Spiritual Sight and Blindness
John 9:35-41
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John.9.35 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ηκουσεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- Ιησους: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- οτι: CONJ
- εξεβαλον: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- εξω: ADV
- και: CONJ
- ευρων: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,sg,m
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- ειπεν·Συ: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- πιστευεις: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- εις: PREP
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- υιον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- ανθρωπου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Matthew 16:15-16 (structural): Jesus poses a question about his identity to elicit a confession (“Who do you say that I am?”), paralleling John 9:35’s question that draws out faith in the Son of Man.
- Matthew 9:28-29 (verbal): Before restoring sight Jesus asks for the blind men’s belief (“Do you believe that I am able to do this?”), closely paralleling the verbal link between healing and a prompt to faith in John 9:35.
- Mark 10:49-52 (thematic): The healing of Bartimaeus: Jesus calls out the blind man, questions him, heals him, and the man follows—paralleling Jesus finding the cast-out blind man, questioning him about belief, and eliciting faith.
- John 9:36-38 (structural): Immediate continuation of the pericope: the healed man asks who Jesus is, confesses belief (‘Lord, I believe’), and worships—directly completes the exchange begun in 9:35.
- John 20:31 (thematic): The Johannine purpose statement stresses belief in Jesus as the Messiah/Son of God; John 9:35’s question about belief in the Son of Man echoes this central Johannine theme.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and finding him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
- Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
John.9.36 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- απεκριθη: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,sg
- εκεινος: PRON,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- ειπεν·Και: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,?
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- κυριε: NOUN,voc,sg,m
- ινα: CONJ
- πιστευσω: VERB,aor,act,subj,1,sg
- εις: PREP
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Acts 9:5 (verbal): Saul asks the risen Lord, 'Who are you, Lord?'—the same direct question of identity addressed to 'Lord,' prompting revelation of the speaker's identity.
- Matthew 11:3 (cf. Luke 7:19-20) (thematic): John the Baptist's disciples ask, 'Are you the one who is to come?'—a request for confirmation of Jesus' messianic identity as the basis for belief, parallel to the blind man's request to know whom to trust.
- John 11:27 (thematic): Martha's confession, 'I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,' functions as the affirmative counterpart to the blind man's question—belief based on recognizing Jesus' identity.
- John 6:69 (thematic): Peter's declaration, 'We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God,' echoes the theme of coming to belief through knowing who Jesus is.
- John 20:28 (structural): Thomas' confession 'My Lord and my God!' follows revelation and sight; structurally similar as a movement from uncertainty/question to explicit acknowledgment of Jesus' identity.
Alternative generated candidates
- He answered, "And who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?"
- He answered, "Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?"
John.9.37 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους·Και: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- εωρακας: VERB,perf,act,ind,2,sg
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- λαλων: VERB,pres,act,ptc,nom,sg,m
- μετα: PREP
- σου: PRON,gen,sg,2
- εκεινος: PRON,nom,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- John 4:26 (verbal): Jesus openly identifies himself to the Samaritan woman — “I who speak to you am he” — a near-verbal parallel of naming the speaker as the one the listener has seen.
- John 9:38 (structural): Immediate narrative sequel: the healed man's confession (“Lord, I believe”) follows Jesus’ identification, linking recognition of Jesus’ person with faith and worship.
- John 18:5-6 (verbal): When Jesus responds “I am” to the arresting party, his self-identification elicits a strong reaction; parallels the force and significance of Jesus’ identificatory speech in John 9:37.
- John 20:16 (thematic): Mary Magdalene recognizes Jesus by his voice and addresses him by name, illustrating the theme of personal recognition of the speaker as Jesus found also in John 9:37.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking with you."
- Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking with you."
John.9.38 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- εφη·Πιστευω: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg+VERB,pres,act,ind,1,sg
- κυριε·και: NOUN,voc,sg,m+CONJ
- προσεκυνησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
Parallels
- John 20:28 (verbal): Thomas's confession 'My Lord and my God!' parallels the blind man's explicit belief and act of worship, both recognizing and addressing Jesus with titles that warrant worship.
- Matthew 2:11 (thematic): The Magi 'fell down and worshiped' Jesus; like the healed blind man, Gentile and humble figures respond to revelation of Jesus by worshiping him.
- Matthew 16:16 (thematic): Peter's confession 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God' parallels the blind man's verbal profession of faith—both are declarations identifying Jesus' true identity.
- Luke 24:52 (structural): The disciples' worship of Jesus after his resurrection mirrors the narrative role of worship in John—recognition of Jesus' identity (here by the healed man) leads to worship.
- Romans 10:9 (thematic): Paul's formulation linking confession and belief ('if you confess... and believe') echoes the connection in John 9:38 between spoken faith ('I believe, Lord') and the response of worship.
Alternative generated candidates
- He said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.
- He said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.
