John 9:21

John 9:21 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself."
• New King James Version (NKJV)but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.”

Context of John 9:21

19They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 20His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but as to how he now sees, we do not know; or who has opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him [and stop asking us]; he is of age, he will speak for himself and give his own account of it.” 22His parents said this because they were afraid of [the leaders of] the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged Jesus to be the Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue (excommunicated). 23Because of this his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

John 9:21 word by word

πῶς δὲ νῦν βλέπει οὐκ οἴδαμεν, ἢ τίς ἤνοιξεν αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἡμεῖς οὐκ οἴδαμεν· αὐτὸν ἐρωτήσατε, ἡλικίαν ἔχει· αὐτὸς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λαλήσει.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• by what meansπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• heβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
• we knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• notοὐou · noG3756
• orἤē · orG2228
• whoτίςtis · which?G5101
• hath openedἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• eyesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• eyesὀφθαλμόςophthalmos · eyeG3788
• weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• is ofἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• ageἡλικίαhēlikia · age/heightG2244
• askἐρωτάωerōtaō · to askG2065
• shall speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• forπερίperi · aboutG4012
• himselfαὑτοῦhautou · /him/herselfG848

Commentaries on John 9:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21He is of age - ̔ , literally, he has stature, i.e. he is a full-grown man; and in this sense the phrase is used by the best Greek writers. See Kypke and Raphelius. Mature age was fixed among the Jews at thirty years.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20-22Verses 20-22 His parents answered … - To the first two questions they answered without hesitation. They knew that he was their son, and that he was born blind. The third question they could not positively answer, as they had not witnessed the means of the cure, and were afraid to express their belief. It appears that they had themselves no doubt, but they were not eye-witnesses, and could not be therefore legal evidence. He is of age - He is of sufficient…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-23Verses 18-23 The Pharisees vainly hoped to disprove this notable miracle. They expected a Messiah, but could not bear to think that this Jesus should be he, because his precepts were all contrary to their traditions, and because they expected a Messiah in outward pomp and splendour. The fear of man brings a snare, Pr 29:25, and often makes people deny and disown Christ and his truths and ways, and act against their consciences. The unlearned and poor, who…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-22His parents confirmed that their son had been born blind, but they hesitated to judge how he could see because they were afraid of the social consequences.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2318-23. the Jews did not believe ... he had been born blind ... till they called the parents of him that had received his sight--Foiled by the testimony of the young man himself, they hope to throw doubt on the fact by close questioning his parents, who, perceiving the snare laid for them, ingeniously escape it by testifying simply to the identity of their son, and his birth-blindness, leaving it to himself, as a competent witness, to speak as to the cure…Read the comment

Topics related to John 9:21

• Converts
• Faith
• Opinion, Public
• Sabbath

In the dictionaries

• Age
• Agree
• Anoint
• Ask
• Age; Old Age
• Beg; Beggar; Begging
• How
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of
• Mean

Commentaries on John 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings