Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 9:32
Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
32. Since the world began ] There is no healing of the blind in O.T.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Since the world began – Neither Moses nor any of the prophets had ever done this. No instance of this kind is recorded in the Old Testament. As this was a miracle which had never been performed, the man argued justly that he who had done it must be from God. As Jesus did it not by surgical operations, but by clay, it showed that he had power of working miracles by any means. It may be also remarked that the restoration of sight to the blind by surgical operations was never performed until the year 1728. Dr. Cheselden, an English surgeon, was the first who attempted it successfully, who was enabled to remove a cataract from the eye of a young man, and to restore sight. This fact shows the difficulty of the operation when the most skillful natural means are employed, and the greatness of the miracle performed by the Saviour.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Joh 9:32
Since the world began it was not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
–This was quite true at the time.
In 1728, Dr. Cheselden, of St. Thomass Hospital, for the first time gave sight to a man who had been blind from his youth up, and since then couching has been several times performed on those who were born blind. With regard to this man note
I. THE PECULIARITY OF HIS CASE.
1. It was not the case of want of light; that might have been remedied. There are millions who have no light, and while we cannot give men eyes we can give them light. There are children of God who walk in darkness and are immured in Doubting Castle. May it be ours by explanation and example to illumine them.
2. This was not a case of accidental blindness. Here again mans help might have been of service. Persons who have been struck with blindness have been recovered. We can do much in cases where blindness is traceable to circumstances, e.g., to prejudice, which might be removed by a wise and tender statement of the truth.
3. The man was blind from his birth. His was a blindness of nature which, therefore, baffled all surgical skill.
(1) Since the beginning of the world no one has opened the eyes of one afflicted with sin. Mans understanding is blind because
(a) His whole nature is disordered. His other faculties act upon his mind and prevent it operating in a proper manner.
(b) His natural pride and self-reliance revolt against the gospel.
(c) He judges spiritual things by the senses, and with as much success as a man who measures the heavens with a foot rule.
(d) He is at a distance from God and consequently does not believe in Him. If we lived near to God our understanding would be clarified by its contact with truth.
(2) Some imagine that they can open the sinners blind eye
(a) By rhetoric. As well hope of sing a stone into sensibility. Sinners have been dazzled a thousand times by the pyrotechnics of oratory and have remained as blind as ever.
(b) By argument; but reason alone gives no man the power to see the light of heaven.
(c) By earnest gospel appeals; but how many in our congregations are proof against these!
II. THE SPECIALTIES OF THE CURE. Not of this mans only.
1. It is usually accomplished by the most simple means. It is very humbling to a preacher to find that God cares little for him or his sermon, and that a stray remark of his in the street is what God has blessed. Souls are not usually converted by bodies of divinity and theological discussions. When David put off Sauls armour and took the sling and the stone he slew the giant. We must keep to the simple gospel plainly preached. The clay and the spittle were not an artistic combination, yet by these and a wash in Siloam eyes were opened.
2. In every case it is a Divine work. No eye is ever opened to see Jesus except by Jesus. Blindness of soul yields only to the voice which said, Let there be light.
3. It is often instantaneous, and when the eye is opened it frequently sees as perfectly as if it had been always seeing, though in other cases it is gradual.
4. It brings new sensations, and therefore should surprise us. Do you remember the first sight you had of Christ? There is fixed in the memories of some of us the first time we saw the sea, or the Alps, but these were nothing, It is not surprising that young converts should get excited.
5. It is very clear to the man himself. Others may doubt but not he.
6. The restored faculty is capable of abundant use. The man who could see the Pharisees could by and by see Jesus. Once give a man spiritual sight and he has a capacity to see Divine mysteries.
III. THE CONDITION OF THE HEALED MAN.
1. He had strong impressions in favour of his Healer. First He was a prophet, then the object of worship. No man has his eyes opened without intense love for Jesus, and without believing in His Deity, and worshipping Him as the Son of God.
2. He becomes from that moment a confessor of Christ, the first of his class. If the Lord has opened our eyes we shall not hesitate to say so.
3. He became an advocate for Christ, and an able one, for the facts which were his arguments baffled his adversaries. You will never meet infidelity except with such facts.
4. He was driven out of the synagogue. One of the worst things that can happen as far as this world is concerned is to know too much. If you will bravely keep abreast of the times you may be tolerated, but if you get ahead of it you must expect ill-treatment.
