Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 10:21
Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
21. of him that hath a devil ] Better, of one possessed with a demon: the expression differs from that in Joh 10:20.
Can a devil ] Or, Surely a demon cannot. See on Joh 9:40. It was too great and too beneficent a miracle for a demon. But here they stop short: they state what He cannot be; they do not see, or will not admit, what He must be.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Not the words … – His words are sober, grave, pious, full of wisdom. The preaching of Jesus always produced effect. It made bitter enemies or decided friends. So will all faithful preaching. It is not the fault of the gospel that there are divisions, but of the unbelief and mad passions of men.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. These are not the words of him that hath a devil.] If he were deranged by an unclean spirit, his words would bear a similitude to the spirit that produced them; but these are words of deep sense, soberness, and piety: besides, could a demoniac open the eyes of blind men? “This is not the work of a demon. Now we have seen that this man has restored a man who was born blind. Therefore it is demonstrably evident that he is neither a madman nor a demoniac.
Behold the usage which the blessed Lord received from his creatures! And behold with what meekness and gentleness he conducts himself!-not a word of impatience proceeds from his lips; nor a look of contempt or indignation is seen in his face. And what was he doing to merit all this? Why, he was instructing the ignorant, and telling the wretched that he was just going to die to save their souls! Amazing love of God, and ingratitude and obduracy of men! Let not the disciple suppose that, in this respect, he shall be above his master. When a minister of Christ has done his utmost to do good to his fellow creatures, let him not be surprised if he meet with nothing from many but reproaches and persecutions for his pains. The grand point is to take Jesus for an example of suffering, and to be armed with the same mind. It appears that the words spoken by the friendly Jews prevailed; and that the others were obliged to abandon the field.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
But others, that were less passionate and brutish in their expressions, and more thinking and considerate in passing their judgments, said, These are not the words (so we translate it; the word in the Greek is , which signifies things, and matters, as well as words; and by what follows, one would think that were the more proper translation of it here) of him that hath a devil. They instance in no words, but in a matter of fact; asking if a devil could open the eyes of the blind? That is, of one that was born blind; for they certainly speak with reference to that miracle which he had so lately wrought upon such a person.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Others said, these are not the words of him that hath a devil,…. No madman or demoniac, one possessed of a devil, and under the influence of Satan, would ever talk in so divine a manner, and speak such words of truth and soberness: these were, some of the wiser sort, and were well disposed to Christ, who reasoned thus, and they were but few: whereas those that charged him with madness and distraction were many, as in the preceding verse;
can a devil open the eyes of the blind? referring to the late instance, of Christ’s curing a man that was blind from his birth; if it was in the power of a devil to do such an action, which it is not, yet it is not in his nature, it is not usual with him to do any good; but to do all the hurt he can, both to the bodies and souls of men: in one of Beza’s copies it is read, “can one that has a devil open the eyes of the blind?” so the Persic version, can a “demoniac”, c.? which reading suits best with what is before said and then the sense is, can a madman, one that is a lunatic, one possessed with the devil, either talk in the manner this man does, or do such wonderful actions as he has done, particularly cure a man that was born blind?
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Of one possessed with a demon (). Genitive of present passive participle of . They had heard demoniacs talk, but not like this.
Can a demon open the eyes of the blind? ( ;). Negative answer expected. Demons would more likely put out eyes, not open them. It was an unanswerable question.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
That hath a devil [] . Literally, of one demonized. Rev., one possessed with a devil.
Can a devil [ ] . Surely a demon cannot.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Others said,” (alloi elegon) “Others (of them) asserted,” or replied, disagreeing with their ridiculing Jewish brethren.
2) “These are not the words of him that hath a devil,” (tauta ta hermata ouk estin diamonizomenou) “These (kind of) words are not of one who is raving or demon possessed.” You all are not sound enough in mind and judgement yourselves to make such a charge stick before a judge, they responded. Demonized men neither speak nor do the kind of things He says and does so orderly, with emotional stability and reason, much as related Joh 7:46; Luk 4:22.
