59 Then took they up stones to | his birth. cast at him but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. CHAPTER IX. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: AND as Jesus passed by, he saw but that the works of God should a man which was blind from that he was a mere man, born as others, and that he had no conscious existence until nearly two thousand years after Abraham was born and gathered again to his fathers. Certainly, the most natural interpretation is, that he existed before Abraham. It is idle to give the word before the sense of superior, which it sometimes has; for, in this sense, the reply of Jesus would have no perceivable relation to the question of the Jews, which related entirely to time, not to rank or dignity. 59. Took they up stones, &c. They made another attempt to kill him; this time in a riotous and tumultuous manner. John v. 16. Hid himself. Probably, he mingled with the crowd, and thus escaped the rage of his adversaries. When he had finished his work, John xvii. 4, and xix. 30, he yielded himself to death, John x. 17, 18. But, until that time, he used the means for its preservation, which God had given him. Thus also may his followers have suitable regard for their lives, so long as they believe their continuance on the earth may be pleasing to God and profitable to mankind. CHAPTER IX. 1. As Jesus passed by. "That is, one day as he was going through the streets of Jerusalem. It seems not to have been on the day when he went out of the temple, as he is said to have done in ch. viii. 59.”—Pearce. be made manifest in him. Jewish writings proof that they also believed that infants might commit sin before they were born. It was, moreover, a common opinion that defects of body, and diseases generally, were occasioned by sin. So that the question of the disciples may be understood thus: Is this man's blindness the result of his parents' sin, or of his own before he was born? Pearce interprets somewhat differently. On the presumption that the disciples did not then know that the man was born blind, he understands their question thus: Has this man brought blindness upon himself by his own sins, or was he born blind as the punishment of his parents' sins? 3. Neither hath this man sinned, &c. Of course, our Lord's language is to be interpreted with reference to the subject to which it was applied. He did not intend to say the blind man and his parents were free from all sin; for no man liveth and sinneth not. 1 Kings viii. 46; Rom. iii. 10-23; 1 John i. 8— 10. His meaning evidently is, that the blindness was not occasioned by the sin of the individual who was thus afflicted, nor by the sin of his parents. It may be observed, that our Lord did not judge it necessary to combat the erroneous opinions entertained on this subject, in detail; he left the reformation, in this case, as in many others, to be wrought by the gradual operation of the principles of truth which he firmly established. Hence he did not affirm that no man was born blind because his parents had sinned, nor even that no 2. Who did sin, &c. "It was a received doctrine in the Jewish schools, that children, according to some wick-man committed sin before he was born; edness of their parents, were born lame, but, confining his remark to this single or crooked, or maimed, or defective in case, he said this blindness was not the some of their parts, &c.; by which they result of sin. It may also be observed, kept their parents in awe, lest they that, although diseases are frequently should grow remiss and negligent in induced by the sinful indulgences and the performance of some rites, which practices of men, and though blindness, had respect to their being clean, such as or an affection of the other senses, may washings and purifyings, &c."-Light-result from the same cause, yet such is foot. The same author quotes from not always the occasion of the maladies 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. and deprivations which affect the human race. So that it is by no means a safe rule, to estimate the purity of a man's heart by the soundness of his body or the perfection of his limbs. That the works of God. Probably special allusion is had to the miraculous power which was so soon to be displayed in opening the blind eyes. But, in a more general sense, it might be said that God permitted the blindness, that his power and grace might be manifested, in protecting and blessing one in such a help less condition. For it is to be remembered, that, by what is sometimes called the law of compensation, what a man is deprived of on the one hand by the providence of God, is made good to him on the other; as, for example, when sight is destroyed, the hearing and feeling generally become more acute. 4. I must work the works, &c. I must perform the work which God hath given me to do. John xvii. 4. I must relieve the distressed, and manifest the gracious and benevolent character of him who sent me. While it is day. Literally, the day is the appropriate season for labor; and the night, for rest and refreshment. But the phrase is here used figuratively; and the meaning is, I must be diligent in my Father's service while I live on the earth. For the night cometh, &c. The time of my departure is at hand, after which I can no longer personally engage in such labor. It were well, if we were all alike conscious of our obligation to accomplish the greatest possible amount of good while we live. We must soon go hence, to be here no more; and though we may then enjoy God's mercies, we cannot be engaged in the service and for the benefit of men. 5. I am the light of the world. See notes on Matt. v. 14; John i. 9. The beams from this great moral luminary were more direct, while he remained on earth, than when reflected from his satellites or apostles. In a peculiar sense, therefore, he was the light of the world, while he remained on earth. Compare John xvii. 11-13. 