John 9:7 Meaning: Jesus Sends a Blind Man to the Pool Called 'Sent'
and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.
And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent). He went away therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
`Go away, wash at the pool of Siloam,' which is, interpreted, Sent. He went away, therefore, and did wash, and came seeing;
And he said to him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, which is interpreted, Sent. He went therefore and washed, and came seeing.
Meaning in one sentence
Why Jesus sent the blind man to wash in the Pool of Siloam, which means 'Sent', and how this reveals Jesus as the One sent from God.
Context
John chapter nine opens with Jesus and his disciples passing a man who has been blind since birth. The disciples ask whose sin caused it. Jesus answers that neither the man nor his parents sinned, but that God’s works might be displayed in him. Then Jesus does something strange. He spits on the ground, makes mud, and smears it on the blind man’s eyes. That is the moment our verse picks up. Jesus tells the man to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam, a reservoir on the south-east side of Jerusalem. The Gospel writer pauses to translate the pool’s name: it means “Sent.” The man goes, washes, and comes back seeing. That simple act of obedience becomes the hinge of a story about who Jesus really is.
Key Words
The Greek word behind “Sent” is apestalmenos, from the verb apostellō, to send out with a purpose. It is the same root that gives us “apostle.” The pool’s name was a reminder that its water seemed to flow as though sent from God. But John wants us to see more: the pool points to Jesus himself, the One sent by the Father.
The word for “wash” here is nipsai, which means to wash a part of the body, usually the face or hands. It is the same word used when Jesus washes the disciples’ feet later in John. The blind man did not bathe his whole body. He washed his eyes, the very place Jesus had touched with mud.
And then the quiet final word: blepōn, “seeing.” The man who had never seen anything now could. The word means to perceive with the eyes, but it also carries a sense of understanding. He saw not just light and colour; he began to see who Jesus was.
How Christians Read This Verse
Many Christian traditions have read this moment as a test of faith. Wesley and Calvin both point out that the water had no healing power in itself; Jesus was asking the man to obey a seemingly pointless instruction, much like Naaman washing in the Jordan. The Cambridge Bible agrees and adds that the name “Sent” is no coincidence, John uses it as a signpost pointing to the One sent from the Father.
Others, like Matthew Henry, see the pool as a quiet symbol of Christ himself. Just as the water was supplied from a hidden source, Jesus comes from the Father to bring cleansing and sight. These views do not contradict each other. Together they remind us that ordinary obedience and deep meaning often meet in the same moment.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume the water of Siloam had special healing power, as if Jesus sent the man there because the pool was medicinal. In fact, none of the commentators affirm that. The water was ordinary. What changed everything was the man’s trust in the One who spoke. The healing came from Jesus, not the pool. The water was simply the place where obedience met his power.
Living This Out
This week, you may face a situation where following Jesus feels pointless or small. Maybe it is forgiving someone when you have no energy left. Maybe it is showing up at a church gathering or sitting down to pray when nothing seems to happen. The blind man could have argued. Mud on his eyes and a walk across town, what good could that do? But he went. He washed. And he saw.
You do not need to understand how God will work. You only need to do what he says. The seeing happens on the other side of obedience.
Main takeaway: The One sent from God gives sight to the blind, and he calls us to trust and obey his word, even when we cannot see the reason.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus put mud on a blind man’s eyes and told him to go wash in a pool. The man did what Jesus said, even though it seemed silly. When he washed, he could see! Jesus wants us to obey him, even when we don’t understand why.
For ages 9, 12
The pool where Jesus sent the man was called Siloam, which means “Sent.” That name was a clue: Jesus himself was sent from God. The man didn’t argue about the mud or the walk across town. He trusted Jesus and did what he was told. That kind of trust opens our eyes too, not always to physical sight, but to see who Jesus really is and what he can do in our lives.
Questions People Ask
Why did Jesus use mud to heal the blind man?
Jesus often used ordinary things to do his work. The mud showed that he is the Creator, the same God who formed man from dust (Genesis 2:7). It also tested the man’s faith. He had to trust that mud on his eyes was part of God’s plan.
Did the water in the Pool of Siloam have healing powers?
No. The water was ordinary. Many commentators note that the healing came from Jesus, not the pool. The washing was a step of obedience. Like Naaman washing in the Jordan River (2 Kings 5), the man showed he trusted Jesus’ word, and God honored that trust.
What does the name 'Siloam' or 'Sent' mean for the story?
John translates the name to help readers see a deeper connection. The pool’s name points to Jesus, the One sent by the Father. Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus often calls himself 'the One whom the Father sent.' The man went to a place called 'Sent' and was healed by the very Sent One who commanded him.
How is this story similar to Naaman’s healing in 2 Kings 5?
In both stories, a person with a physical need is told to wash in a specific body of water. Naaman was angry at first because the instruction seemed too simple. The blind man simply obeyed. Both were healed because they trusted the prophet’s word. The common lesson is that humble obedience opens the door for God’s power.
Was it a coincidence that the pool was called 'Sent'?
John does not think so. He deliberately includes the translation and places it in a chapter where Jesus repeatedly speaks of being sent by the Father. The pool’s name becomes a quiet sign: the water was not the healer; the One who sent the man to that water was the true 'Sent One.'
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study