but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.”
Parallel translations
- WEB but how he now sees, we don’t know; or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. He is of age. Ask him. He will speak for himself.”
- KJV But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
- BSB But how he can now see or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.”
- NKJV but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.”
- NASB but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.”
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 parents claim ignorance of how he sees or who healed him, telling the leaders to ask their grown son. They deflect to avoid taking a stand.
Overview
Unwilling to commit themselves, the parents disclaim knowledge of the healing and direct the leaders to question their son directly. Their evasiveness stems from fear, as the next verse explains. The verse contrasts their caution with their son's growing boldness in testifying to Christ.
Cross-references & the web
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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 9:21 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
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