6 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, 7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is, 6. Made clay, &c. It must be remembered, that this was on the sabbath, ver. 14. The Jews fancied that spittle was a good medicine for the eyes; but, among other ridiculous trifles by which they encumbered the law, they held its application on the sabbath to be unlawful. Hence, it has been observed, that Jesus "does not heal this sick man with a word, as he did others; but chooseth to do a thing which was against their canonical observation of the sabbath. While he mingles spittle with the dust, and of that makes a clay to anoint the eyes of the blind man, he thereby avoideth the suspicion of using any kind of charm; and gives rather a demonstration of his own divine power, when he heals by a method contrary to nature; for clay laid upon the eyes, we might believe, should rather put out the eyes of one that sees, than restore sight to one that had been blind. Yea, and further, he gave demonstration of the divine authority he himself had over the sabbath, when he heals upon that day, by the use of means which had been peculiarly prohibited to be used in it."Light foot. The attentive reader of the scriptures cannot fail to have observed, that an unusually large proportion of our Lord's miracles were wrought on the sabbath-days; partly, perhaps, because on those days a larger concourse of people ordinarily assembled, and partly, I imagine, for the express purpose of convincing the punctilious Pharisees and scribes that no day was too sacred for works of benevolence and charity; that to relieve the distresses of men was more acceptable to God than the tithing of mint and anise, or the sacrifice of whole burnt-offerings. God desireth mercy rather than sacrifice, Matt. xii. 7. 7. Pool of Siloam. This pool was visited in 1832, by Messrs. Fisk and King, who thus describe it: "near the south-east corner of the city, [Jerusalem,] at the foot of Zion and Moriah, is the pool of Siloah, (see Neh. iii. 15,) whose waters flow with gentle murmur from under the holy mountain by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. 8 The neighbours, therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? 11 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. 12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know 9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him but he said, not. : I am he. 10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? of Zion, or rather from under Ophel, having Zion on the west, and Moriah on the north. The very fountain issues from a rock, twenty or thirty feet below the surface of the ground, to which we descended by two flights of steps. Here it flows out without a single murmur, and appears clear as crystal. From this place it winds its way several rods under the mountain, then makes its appearance with gentle gurgling, and, forming a beautiful rill, takes its way down into the valley, towards the southeast. We drank of the water, both at the fountain and from the stream, and found it soft, of a sweetish taste, and pleasant." Sent. Perhaps so called, as it was regarded as a blessing sent from God. It must not be forgotten that, in Palestine, fountains of living water, or natural springs, were very scarce. Washed, and came seeing. It cannot be supposed that sight was restored by any inherent virtue in the water, any more than by the clay made of dust and spittle. But trial was made of the man's faith, and it was manifested that the divine energy is not limited to any one manner of operation. It can heal by a touch, by a word, by the use of apparently ineffectual means, or otherwise, as God pleases. See 2 Kings v. 10-14; Luke xvii. 14. 8-12. The neighbors, &c. The number of blind persons in a community is comparatively so small, that their condition attracts the attention even of those who have no particular acquaintance with them. The neighbors, or those who frequently see them, recognize them as blind persons, though perhaps they have no further knowledge concerning them. Some said, others said,&c. So great was the change wrought in him, that his neighbors were doubtful as to his identity. They 13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. 14 And it was the sabbath-day had seen him as he sat and begged, and perhaps had given alms to him. When they saw him enjoying sight, some doubted whether he were the person whom they had before known. Such doubts were perfectly natural, and perfectly consistent with the slight acquaintance they had with the subject of this miraculous cure. ¶ How were thine eyes opened? Upon his declaration that he was the very person whom they had known as a blind beggar, they naturally inquired by what means his sight had been restored. In reply, he stated what Jesus had said and done to him. He did not attempt to describe the matter further than the facts were obvious. He knew he was healed, and rejoiced in the blessing, ver. 25; the process by which the means were rendered effectual, he did not profess to explain. Where is he? They desired to see the person who had wrought such a cure: as some think, for the purpose of rebuking him or accusing him to the rulers for having violated the sabbath, ver. 14; but it may be doubted whether such intention is distinctly apparent in the narrative. For ought which appears to the contrary, they may have been inclined to believe that a person who could perform such a miracle, even though he had done it on the sabbath, must be a good man, ver. 16. 13. Brought to the Pharisees, &c. That is, to the Sanhedrim, which, being composed at that time almost exclusively of that sect, is frequently called simply Pharisees by this evangelist. Before that tribunal they carried him that had been blind, either to furnish proof that Jesus had violated the sabbath, or, perhaps more probably, to have the fact of the cure fully and publicly established, so that it might be known that a mighty prophet had appeared. when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. 15 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. 16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath-day. Others said, How can a 14. It was the sabbath-day, &c. On which day, the Pharisees held it unlawful to heal diseases, though they did not scruple to perform menial labor for the convenience of their beasts and the preservation of their property. Matt. xii. 10-12; Luke xiii. 15. 15. Asked him how, &c. At first, they did not deny the fact, as afterwards, ver. 18; but inquired by what means his sight had been restored. 