Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 9:21

But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.

21. by what means ] Better, how, as in Joh 9:10 ; Joh 9:15 ; Joh 9:19 ; Joh 9:26. In their timidity they keep close to the precise questions asked.

who hath opened ] Better, who opened. This is the dangerous point, and they become more eager and passionate. Hitherto there has been nothing emphatic in their reply; but now there is a marked stress on all the pronouns, the parents contrasting their ignorance with their son’s responsibility. ‘Who opened his eyes, we know not: ask himself; he himself is of full age; he himself will speak concerning himself.’ See on Joh 9:23.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 21. He is of age] , literally, he has stature, i.e. he is a full-grown man; and in this sense the phrase is used by the best Greek writers. See Kypke and Raphelius. Mature age was fixed among the Jews at thirty years.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

But by what means he now seeth we know not,…. As to the third question they could say nothing to it, they were not present when the cure was wrought, and knew nothing of the matter, but what they had heard from their son, or from others, or both:

or who hath opened his eyes we know not; they had heard it was Jesus, and their son had doubtless told them it was he; but since they could say nothing of their own personal knowledge, they choose not to say anything of him:

he is of age; at man’s estate, as, with the Jews, one was, who was at the age of thirteen years, if he could produce the signs of puberty: and such an one was allowed a witness in any case, but not under this age; nor if he was arrived to it, if the above signs could not be produced q. This man very likely was much older, as may be thought from the whole of his conduct, his pertinent answers, and just reasoning: wherefore his parents direct the sanhedrim to him for an answer to their third question,

ask him, he shall speak for himself; or “of himself”, as the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions render it: their sense is, he is capable of giving an account of himself in this matter, and he will do it, and let him do it; put the question to him, and a proper answer will be returned; and so they left the affair to be issued in this way.

q Maimon. Hilchot Eduth, c. 9. sect. 7.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

But how he now seeth we know not ( ). Concerning the third question they profess ignorance both as to the “how” () and the “who” ().

Opened (). First aorist active indicative with single augment of , same form as (triple augment) in verse 17. They were not witnesses of the cure and had the story only from the son as the Pharisees had.

He is of age ( ). “He has maturity of age.” He is an adult. A regular classical phrase in Plato, etc. The parents were wholly right and within their rights.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

1) “But by what means he now seeth,” (pos de nun blepei) “Yet, how he now sees continually,” as you can see he now does, as well as we.

2) “We know not; (ouk oidamen) “We do not really know, perceive, or comprehend,” We were not there when it happened. Our answer would be hearsay only, see? You would not accept it since we were not present, and we are sure you are not interested in what we think about the matter.

3) “Or who hath opened his eyes, we know not:” (e tis enoiksen autou tous ophthalmous hemeis ouk oidamen) “Or who opened his eyes (so that he now sees) we do not know or comprehend,” for we neither saw it happen, nor has anyone told us personally that he did it. Any reports from us would therefore be hearsay only, see? They were evading a risk of being excluded from the synagogue, Joh 9:22.

4) “He is of age; ask him: (auton erotesate helikian echei) “He has age, you all just ask him:” He has maturity. He was there, and he will tell it like it was, if you will accept his legal testimony, or do you fellows really want the straight truth?

5) “He shall speak for himself.” (autos peri heautou lalesei) “He will speak concerning himself,” as one of legal age, with intelligence, as an accountable man, Rom 14:11-12.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

(21) But by what means he now seeth.Better, but how he now seeth. The answer is in the exact words of the question, which is not seen in our version. They will not pass beyond the plain matters of fact of which they were certain.

Or who hath opened his eyes.They pass here to a fourth question, which was not asked, but which they see to be the real point which the Pharisees are aiming at, and in which they have determined not to be entangled.

He is of age, ask him.The better reading here is probably that which places ask him first; ask him, he is of age. The Received text has been influenced by Joh. 9:23. The Greek expresses with the fullest emphasis, which it is not easy to preserve in English, that they intend to have nothing to do with this third question, but to leave it to their son to answer. Literally, it is, Ask him; he is of full age; he himself will speak concerning himself.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

21. What means The safe testimony they clearly give; the unsafe part they slip, and thrust their son into the post of danger. That danger he is man enough to brave .

He is of age He has maturity to be responsible for his own case.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.

Ver. 21. He is of age ] . Faelix ab , say the etymologists, ut faelix sit homo floridae et vegetae aetatis, corpore et animo valens. (Becman.)

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

21. ] Notice the emphatic .

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament