The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
Parallel translations
- WEB The man answered them, “How amazing! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
- BSB “That is remarkable indeed!” the man said. “You do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes.
- NKJV The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!
- NASB The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is the amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes!
- NLT “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from?
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 man marvels that they do not know Jesus' origin, though he opened his eyes. He points out the obvious force of the miracle.
Overview
The healed man expresses astonishment at the leaders' professed ignorance in light of so great a sign. His reasoning is sound: a man who could open blind eyes must come from God. The verse showcases the man's spiritual insight surpassing that of the religious experts, as he presses the implication of the miracle.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 119:18Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
- John 12:37But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
- Isa 29:18And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
- John 3:10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
- Isa 29:14Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
- Luke 7:22Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
- Matt 11:5The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
- Isa 35:5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
- 2 Cor 4:6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
- Mark 6:6And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
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 9:30 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.