BOOK 43 OF 66 · GOSPELS · KING JAMES BIBLE

John 9

John book home•Chapter 9 of 21•41 verses

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John 9 Overview

Jesus heals a man blind from birth by making clay, anointing his eyes, and sending him to wash in Siloam. The healing occurs on the Sabbath and triggers repeated interrogations. The man moves from calling Jesus ‘a man’ to a prophet and finally to believing and worshiping Him, while the Pharisees’ confidence hardens into spiritual blindness.

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Before you read John 9

Coming from

John 8 ended with Jesus claiming divine preexistence and escaping an attempted stoning. John 9 immediately displays Him as the Light of the world giving sight.

In this chapter

A physical healing becomes a courtroom-like investigation in which the formerly blind man increasingly sees who Jesus is while the authorities refuse mounting evidence.

Leads into

John 10 develops the shepherd theme: Jesus is the door and the good shepherd who lays down His life, gives eternal life to His sheep, and keeps them securely in His hand and the Father’s hand.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Jesus rejects the disciples’ simplistic assumption that the man’s congenital blindness must be traceable to a specific sin by him or his parents. The chapter therefore warns against automatic cause-and-effect judgments about suffering.

The man’s understanding grows through the chapter. His statements should be read as progressive testimony, not as though he possesses complete Christology from verse 1.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Suffering cannot always be explained by a specific personal sin

Jesus refuses the disciples’ proposed explanation for the blindness.

Jesus gives both physical and spiritual sight

The healing becomes the setting for the man’s movement toward faith and worship.

Religious certainty can coexist with spiritual blindness

The leaders know their categories but repeatedly reject evidence before them.

Courage can grow through testimony

The healed man becomes increasingly bold as hostile questioning continues.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Isaiah 35:5

Opening blind eyes is part of prophetic restoration imagery.

Isaiah 42:6–7

The Servant is associated with opening blind eyes, reinforcing the sign’s messianic significance.

John 8:12

Jesus’ claim to be the Light of the world immediately precedes this enacted sign of light and sight.

2 Corinthians 4:4–6

Paul later uses blindness/light imagery for spiritual perception of Christ’s glory.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not tell suffering people their hardship must prove a specific hidden sin

Jesus explicitly rejects that conclusion here.

Do not make washing in Siloam a sacramental formula for salvation

The washing belongs to this healing sign; the chapter’s climactic spiritual response is belief in the Son of God.

Do not confuse the healed man’s developing statements with errors endorsed as final doctrine

The narrative intentionally shows growth in understanding.

Do not apply the leaders’ blindness as a blanket condemnation of all Pharisees or all Jews

The text focuses on specific opponents and responses.

Read John 9 watching for…

The disciples’ opening assumption about suffering.

Every stage in the healed man’s description of Jesus.

The role of the Sabbath controversy.

How the parents respond differently from their son.

The final contrast between sight and blindness.

Chapter outline4 sections

1-12Jesus gives sight to a man born blind 13-23The Pharisees question the healed man and his parents 24-34The healed man boldly testifies and is cast out 35-41Jesus reveals himself to the man and speaks of spiritual blindness

And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

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.

The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?

Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.

Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?

He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.

Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.

They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.

And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.

Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.

Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.

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.

And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?

His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:

But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.

These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.

Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.

He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?

He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?

Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.

We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.

The 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.

Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.

If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.

They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?

And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?

Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

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John 9:31

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