Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 9:27
He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear [it] again? will ye also be his disciples?
27. I have told you ] Rather, I told you.
and ye did not hear ] Or possibly, and did ye not hear? This avoids taking ‘hear’ in two different senses; (1) ‘pay attention,’ (2) ‘hear.’ The man loses all patience, and will not go through it again.
wherefore would ye hear ] Or, wherefore do ye wish to hear.
will ye also, &c.] Or, Surely ye also do not wish to become His disciples. The form of the question is similar to that in Joh 6:67 and Joh 7:52 (comp. Joh 4:29, Joh 7:35). Moreover, it is not the future tense, but the verb ‘to will’ or ‘wish’ (comp. Joh 5:40, Joh 6:67, Joh 7:17, Joh 8:44). Lastly, the difference between ‘be’ and ‘become’ is easily preserved here, and is worth preserving (comp. Joh 8:58). The meaning of ‘also’ has been misunderstood. It can scarcely mean ‘as well as I:’ the man has not advanced so far in faith as to count himself a disciple of Jesus; and if he had, he would not avow the fact to the Jews. ‘Also’ means ‘as well as His well-known disciples.’ That Christ had a band of followers was notorious.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 27. I have told you already] So he did, Joh 9:15. And did ye not hear? Ye certainly did. Why then do you wish to hear it again? Is it because ye wish to become his disciples? The poor man continued steady in his testimony; and, by putting this question to them, he knew he should soon put an end to the debate.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
It is wonderful to see how the boldness and confidence of the poor man increased; God giving him that wisdom and courage which they were not able to resist. He refuseth to repeat the story to them, telling them he had once already told it them, but they would not give credit to him; and to what purpose was it for him to say it over again, unless they were inclined to be his disciples? Some think the form of speech implies a hearty wishing and desiring that they would be so: but others think he speaks ironically, as if he had said, I know my repeating again the story will not induce you to be his disciples, you are resolved against that, and therefore why do you put me upon a needless trouble? And this seemeth to have been his sense by what followeth in the Pharisees reply, full of indignation.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
27. I have told you already . . .will ye also be his disciples?In a vein of keen irony hetreats their questions as those of anxious inquirers, almost readyfor discipleship! Stung by this, they retort upon him as thedisciple (and here they plainly were not wrong); for themselves, theyfall back upon Moses; about him there could be no doubt; butwho knew about this upstart?
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He answered them, I have told you already,….. As he had, Joh 9:15,
and ye did not hear; the Vulgate Latin version reads, and ye have heard; and so some copies of Stephens’s; that is, an account had been given of the manner how his eyes were opened, and they had heard the account with their bodily ears, though not with the ears of their minds; and therefore, according to most copies and versions, it is read, “ye did not hear”; did not regard it, or give credit to it; and so the Persic version renders it, “and ye have not believed”; they would not believe the man had been blind, until they sent for his parents; much less would they believe the account of his cure:
wherefore would ye hear it again? once is sufficient, especially since the former account has been disregarded and discredited: their view could not be their own information but to baffle and confound the man, if they could. The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions leave out the word “again”, and only read, “wherefore would ye hear?” what end can you have in it? of what avail would it be? or what purpose can be answered by it?
will ye also be his disciples? as many whom you call ignorant and accursed people are, and as I myself desire to be. This he might say either in an ironical and sarcastic way; or else seriously, suggesting, that if they were willing to examine into this fact, with upright views and sincere intentions, that should it appear to be a true miracle, they would become the disciples and followers of Jesus, then he would, with all his heart, relate the account to them over and over again, or as often as they pleased.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I told you even now ( ). In verses John 9:15; John 9:17; John 9:25.
Would ye also become his disciples? ( ;). Negative answer formally expected, but the keenest irony in this gibe. Clearly the healed man knew from the use of “also” () that Jesus had some “disciples” (, predicate nominative with the infinitive ) and that the Pharisees knew that fact. “Do ye also (like the Galilean mob) wish, etc.” See 7:45-52. It cut to the bone.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “He answered them, I have told you already,” (apekrithe autois eipon humin ede) “He replied to them, I told you already,” twice, to be exact, in proper order and detail, in simple language, as it happened, Joh 9:15; Joh 9:17; Joh 9:25.
2) “And ye did not hear,” (kai ouk ekousate) “And you all did not hear, give heed, or pay attention,” Luk 14:35; Rom 10:12; Act 3:22-23.
3) “Wherefore would you hear it again?” (ti palin thelete akouein) “Just why do you have so strong a will to hear again?” Is it not evident that they have ulterior motives in posing the question? Mat 16:1-4. His galling gig of sarcasm appeared to be appropriate by this time.
4) “Will ye also be his disciples?” (me kai humeis thelete autou mathetai genesthai) “You all do not really wish to become his disciples do you?” Note the tone of irony to these willfully blind guides of the blind, Mat 23:17; Mat 23:19; Mat 23:24; Mat 23:26. He was tired of being harassed by those whom, by now, he perceived to be hypocrites.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(27) I have told you already, and ye did not hear.The man becomes weary of this cross-questioning, the purpose of which is sufficiently clear to him. His first answer was in the fewest possible words (Joh. 9:15, compared with Joh. 9:7), and even these he will not repeat. There is some difficulty about the meaning of the word hear in the two clauses of this verse. When the man says Ye did not hear, we naturally understand did not heed; but when he goes on to say, Wherefore would ye hear it again? the word clearly has its ordinary sense of hearing. The same word occurs in the two clauses in the Greek, just as it does in the English, and we are scarcely justified in giving it two distinct meanings. If we were to read both clauses as questions, we should avoid this difficulty, and get a sense which would suit the evident feeling of the man. He is impatient, and expresses this in a series of rapid questions. I have told you already, and did ye not hear? wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be His disciples?
