And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Parallel translations
- WEB His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
- BSB and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
- NKJV And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
- NASB And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”
- NLT “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
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 disciples ask whether the man's blindness was caused by his sin or his parents' sin. They assume suffering must be punishment for specific sin.
Overview
Reflecting a common assumption, the disciples seek to assign blame for the man's condition. Their question reveals a simplistic link between particular sin and particular suffering. Jesus' answer will correct this view, redirecting attention from cause to God's redemptive purpose, a theme that comforts believers facing affliction.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Luke 13:2And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
- John 9:34They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
- Exod 20:5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
- Acts 28:4And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.
- Matt 16:14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
- Matt 23:7And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
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 9:2 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.