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We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this man is from.”
John 9:29 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don’t know where he comes from.”
  • KJV We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
  • ESV We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”
  • NKJV We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”
  • NASB We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this Man, we do not know where He is from.”
  • NLT We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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 say they know God spoke to Moses but do not know where Jesus comes from. They dismiss Jesus despite the evidence of his miracle.

Overview

The Pharisees profess certainty about Moses yet plead ignorance about Jesus' origin, using it as grounds to reject him. Ironically, Jesus' origin is from God, which the miracle itself attests. Their claimed ignorance is willful, illustrating how unbelief refuses the truth that God has plainly revealed in Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 24

  • John 8:14Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going.
  • John 9:24So a second time they called for the man who had been blind and said, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.”
  • Ps 22:6But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
  • Acts 22:22The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”
  • Matt 26:61and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
  • Ps 106:16In the camp they envied Moses, as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
  • Num 16:28Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing:
  • Acts 7:35This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
  • Acts 26:22But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
  • 2 Kgs 9:11When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?” “You know his kind and their babble,” he replied.
  • Isa 53:2–3He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him.
  • John 7:27But we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from.”
  • John 7:41–42Others declared, “This is the Christ.” But still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee?
  • 1 Kgs 22:27and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”
  • Ps 103:7He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel.
  • Num 12:2–7“Does the LORD speak only through Moses?” they said. “Does He not also speak through us?” And the LORD heard this.
  • Matt 12:24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.”
  • John 9:16Because of this, some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was division among them.
  • Ps 105:26He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron, whom He had chosen.
  • Mal 4:4“Remember the law of My servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances I commanded him for all Israel at Horeb.
  • Deut 34:10Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face—
  • Luke 23:2And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”
  • Heb 3:2–5He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.
  • John 1:17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 9:29YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 9:29 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.