Will ye also be his disciples?The words refer, probably, to some who are His disciples, not to the man himself as being, or being ready to become, a disciple. This is a further stage of his spiritual education which is to follow, but has not yet arrived (Joh. 9:35-38). The man must have known of the existence of a band of disciples, who indeed in his presence had questioned their Master concerning him (Joh. 9:2), and it is not unlikely that while the parents were being questioned, the son may have learnt more concerning the work of Christ. The question puts the irony in the severest form, Surely ye also do not wish to become His disciples? It may have been designed, or may only have been as an arrow drawn at a venture; but there must have been among those of whom it was asked, men who tried in vain to encase themselves in the armour of authority, which would repel his shaft and silence him. It must have gone through the joints of the harness and pierced to the hearts of men like Nicodemus, who were half-disciples without the courage of their convictions. Here was the blind beggar making an open avowal of that which the Pharisees and rulers dared only to confess by night (Joh. 3:2).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
27. Be his disciples Was the irony in his question justifiable? Elijah used irony in 1Ki 18:27, and Jesus in Mat 23:32. And yet, if this were truly a legal court, it may be doubted whether the man did not commit a faulty disrespect for which the want of self-respect in the court furnishes no full excuse. Yet when we consider that he was a poor, uncultivated mendicant, we can excuse this single error, and still wonder at his martyr-like constancy.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘He answered them, “I told you even now and you did not accept it. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” ’
He could see quite clearly that they were not trying to find out the truth but were seeking to minimise Jesus. So his question was sarcastic, for he knew very well that the last thing that they wanted to do was to become disciples of Jesus. But his ‘also’ suggests that he now saw himself as one of those disciples. It may even be that it was their questioning that had brought this fact home to him. In his excitement at being healed he may have thought of little else. But now their questioning was making him take his own stance about Jesus.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 9:27. He answered them, I have told you already, The resistance of the rulers to the truth, appeared so criminal to the man, that, laying aside all fear, he spoke to them with great freedom: “I have told you already, and you did not hear, that is, believe; or, as others would read it, did you not hear?wherefore would you hear it again?” &c. In this answer the irony was more plain and pointed: “Are you so affected with the miracle, and do you entertain so high an opinion of the author of it, that you take pleasure in hearing the account of it repeated, from an inclination of professing yourselves his disciples, who glory in being masters and teachers?
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
Ver. 27. Will ye also be his disciples? ] A bold speech of so mean a man, so little enlightened, to the chief priests and Pharisees. Such was that of Dirick Carver, martyr, to Bonner, Your doctrine is poison and sorcery. If Christ were here, you would put him to a worse death than he was put to before. You say you can make God; you can make a pudding as soon, &c. And that of Henry Lawrence, who being to subscribe the bill of his examination, wrote, Ye are all antichrist, and him ye follow, &c. And that of Anthony Parsons: Thou callest us thieves, said the bishop of Salisbury. I say, quoth Anthony, ye are not only thieves, but murderers, ye are rather bitesheeps than true bishops. (Acts and Mon.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
27. ] must be in its special meaning of ‘did not heed it.’ The latter clause is of course ironical: ‘you seem so anxious to hear particulars about Him, that you must surely be intending to become His disciples.’
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
I have told = I told. hear. See note on Joh 8:43.
would ye hear = do ye wish (App-102.) to hear (two verbs).
will ye also, &c. = surely ye also do not (App-105. wish to become.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
27.] must be in its special meaning of did not heed it. The latter clause is of course ironical: you seem so anxious to hear particulars about Him, that you must surely be intending to become His disciples.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 9:27. , why) wherefore?- ye also) He confesses that he wishes to become a disciple of Jesus.-, do ye wish) A sweet and becoming irony. [And indeed it is right, that he, who wishes to become a disciple of Christ, should resort to anxious investigation. The truth does not shrink from it.-V. g.]
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 9:27
Joh 9:27
He answered them, I told you even now, and ye did not hear; wherefore would ye hear it again? would ye also become his disciples?-The blind man pressed the conclusion: would you recognize him as a prophet and become his disciples. He knew when men are determined to disbelieve the truth repeating the evidence will not convince, but rather infuriate them. [His also implies that he was inclined to be a disciple.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
I have: Joh 9:10-15, Luk 22:67
Reciprocal: 2Ki 8:4 – Tell Jer 36:17 – Tell Mar 11:33 – Neither Luk 6:47 – heareth Joh 7:47 – Are Joh 9:11 – A man Joh 9:15 – the Pharisees
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7
The useless question caused the blind man to realize that his questioners were not sincere in their inquiries. Or if they were, it was just their way of pressing the investigation further in order to learn what they could of. Jesus. As a means of testing whether that caused their persistence, he asked them if they were interested in becoming the disciples of Jesus.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 9:27. He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? would ye also become his disciples? The words ye did not hear manifestly mean that they had not received and believed what they heard. The last clause is a little ambiguous in English. The meaning is not, Would ye in that case become His disciples? but, Is it your mind,do ye also desire, to become His disciples? Ye also may mean ye as well as others; but it most naturally signifies as well as myself, the blind beggar. The obstinate enmity of the Jews impels him to avow his own discipleship.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 27
Did not hear; did not regard it.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
The restored blind man refused to review the obvious facts. He now knew that the Pharisees did not want the truth but information they could use against Jesus. They had not listened to him in the sense of believing him the first time (cf. Joh 5:25). Sarcastically he suggested that perhaps they wanted to hear about Jesus one more time because they wanted to follow Him as disciples. This response indicates that the man felt no intimidation from his accusers. He knew that he stood on solid ground with his testimony, so much so that he could jibe his examiners with a bit of humor.