“Where is He?” they asked. “I do not know,” he answered.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then they asked him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.”
- KJV Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
- NKJV Then they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”
- NASB And they said to him, “Where is He?” He *said, “I do not know.”
- NLT “Where is he now?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he replied.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Asked where Jesus is, the man honestly says he does not know. He testifies truthfully even about the limits of his knowledge.
Overview
The man admits he cannot say where Jesus has gone, having only encountered him briefly. His honesty marks his testimony throughout the chapter. The question also reflects the crowd's curiosity about the miracle-worker, even as the religious leaders prepare to interrogate the healed man.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- John 5:11–13But he answered, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”
- Exod 2:18–20When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
- John 7:11So the Jews were looking for Him at the feast and asking, “Where is He?”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 9:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.