5. Christ found him. What a blessing to lose the Pharisees and to find the Saviour! What a mercy when the world casts us out! (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 32. Since the world began] , From the age – probably meaning from the commencement of time. Neither Moses nor the prophets have ever opened the eyes of a man who was born blind: if this person then were not the best of beings, would God grant him a privilege which he has hitherto denied to his choicest favourites?
Opened the eyes of one that was born blind.] It will readily appear that our Lord performed no surgical operation in this cure: the man was born blind, and he was restored to sight by the power of God; the simple means used could have had no effect in the cure; the miracle is therefore complete. That there are cases, in which a person who was born blind may be restored to sight by surgical means, we know: but no such means were used by Christ: and it is worthy of remark that, from the foundation of the world, no person born blind has been restored to sight, even by surgical operation, till about the year of our Lord, 1728; when the celebrated Dr. Cheselden, by couching the eyes of a young man, 14 years of age, who had been born blind, restored him to perfect soundness. This was the effect of well directed surgery: that performed by Christ was a miracle.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He proveth Christ to be sent from God, (though it appears by Joh 9:33 that he looked as yet upon him in no higher notion than a man), from the nature of the miracle that was wrought; which was not the recovery of a blind mans sight only, but giving sight to one who was born blind. Now, saith this poor man, this is such a work as was never done by Moses, or by any of the prophets who have been since the creation of the world. Some who have been blind from some accidental cause, and something which hath befallen them, films and cataracts, &c., have been cured; and possibly God by his almighty power may have given sight to one born blind; but we never heard of any such thing done by Moses, whom we magnify; nor by the prophets, for whom we have the greatest veneration.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24-34. Give God the praise; we knowthat this man is a sinnernot wishing him to own, even to thepraise of God, that a miracle had been wrought upon him, but to showmore regard to the honor of God than ascribe any such act to one whowas a sinner.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Since the world began,…. , “from eternity”, or never: the phrase answers to , frequently used by the Jews m, for never; and so the Arabic version renders it, “it was never heard”, c. since time was:
was it not heard, that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind as not any physician by any natural means, or art, so not any prophet in a miraculous way, no not Moses himself; among all the miracles he wrought, which the Jews say n were seventy six, and which were two more than were wrought by all the prophets put together, this is not to be found in the list of them, nor in the catalogue of miracles done by others. Elisha indeed prayed to God to restore sight to an army smitten with blindness; but then they were persons who saw before, and were not blind from their birth. Wherefore it must follow, that Jesus, the author of this miracle, must be greater than any of the prophets, even than Moses himself, and has a greater confirmation of his mission from God, than either he or they had: and as this was a miracle in nature, it is no less a miracle in grace, that one born in the blindness and darkness of sin, ignorance, and infidelity, should have the eyes of his understanding opened, to behold divine and spiritual things.
m Abot R. Nathan, c. 35. fol. 8. 2. Maimon. Mechira, c. 20. sect. 8. & Shelchim & Shotaphim, c. 10. sect. 1, 2, 3, 4. & passim. n Menasseh ben lsrael, Conciliat. in Deut. Quaest. 11. p. 240.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Since the world began ( ). Literally, “from the age,” “from of old.” Elsewhere in the N.T. we have or ‘ (Luke 1:70; Acts 3:31; Acts 15:18) as is common in the LXX.
Of a man born blind ( ). Perfect passive participle of . This is the chief point and the man will not let it be overlooked, almost rubs it in, in fact. It was congenital blindness.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Since the world began [ ] . The exact phrase only here in the New Testament. Ap’ is found in Act 3:21; Act 14:18; ajpo twn aijwnwn in Col 1:26.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Since the world began was it not heard,” (ek tou aionos ouk ekousthe) “From the beginning of time it was not heard,” in any age of time, not even in Moses’ day, or the law age, of olden times.
2) “That any man opened the eyes,” (hoti eneoksen tis ophthalmous) “That anyone opened the eyes,” caused a grown man who had never seen to see, a particular sign of the Messiah, predicted of Him and should have been expected of His hands, as follows, Isa 42:6-7.
3) “Of one that was born blind.” (tuphlou gegennemenou) “Of one having been born blind,” a thing that was prophetically to be fulfilled in the Messiah, as foretold, Isa 61:1-2; Luk 4:18-21; Isa 42:6-7.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(32) Since the world began was it not heard.Literally, from the world-age was it not heard. The phrase is a reminiscence of Isa. 64:4. (Comp. also Note on Luk. 1:70.)