3) ”Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?” (me diamonion dunatai tuphlon ophthalmous anoiksai) “A demon is not able to open the eyes of blind men, is he?” It was dog-eat-dog, of Jew-Vs-Jew, when both groups opposing Jesus against one another, while rejecting Jesus, were in the wrong, Joh 5:20; Could a demon open blind eyes? One party quizzed, and would he, if he could, as Jesus had done to the man born blind? This was the hard truth they could not reasonably explain, Joh 9:6-7.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
21. These are not the words of a demoniac. It is as if they demanded that men should judge from the fact itself; for the truth, as we have said, is strong enough to maintain itself. And this is the only protection of our faith, that wicked men will never be able to hinder the power and wisdom of God, and his goodness also, (297) from shining in the Gospel.
(297) “ Et aussi sa boute.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(21) Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil.We trace here again the presence of the better party among the Sanhedrin, which we found before (Joh. 9:16). His words, they would say, are words of calm teaching. The possession by a demon disorders, frenzies, makes the slave of madness. It is inconsistent with words like these.
Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?Surely a devil cannot open the eyes of the blind? is the form their question took. They go back from the teaching to the great sign which gave rise to it, and they find that work and word are alike opposed to the thought of being the result of a demons presence. Such a miracle had never before been known. A demon does not give the power to do a prophets work. (Comp. Notes on Joh. 9:16 and Mat. 12:24.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. Words open In the temper of their language we see the condition of their hearts. The impenitent reason not, but launch a fierce fling at Jesus. The divine in him is a devil, or rather, demon; in the sublimity of his discourse he is mad. But in these others there is a deep, solemn, yet timid questioning. For these works their solution is not deviltry; these deep words are not madness. That these Jews did not identify the demon and the madness as one thing is plain; for the miracle was attributed to the former, the discourse to the latter.
The narrative of the visit of Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles, commencing at the beginning of chapter 7, here closes. (Historical Synopsis, 81-84.) In the next verse, (22,) John passes at a leap to the Lord’s next visit to Jerusalem at the Feast of Dedication, two months after, When he resumed this very topic. During this interval, of which nothing is said by John, according to our synopsis, the entire events, 85-99, take place. That is, our Lord’s entire ministry in Perea is to be inserted here. See Harmony, p. 101 .
Stier refuses to admit that so long a period of absence from Jerusalem is consistent with the continuity which appears in the discourse. On the contrary, with Ebrard against Strauss, we hold that the very fact that Jesus reappears at Jerusalem, after a two months’ interval, naturally called up the last discourse consequent upon the healing of the blind man. John skips over to this point just in order to give what he considers a virtual completion of the discourse on the Good Shepherd.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
21 Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
Ver. 21. These are not the words, &c. ] Wisdom is ever justified of her children. They fitly argue from his oracles and miracles, both which this evangelist doth more largely relate, purposely to prove our Saviour’s Divinity, and is therefore styled “John the Divine.”
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
words. Greek. Plural of rhema. See note on Mar 9:32.
him that hath a devil = one possessed by a demon.
Can a devil. . . ? = Surely a demon is not (Greek. me, App-105) able to . . . is he?
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 10:21. ) Hebr. words. Comp. what goes before [Joh 10:19, There was a division for these sayings]: also comp. the works alluded to in what follows [Joh 10:25].
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 10:21
Joh 10:21
Others said, These are not the sayings of one possessed with a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?-Others insisted that demons did not talk in this way, and especially that a demon could not open the eyes of the blind. Demons could sometimes do supernatural works, but they were never good works or helpful to man. [Their question suggests that demons could not do miraculous good works like healing the blind. It had never been known that demons could open the eyes of the blind.]
[Here the historian shows what different effects the teaching of Jesus had upon the Jews. Many of them calumniate and slander him as one possessed of a demon and mad, and therefore not to be heard and obeyed; others of calmer thoughts and more levelheaded said that the doctrine he taught, and the late miracle which he had wrought in curing the blind man, were abundantly sufficient to confute such a groundless slander. Note, that the teaching of Christ meeting with diversity of dispositions-it is no wonder it occasions different effects to the softening of some and hardening of others; even as the same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay; yet this is not to be attributed to the teaching of Jesus, but to mens corruptions which oppose the truth and the maintainers of it.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
devil
demon.
(See Scofield Mat 7:22).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Can: Joh 9:6, Joh 9:32, Exo 4:11, Exo 8:19, Psa 94:9, Psa 146:8, Pro 20:12, Isa 35:5, Isa 35:6, Mat 11:5
Reciprocal: Act 26:24 – Paul