Therefore his parents said, “He is of age. Ask him.”
Parallel translations
- KJV Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
- BSB That was why his parents said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
- NKJV Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
- NASB It was for this reason that his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
- NLT That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
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
Because of this fear, the parents again defer to their son, saying he is of age. They avoid the question to protect themselves.
Overview
Repeating their deflection, the parents place the burden of confession on their adult son. Their reluctance highlights the contrast with the man's courage. The verse underscores how fear of the authorities led some to evade testimony, while the healed man would soon boldly confess despite the cost.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- John 9:21but 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.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 9:23 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.