JHN 9:13-34

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

13They brought to the Pharisees the one who had been blind. [9:14] Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. [9:15] So again the Pharisees were also asking him how he received sight. And he said to them: "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." [9:16] Some of the Pharisees therefore said: "This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath." But others said: "How is a sinful man able to perform such signs?" And there was a division among them. [9:17] So they say to the blind man again: "What do you say about him, seeing that he opened your eyes?" And he said: "He is a prophet." [9:18] The Jews therefore did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the one who had received sight. [9:19] And they asked them, saying: "Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" [9:20] His parents answered and said: "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. [9:21] 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 concerning himself." [9:22] His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed him as Christ, that person would be expelled from the synagogue. [9:23] This is why his parents said: "He is of age; ask him." [9:24] So they called the man who had been blind a second time and said to him: "Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner." [9:25] He then answered: "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know: that being blind I now see." [9:26] They said to him: "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" [9:27] He answered them: "I already told you and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You do not also want to become his disciples, do you?" [9:28] And they reviled him and said: "You are a disciple of that man, but we are disciples of Moses. [9:29] We know that God has spoken to Moses. As for this man, we do not know where he is from." [9:30] The man answered and said to them: "Why, this is the remarkable thing — that you do not know where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes! [9:31] We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a God-fearer and does his will, this one he hears. [9:32] From of old it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind. [9:33] If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything." [9:34] They answered and said to him: "You were born entirely in sin, and you are teaching us?" And they cast him out.

In the world it was spoken into

In 1st-century Jewish society, the Sabbath was a cornerstone of religious observance, governed by strict halakhic interpretations. The Pharisees, as guardians of these traditions, were deeply invested in maintaining Sabbath purity. Healing on the Sabbath was contentious, as it could be classified as 'work,' a violation of Sabbath law. The man’s healing by Jesus, involving the use of clay, would have been seen as doubly problematic—not only was it a Sabbath act, but it also resembled labor (kneading clay). The Pharisees’ division reflects internal tensions between strict legalists and those open to miraculous signs as evidence of divine favor. The term (hamartōlos) carried moral and religious weight, implying a person outside God’s favor, while (aposynagōgos) denoted excommunication, a severe penalty that severed one from communal and religious life. The debate over Jesus’ authority highlights the Pharisees’ struggle to reconcile their legal framework with the possibility of divine intervention.

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How other translations render this

JHN 9:13

KJV: They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
BSB: They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.
Koinōnos: They brought to the Pharisees the one who had been blind.

JHN 9:14

KJV: And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
BSB: Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath.
Koinōnos: Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.

JHN 9:15

KJV: 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.
BSB: So the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. The man answered, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
Koinōnos: So again the Pharisees were also asking him how he received sight. And he said to them: "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.

JHN 9:16

KJV: 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.
BSB: Because of this, some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was division among them.
Koinōnos: Some of the Pharisees therefore said: "This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath." But others said: "How is a sinful man able to perform such signs?" And there was a division among them.

JHN 9:17

KJV: They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
BSB: So once again they asked the man who had been blind, “What do you say about Him, since it was your eyes He opened?” “He is a prophet,” the man replied.
Koinōnos: So they say to the blind man again: "What do you say about him, seeing that he opened your eyes?" And he said: "He is a prophet.

JHN 9:18

KJV: 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.
BSB: The Jews still did not believe that the man had been blind and had received his sight until they summoned his parents
Koinōnos: The Jews therefore did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the one who had received sight.

JHN 9:19

KJV: And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
BSB: and asked, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? So how is it that he can now see?”
Koinōnos: And they asked them, saying: "Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How then does he now see?

JHN 9:20

KJV: His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
BSB: His parents answered, “We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind.
Koinōnos: His parents answered and said: "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

JHN 9:21

KJV: 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.
BSB: But how he can now see or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.”
Koinōnos: 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 concerning himself.

JHN 9:22

KJV: 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.
BSB: His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already determined that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.
Koinōnos: His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed him as Christ, that person would be expelled from the synagogue.

JHN 9:23

KJV: Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
BSB: That was why his parents said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
Koinōnos: This is why his parents said: "He is of age; ask him.

JHN 9:24

KJV: 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.
BSB: So a second time they called for the man who had been blind and said, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.”
Koinōnos: So they called the man who had been blind a second time and said to him: "Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner.

JHN 9:25

KJV: 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.
BSB: He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!”
Koinōnos: He then answered: "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know: that being blind I now see.

JHN 9:26

KJV: Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
BSB: “What did He do to you?” they asked. “How did He open your eyes?”
Koinōnos: They said to him: "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?

JHN 9:27

KJV: 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?
BSB: He 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?”
Koinōnos: He answered them: "I already told you and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You do not also want to become his disciples, do you?

JHN 9:28

KJV: Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples.
BSB: Then they heaped insults on him and said, “You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses.
Koinōnos: And they reviled him and said: "You are a disciple of that man, but we are disciples of Moses.

JHN 9:29

KJV: We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
BSB: We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this man is from.”
Koinōnos: We know that God has spoken to Moses. As for this man, we do not know where he is from.

JHN 9:30

KJV: 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.
BSB: “That is remarkable indeed!” the man said. “You do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes.
Koinōnos: The man answered and said to them: "Why, this is the remarkable thing — that you do not know where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes!

JHN 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.
BSB: We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.
Koinōnos: We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a God-fearer and does his will, this one he hears.

JHN 9:32

KJV: Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
BSB: Never before has anyone heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
Koinōnos: From of old it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind.

JHN 9:33

KJV: If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
BSB: If this man were not from God, He could do no such thing.”
Koinōnos: If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.

JHN 9:34

KJV: They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
BSB: They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.
Koinōnos: They answered and said to him: "You were born entirely in sin, and you are teaching us?" And they cast him out.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

JHN 9:16

is able:The word translated 'is able' here is actually the word for 'sinner' or 'sinful person.' The Pharisees are questioning how a sinful person could perform such a sign.

JHN 9:22

expelled from the synagogue:The phrase 'expelled from the synagogue' refers to a formal excommunication, a severe social and religious penalty that cut a person off from their community.

JHN 9:24

glory:The word translated 'glory' here carries the sense of giving public recognition and honor to God, acknowledging His power and truth.

JHN 9:31

anyone:The word translated 'anyone' here specifically refers to a 'God-fearer' or a 'devout person,' someone who reveres and worships God.