instruction. His application, that Jesus' unprecedented miracle must therefore prove He is 'from God', was devastating to his hearers.
The expression 'since the world began' (ἐκ τοῦ αἰῶνος, ek tou aiōnos) appears only here in the New Testament (Vincent). It underscores the unprecedented nature of the miracle: no prophet or teacher had ever opened the eyes of someone born blind. The healed man's reasoning is a qal va-homer argument (light to heavy): if God hears a worshiper who does His will, and this man has received such a unique answer to prayer, then He must be from God. The Pharisees' response, to insult the man and cast him out, reveals that their hearts were shut even as the miracle stood before them.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants affecting interpretation. The Cambridge Bible mentions that some manuscripts read 'the marvellous thing' (with the article) rather than 'a marvellous thing' in verse 30. This variant does not alter the meaning; it simply emphasizes the uniqueness of the situation. The critical text (NA27/UBS5) includes the article.
Reception History
Early church writers such as Irenaeus and Augustine used this passage to illustrate the progression from physical to spiritual sight and to commend the witness of the simple believer against learned disbelief. In the Reformation, Luther and Calvin highlighted the contrast between the clear testimony of the healed man and the obstinacy of the Pharisees, seeing it as a picture of justification by faith alone, a gift received, not earned. Later evangelical commentators (Wesley, Clarke, Barnes) emphasized the man's courage and his use of basic reasoning in defense of the truth, making him a model for believers facing opposition. The story has also been sung in hymns about spiritual blindness and the light of Christ.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The pressure of repeated questioning. The Pharisees ask the same questions again (v.26). Not to learn, but to find a crack in the testimony. This tests the healed man's resolve.
- The growing confidence of the witness. The healed man moves from stating facts (v.25) to ironic questioning (v.27) to a full theological argument (vv.30, 33). His boldness grows as the stakes rise.
- The cost of clear sight. The Pharisees revile him and throw him out (v.34). True sight, both physical and spiritual, comes at a price.
Five-point outline
- Stubborn interrogation. The Pharisees refuse to accept the evidence. They return to the same method, hoping weariness will produce a mistake.
- Deflection with irony. The man turns their question back on them: 'Do you also want to become his disciples?' This exposes the hypocrisy of their inquiry.
- Resorting to insults. When reason fails, the Pharisees fall back on abuse (v.28). The Greek verb eloidorēsan (they reviled) means to wound with sharp words (Vincent).
- Theological argument. The man reasons from Scripture: God answers those who worship Him, and a unique miracle shows divine origin. His logic is unanswerable (Clarke).
- Excommunication. The Pharisees cast him out, a foreshadowing of the cost of following Jesus. But the expulsion leads to Jesus finding him (v.35).
Illustration hooks
- A child who keeps asking 'why' not to learn but to argue. The healed man met that same kind of closed-mindedness with patient truth.
- The experience of being questioned repeatedly about a decision you've made, each time your answer grows more concise and more certain.
- A medical patient who has been healed, but whose doctors refuse to look at the evidence because it challenges their diagnosis.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I respond when people challenge my faith over and over again?
- Is it okay to use argument and logic to defend my faith, or should I 'just believe'?
- What does it mean to be 'cast out' for following Jesus in our time?
Leading a Discussion
This passage highlights the irony at the heart of John's Gospel: a man born blind sees more clearly than the religious leaders. The healed man's testimony grows bolder as pressure increases, and his reasoning moves from simple facts to deep theology. His witness costs him his place in the community, but that expulsion leads to a face-to-face encounter with Jesus (v.35).
Discussion questions
- Why do you think the Pharisees asked the healed man the same questions over again? What does this reveal about their attitude?
- How does the healed man's tone change from verse 27 to verse 30? What gives him such confidence?
- The man says, 'We know that God does not listen to sinners' (v.31). Is this always true? In what sense did he mean it?
- What is 'marvellous' about the situation from the man's point of view (v.30)? How does he use the miracle as evidence?
- The Pharisees claim to be disciples of Moses. How does the man's argument actually honor Moses more than they do? (Consider John 5:45, 47.)
- When have you felt pressure to downplay what God has done for you? What helped you stay faithful?
- The man was thrown out of the synagogue. How does Jesus respond to that rejection in verse 35? What does this teach us about following Christ when it costs us?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Luke 22:67 | “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you won’t believe, |
| John 9:10 | They therefore were asking him, “How were your eyes opened?” |
| John 9:15 | Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see.” |
| Isaiah 51:7 | “Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law. Don’t fear the reproach of men, and don’t be dismayed at their insults. |
| Matthew 5:11 | “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. |
| Matthew 27:39 | Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads |
| John 5:45 | “Don’t think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you, even Moses, on whom you have set your hope. |
| John 5:47 | But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the Pharisees' escalating hostility: their "reviling" was not mere insults but words like spear-thrusts, aimed to wound. He also observes that until 1728, no surgical procedure had ever restored sight to someone born blind, underscoring that Christ's miracle was unprecedented and solely divine.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights the Pharisees' repeated questioning as a deliberate trap to catch the healed man in a contradiction, but God gave him the grace and common sense to confess boldly and confound them. Their insults and claims of Moses' authority could not shake his simple, logical argument that a miracle like this could only come from God.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights the blind man's astonishing boldness: a poor, lowly man fearlessly reproaches the Pharisees, while many who should speak for Christ stay silent when danger threatens. He also exposes their hypocrisy—they claim loyalty to Moses but reject Christ, the very soul of the Law, proving they do not truly hear God.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes how the man, growing bolder as the Pharisees run out of arguments, reasons from Old Testament teaching that God hears only the devout, so Jesus must be from God. Unable to refute his logic, the Pharisees resort to insult and expulsion, exposing their inconsistency by now using his healed blindness against him.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the formerly blind man's bold, uneducated reasoning: since no one in history has ever opened the eyes of a person born blind, this unprecedented miracle proves Jesus is from God. The man argues that God hears only those who worship Him and do His will, a logic the learned Pharisees cannot refute.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the healed man's bold irony as he turns the tables on his interrogators, treating their questions as if they were anxious inquirers. His argument is so sharp that the Pharisees' fury drives them to excommunicate him, yet he remains unshaken, confident that his Benefactor could only be from God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws attention to the healed man's simple, unshakeable testimony. While the Pharisees argue over Sabbath laws and whether Jesus is a sinner, the man rests on one fact he cannot deny: he was blind and now sees. No amount of theological debate can undo that personal experience.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the startling irony: the learned religious leaders cannot see what a simple, uneducated man grasves clearly. The healed man reasons that a miracle-worker unheard of before must come from God, and God does not answer impenitent sinners in such a way. His courageous truth-telling despite knowing the consequences makes him a true confessor.