16. Is not of God. He is not a true prophet, or friend of God. God would not send one, to violate his commandments. They took a one-sided view of the question altogether. Assuming that their own views concerning the sabbath were correct, they decided at once that any violation of its customary observance was sufficient evidence of sinfulness, without considering the purpose of the alleged violation. Had they reasoned otherwise, from the manifest fact that a blessing had been miraculously bestowed in relieving a fellow-mortal from a sore calamity, they might have concluded that Jesus was a lover of God and a friend of man. Thus widely do men often err from the truth, by regarding their own opinions as a sort of supreme tribunal, by which all other opinions and practices are to be pronounced right or wrong; they do not candidly and carefully examine questions in all their bearings; but upon this single point, of agreement or disagreement with their preconceived fancies, they approve or condemn without hesitation. Others said, &c. Either of the Sanhedrim or of the by-standers. Some were unwilling to adopt this summary process of deciding the matter. They suggested another and a very important consideration. How can a man that is a sinner, &c. Theirs was certainly the better argument; indeed, it was unanswerable; and the bigoted man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. 17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet. 18 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 Pharisees did not even attempt to answer it. And when it was enforced, more at large, by the man himself who had been blind, instead of any pretence even of answering, they gave vent to their chagrin and rage by casting him out of the synagogue, loaded with reproaches, ver. 30-34. TA division. Neither party was ready to yield. Prejudice and pride of opinion rendered the Pharisees obstinate; and the others could not resist the impression made on their minds by such a manifest display of divine power. 17. What sayest thou of him? &c. Campbell translates, "What sayest thou of him for giving thee sight?" and adds, "The expression in the English translation does not convey the meaning so distinctly as could be wished. The sense is well expressed by Hammond, in his paraphrase: What opinion of him hath this work of power and mercy to thee, wrought in thee?" ¶ He is a prophet. The plain common sense of this man enabled him to grasp the truth, which the more subtle Pharisees missed by their wire-drawn theories. Without troubling himself with their nice distinctions concerning works which might or might not be innocently performed on the sabbath, he concluded, and rightly too, that no one could perform such a miracle as had been wrought on himself, unless God were with him. John iii. 2. The process of thought, by which he arrived at this conclusion, is displayed in ver. 30-33. 18. Did not believe, &c. This, I think, should be understood to mean, that they would not acknowledge their belief; that is, they pretended not to believe. At the first, they did not deny the fact; and why should they? They had witnessed similar miracles of Jesus. Their pretence of unbelief was an afterthought. Finding that some of the people were had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? How then doth he now see? 20 His parents answered them, and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind : 21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he not satisfied with their decision that Jesus was a sinner, ver. 16, and that the man himself was deeply impressed by the miracle, ver. 17, they now attempted to discredit the whole matter, by causing the people to believe that the man had never been blind, but had fabricated this story for sinister purposes. Called the parents. Intending to entrap them in such manner as to fasten a falsehood on them or their son, if possible, and so persuade the people that the whole affair was a mere trick and imposition. 19. Asked them, &c. They first demanded to know if this were their son; then, if they would affirm that he was born blind; and finally, that they should describe the manner of his cure. On some of these points, the Pharisees hoped to extort contradictory testimony. If the parents would disown him as a son, or assert that he was not born blind, he would at once be proved an impostor; but their hope probably had its chief foundation upon the result of the last question,-how he obtained sight. Possibly, the parents might say he had been healed by medical treatment; or, if they supposed the cure was miraculous, they might describe it in a somewhat different manner, omitting or adding some circumstances, from which an appearance of contraIdiction might be skilfully drawn, and the people be persuaded to disbelieve the story altogether. 20, 21. His parents answered, &c. They answered wisely; stating what they knew to be facts, but forbearing to say anything of which they had not personal knowledge. They affirmed that this was actually their son, and that he was born blind. So much they knew; and thus far they fully confirmed his testimony. ¶ But by what means, &c. Very probably, the news of their : is of age; ask him he shall speak for himself. 22 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. 23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. 24 Then again called they the son's restoration to sight had reached them, though it does not appear that he had yet seen them. But whether the marvellous story had been told to them by him or by others, they wisely and prudently, see ver. 22, declined to repeat it, as the events were not within their own knowledge. He is of age. That is, he is of sufficient age to give testimony. And he was the proper person to testify; for he alone, of those then present, had personal knowledge of the facts. 22. Because they feared, &c. They saw their danger, and therefore were more guarded in their testimony. The actual danger was twofold. If they had said anything which could be tortured into a contradiction of their son, his whole story would have been rejected as false, and additional prejudice excited against Jesus. But what they most feared was the danger of excommunication, or exclusion from the synagogue; for they knew the Pharisees had already determined thus to punish those who should confess that Jesus was the Christ. Unhappily, the example of the Pharisees has been much too closely imitated by many professed Christians, who, as the readiest and most effectual method of smothering the truth, have excommunicated them who openly avowed it. 24. Then again called they, &c. When their effort to impeach the testimony concerning the miracle was foiled by the cautious prudence of the witnesses, they resumed their former position, acknowledging the cure of the blindness, but denying that the miracle afforded any evidence that Jesus was sent of God. Give God the praise. The praise belongs to God for all which we enjoy; for every good gift and every perfect gift cometh from him. James i. 17. But this was not what the Pharisees in |