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 had received his sight.
Parallel translations
- WEB The Jews therefore did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight,
- BSB The Jews still did not believe that the man had been blind and had received his sight until they summoned his parents
- NKJV But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight.
- NASB The Jews then did not believe it about him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight,
- NLT The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents.
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
The leaders refuse to believe the man was born blind and now sees, so they summon his parents. Their unbelief drives them to seek another explanation.
Overview
Determined to discredit the miracle, the authorities doubt that the man was ever truly blind. They call his parents hoping to overturn the testimony. Their willful unbelief, in the face of clear evidence, exemplifies how a hardened heart resists even undeniable signs of God's work.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Heb 3:15–19While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
- Heb 4:11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
- Isa 53:1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
- Gen 19:14And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
- John 9:22These 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.
- John 12:37–40But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
- Luke 16:31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
- John 1:19And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
- John 5:44How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
- Isa 26:11LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.
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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 9:18 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.