John 9:1-3

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - John 9:1

Verse 1 1.Jesus saw a man blind. In this chapter, the Evangelist describes the restoration of sight to the blind man, at the same time mingling doctrine, to point out the fruit of the miracle. From his birth. This circumstance gives an additional display of the power of Christ; for blindness, which he had brought from his mother’s womb, and which he had endured till he arrived at the age of a man, could not be cured by human remedies. This gave occasion to the disciples to propose a question,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - John 9:2

Verse 2 2.Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man, or his parents? In the first place, as Scripture testifies that all the sufferings to which the human race is liable proceed from sin, whenever we see any person wretched, we cannot prevent the thought from immediately presenting itself to our minds, that the distresses which fall heavily upon him are punishments inflicted by the hand of God. But here we commonly err in three ways. First, while every man is ready to censure others with extreme... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - John 9:3

Verse 3 3.Neither did this man sin, nor his parents. Christ does not absolutely say that the blind man, and his parents, were free from all blame; but he declares that we ought not to seek the cause of the blindness in sin. And this is what I have already said, that God has sometimes another object in view than to punish the sins of men, when he sends afflictions to them. Consequently, when the causes of afflictions are concealed, we ought to restrain curiosity, that we may neither dishonor God... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 9:1

And —the καί suggests relation both in subject-matter, in time, place, occasion, and theme, with that which had preceded— as Jesus was passing by, going along his way, he saw a man blind from birth (cf. ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτοῦ , Acts 3:2 ; Acts 14:8 ). He was obviously a well-known beggar, who had often proclaimed the fact that he was blind from birth (see John 9:8 ). Such a condition and history rendered the cure more difficult and hopeless in the view of ordinary ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 9:1-3

Manifesting the works of God. Jesus had just been, as we should reckon, in danger. If a furious crowd had taken up stones to cast at us, we should have been too much concerned for our safety to notice people by the way. Of course Jesus was in no real danger. His time was not yet come. His whole demeanor was worthy of the sublime utterance, "Before Abraham was, I am." Notice— I. WHAT SORT OF OBJECT ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF JESUS . A blind man, blind from birth, so... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 9:1-7

(8) The Lord confirms by a sign the declaration that he is the Light of the world , by giving eyesight as well as light . That which had been proclaimed as a great truth of his Being and mission, viz. that he was the Light of the world, was now to be established and confirmed to the disciples by a signal miracle. The "higher criticism" finds explanation of this and other similar miracles at Bethsaida and Jericho, in the prophecy of Isaiah 42:19 ; Isaiah 43:8 ; Isaiah 35:5 ; ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 9:1-7

The blind man and the sight-giving Savior. Notice this blind man— I. IN RELATION TO THE DISCIPLES . 1. To them he was a notorious object of retributive justice . His blindness they regarded as a special punishment for some particular sin; they looked upon him, as Lot's wife of old, as a standing monument of iniquity, only with this difference, he was alive, bearing his punishment on this side. Their notion is, upon the whole, correct. Sin is punished, and sometimes... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 9:1-12

Cure of the man born blind. This new miracle caused a fresh outburst of Jewish hatred against our Lord. Of the six miracles of blindness recorded in the Gospels, this only is a case of blindness from birth. I. THE CURIOUS QUESTION OF THE DISCIPLES . "Master, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?" 1. Their conviction was that affliction was in all cases the consequence of sin . II. OUR LORD 'S ANSWER TO THEIR QUESTION .... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 9:1-41

The removal of the closing words of John 8:59 from the text as a gloss, favors a pause between the attempt to stone Jesus and the miracle. Lange has the inconsistent remark that the παράγων is "the participle of the preceding though doubtful παρῆγεν ." If it were a gloss, the παρῆγεν had been introduced by some copyist from the παράγων , and therefore the latter can derive no meaning from the former. Admitting the spuriousness of the gloss, the connection between the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 9:1-41

The passage of a soul from darkness into light. This graphic and dramatic narrative begins with the healing of a bodily privation by the exercise el Christ's miraculous power. But its chief interest lies in the spiritual process which it unfolds. It relates how a young man, poor and blind, but intelligent, candid, and brave, received spiritual as well as bodily illumination, and how he displayed insight in apprehending Christ's character, courage in resisting Christ's adversaries, and ... read more

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