John.9.39 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους·Εις: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- κριμα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- εγω: PRON,nom,sg,1
- εις: PREP
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- κοσμον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- τουτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- ηλθον: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- ινα: CONJ
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- μη: PART
- βλεποντες: PART,pres,act,nom,pl,m
- βλεπωσιν: VERB,pres,act,subj,3,pl
- και: CONJ
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- βλεποντες: PART,pres,act,nom,pl,m
- τυφλοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- γενωνται: VERB,aor,mid,subj,3,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 6:9-10 (quotation): Isaiah's oracle about people who 'hear but do not understand, see but do not perceive' is the foundational text underlying Jesus' statement that some will 'see' and others become 'blind.'
- Matthew 13:14-15 (quotation): Jesus' parable explanation cites Isaiah 6:9-10 (same language of seeing without perceiving), paralleling John 9:39's theme of revelation producing both insight and judicial hardening.
- John 12:40 (verbal): John explicitly cites Isaiah 6:10 about hardened eyes and blind hearts; this verse expresses the same Johannine theme of divine judgment resulting in spiritual blindness for some.
- Isaiah 42:7 (thematic): A messianic promise that the servant will 'open the eyes of the blind' resonates with Jesus' mission to give sight to the blind (both physical and spiritual), the positive side of John 9's contrast.
- Acts 26:18 (thematic): Paul's commission 'to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light' echoes the evangelistic and revelatory aim implicit in Jesus' statement that some will gain sight through his coming.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that the blind may see and those who see may become blind."
- Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind."
John.9.40 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ηκουσαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- εκ: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- Φαρισαιων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- ταυτα: PRON,acc,pl,n
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- μετ᾽αυτου: PREP+PRON,gen,sg,m
- οντες: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- ειπον: VERB,aor,act,ind,1,sg
- αυτω·Μη: PRON,dat,sg,m+PART
- και: CONJ
- ημεις: PRON,nom,pl,1
- τυφλοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- εσμεν: VERB,pres,act,ind,1,pl
Parallels
- John 9:39 (structural): Immediate context: Jesus speaks of coming to judgment so that the blind may see and the seeing become blind, prompting the Pharisees' question in 9:40.
- John 9:41 (structural): Direct continuation: Jesus answers the Pharisees' question, explaining that their claim of sight exposes their sin—completing the exchange begun in 9:40.
- Matthew 23:16 (verbal): Jesus repeatedly calls the religious leaders 'blind' or 'blind guides' (cf. 'blind' language applied to Pharisees), echoing the accusation behind the Pharisees' retort in John 9:40.
- Isaiah 6:9-10 (quotation): OT prophecy about people seeing without understanding and hearing without perceiving is quoted/applied in the Gospels to explain spiritual blindness—background for the exchange about blindness in John 9.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4 (thematic): Paul speaks of spiritual blindness (the god of this age blinding unbelievers' minds), paralleling the New Testament theme that physical sight can coincide with spiritual blindness as debated in John 9.
Alternative generated candidates
- Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words and said to him, "Are we also blind?"
- Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words. They said to him, "Are we also blind?"
John.9.41 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις: PRO,dat,pl,3
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους·Ει: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- τυφλοι: ADJ,nom,pl,masc
- ητε: VERB,impf,act,ind,2,pl
- ουκ: PART,neg
- αν: PART
- ειχετε: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,pl
- αμαρτιαν·νυν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- δε: CONJ
- λεγετε: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,pl
- οτι: CONJ
- Βλεπομεν·η: VERB,pres,act,ind,1,pl
- αμαρτια: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- υμων: PRON,gen,pl,2
- μενει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- John 9:39 (verbal): Immediate parallel in the same chapter: Jesus contrasts the blind who will see with those who claim to see and thus become blind (same blind/seeing reversal and judgment motif).
- John 3:19-21 (thematic): Light/darkness theme: people who do evil avoid the light and will not 'see' the truth—parallels the claim 'we see' while sin remains.
- John 12:40 (quotation): John cites Isaiah to explain spiritual blindness and hardened hearts as judgment—provides prophetic basis for the idea that claiming sight can coincide with culpable blindness.
- Isaiah 6:9-10 (quotation): Prophetic source quoted elsewhere in John: God’s word about people hearing yet not understanding, seeing yet not perceiving parallels Jesus' charge that their sin remains despite claiming sight.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4 (thematic): Paul’s language about the 'god of this age' blinding unbelievers echoes the New Testament theme of spiritual inability to see gospel truth despite outward appearance of insight.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see'—therefore your sin remains."
- Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains."
Jesus, having heard that they had cast him out, found him and said, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?'
He answered, 'Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?'
Jesus said to him, 'You have seen him; he is the one who is speaking with you.'
He said, 'Lord, I believe,' and he worshiped him.
Jesus said, 'I came into this world for judgment—so that the blind may see, and those who see may become blind.'
Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words and said to him, 'Are we blind also?'
Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now that you say, "We see," your sin remains.'