The eyes of one that was born blind.This differentiates the miracle from the others in cases of blindness, and still more from all ordinary cures of maladies of the eyes. The man expresses what was simply true, that no science or skill had at that time been equal to the removal of blindness which had accompanied birth. That modern science has succeeded in making even this possible, is altogether beside the question, unless it is pretended that human skill could effect it under like conditions and with the same means. For the man himself there had been years of darkness without a ray of hope, for none had ever dreamt that recovery was within the limits of possibility; and now that the blessing has come, he regards it as the gift of God, and doubts not that the immediate giver is from God.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
32. Since the world began Philosophers at the present day, like Hume and his followers, maintain that as miracles are contrary to experience, they can never take place. But, 1. A thing is not contrary to experience because it is unexperienced. To be contrary to experience, somebody must have a positive experience that a miracle cannot take place. But no one ever had or can have such an experience. 2. Miracles are not contrary but according to experience. This man could hold that giving sight to the blind-born was hitherto unexperienced; but he positively knew that it was not contrary to experience, for he knew that he himself had just experienced it. 3. Human experience is, that the so-called laws of nature are in themselves permanent, and yet that their operations are sometimes interrupted or varied by divine interpositions. And these two experiences are perfectly consistent with each other. Hence our man here correctly argues, human experience is, that ordinarily the born-blind is never restored; but a human experience also is, that in the present case the operation of that law has received a divine exception. 4. To say that a miracle never happened, because it is contrary to experience, is reasoning in a circle. For to say “it is contrary to experience” is but to say, in other words, that “it never happened.” So that the reasoning then is: A miracle “never happened” because it “never happened.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joh 9:32-33. Since the world began was it not heard Philosophers are unanimouslyagreed, that it is impossible to give sight by any natural means to one who is born blind. And indeed the Jewish rabbies themselves reckon it among the characteristics of the Messiah, that he should open the eyes of the blind. The honest courage of this man, in adhering to the truth, though he knew the consequence, Joh 9:22 gives hima claim to the title of confessor; and it is unnecessary to point out to any reader of this portion of scripture the closeness, strength, and clearness of his reasoning. We may however learn from it, that a plain man, void of the advantages of learning and education, but who has honest dispositions, is in a fairer way to understand truth, than a whole council of learned doctors, who are under the strong influence of prejudice.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
Ver. 32. Since the world began was it not heard ] Those historians then that have ascribed such a power to Vespasian, as to cure men that were born blind, are in no wise to be believed. (Dio in Vespas.) Vopiscus (who himself was one of them) ingenuously confesseth (in Vita Aureliani), neminem historicorum non aliquid esse mentitum, that they are all liars more or less, especially in setting forth the lives and acts of their emperors.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Joh 9:32 . , rather “from of old” than “since the world began”. Cf. Luk 1:70 , , and Act 3:21 ; Act 15:18 . To this there is no reply but abuse and dismissal.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Since the world began. Greek. ek tou aionos. See App-151. This phrase Occurs only here in N.T. See note on Joh 6:64.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 9:32
Joh 9:32
Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind.-Such a case had never been known. [Certain kinds of blindness have been and may be cured, but this unheard-of cure-one born blind-he insisted could be attributed only to the power of God.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Since: It is worthy of remark, that, from the foundation of the world, no person born blind had been restored to sight, even by surgical operation, till about the year 1728; when the celebrated Dr. Cheselden, by couching the eyes of a young man fourteen years of age, restored them to perfect vision. This was the effect of well-directed surgery; that performed by Christ was wholly a miracle, effected by the power of God. The simple means employed could have had no effect in this case, and were merely employed as symbols.
the world: Job 20:4, Isa 64:4, Luk 1:70, Rev 16:18
Reciprocal: Mar 2:12 – We never Mar 10:52 – he received Joh 9:1 – he saw Joh 10:21 – Can Joh 15:24 – If
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2
This verse is a statement of truth that is backed up by the history of mankind, but it did not require inspiration to say it, for any person could say the same thing on the strength of history.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The man was correct that Scripture recorded no former healing of a man born blind. Evidently Jesus had not healed anyone in this condition previously either. At least this restored man had not heard of any such cases. He concluded that Jesus must have come from God. He did not qualify as the sinner that the Pharisees where making Him out to be.