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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - John 9:1-7

We have here sight given to a poor beggar that had been blind from his birth. Observe, I. The notice which our Lord Jesus took of the piteous case of this poor blind man (John 9:1): As Jesus passed by he saw a man which was blind from his birth. The first words seem to refer to the last of the foregoing chapter, and countenance the opinion of those who in the harmony place this story immediately after that. There it was said, paregen?he passed by, and here, without so much as repeating him... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 9:1-5

9:1-5 As Jesus was passing by, he saw a man who was blind from the day of his birth. "Rabbi." his disciples said to him, "who was it who sinned that he was born blind--this man or his parents?" "It was neither he nor his parents who sinned," answered Jesus, "but it happened that in him there might be a demonstration of what God can do. We must do the works of him who sent me while day lasts; the night is coming when no man is able to work. So long as I am in the world, I am the light of the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 9:1-5

In this passage there are two great eternal principles. (i) Jesus does not try to follow out or to explain the connection of sin and suffering. He says that this man's affliction came to him to give an opportunity of showing what God can do. There are two senses in which that is true. (a) For John the miracles are always a sign of the glory and the power of God. The writers of the other gospels had a different point of view; and regarded them as a demonstration of the compassion of Jesus.... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 9:1-41

Before we leave this very wonderful chapter we would do well to read it again, this time straight through from start to finish. If we do so read it with care and attention, we will see the loveliest progression in the blind man's idea of Jesus. It goes through three stages, each one higher than the last. (i) He began by calling Jesus a man. "A man that is called Jesus opened mine eyes" ( John 9:11 ). He began by thinking of Jesus as a wonderful man. He had never met anyone who could do... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 9:2

And his disciples asked him ,.... It may be that some of the twelve apostles, or others of his disciples, might put the following question to him on sight of this blind man, who by some means or another knew was born blind: saying, master, who did man, or his parents, that he was born blind ? the first of these questions, whether the man himself had sinned before he was born, which might be the occasion of his blindness, proceeds not upon the doctrine of original sin, though the Jews... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - John 9:2

Who did sin, this man, or his parents - The doctrine of the transmigration of souls appears to have been an article in the creed of the Pharisees, and it was pretty general both among the Greeks and the Asiatics. The Pythagoreans believed the souls of men were sent into other bodies for the punishment of some sin which they had committed in a pre-existent state. This seems to have been the foundation of the disciples question to our Lord. Did this man sin in a pre-existent state, that he is... 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

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

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