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They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
John 9:34 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB They answered him, “You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?” They threw him out.
  • BSB They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.
  • NKJV They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.
  • NASB They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and yet you are teaching us?” So they put him out.
  • NLT “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

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 revile the man as steeped in sin and expel him for daring to teach them. They reject both his testimony and him.

Overview

Unable to refute his reasoning, the Pharisees resort to insult, charging him with sinfulness from birth, and cast him out of the synagogue. He suffers the very penalty his parents feared, for confessing Christ. His expulsion sets up Jesus' tender search for him in the following verses, showing that those rejected for Christ's sake are received by Christ himself.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 33

  • John 9:22These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
  • John 9:2And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
  • Isa 66:5Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
  • Luke 18:17Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
  • Ps 51:5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
  • Gen 19:9And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
  • Job 25:4How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
  • 2 Chr 25:16And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king’s counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.
  • John 8:41Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
  • 1 Cor 5:4–5In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
  • Rev 13:17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
  • Luke 11:45Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
  • Matt 18:17–18And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
  • 1 Cor 5:13But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
  • Exod 2:14And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
  • Luke 6:22Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
  • John 7:48–49Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
  • Luke 18:10–14Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
  • Job 15:14–16What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
  • Prov 22:10Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
  • Eph 2:3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
  • John 9:40And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
  • Prov 26:12Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
  • Prov 29:1He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
  • John 9:35Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
  • Gal 2:15We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
  • 1 Pet 5:5Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
  • Prov 9:7–8He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
  • 3 Jn 1:9I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
  • Isa 65:5Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.
  • Luke 14:11For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
  • Job 14:4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
  • John 6:37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

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 9:34YouTube · 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 9:34 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.