“Who is He, Sir?” he replied. “Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”
Parallel translations
- WEB He answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?”
- KJV He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
- NKJV He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”
- NASB He answered by saying, “And who is He, Sir, that I may believe in Him?”
- NLT The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in 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
The man eagerly responds, ready to believe in the Son of God if only he can be shown who He is. His humble openness contrasts with the hardened Pharisees.
Overview
The man's reply is teachable and earnest, addressing Jesus as 'Lord' and seeking to know the One he should trust. Unlike the religious leaders who claimed to see yet refused the light, he longs to believe. His readiness sets the stage for Jesus' self-revelation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Rom 10:14How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?
- Song 5:9How is your beloved better than others, O most beautiful among women? How is your beloved better than another, that you charge us so?
- Prov 30:3–4I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
- Matt 11:3to ask Him, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”
- John 1:38Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked. They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”
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 9:36 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.