The Meaning of John 9:17 Explained

John 9:17

KJV: They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.

YLT: They said to the blind man again, 'Thou -- what dost thou say of him -- that he opened thine eyes?'

Darby: They say therefore again to the blind man, What dost thou say of him, that he has opened thine eyes? And he said, He is a prophet.

ASV: They say therefore unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, in that he opened thine eyes? And he said, He is a prophet.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They say  unto the blind man  again,  What  sayest  thou  of  him,  that  he hath opened  thine  eyes?  He said,  He is  a prophet. 

What does John 9:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Faced with having to decide if Jesus was from God or not, the healed man concluded that He was a prophet similar to other miracle-working Old Testament prophets (e.g, 2 Kings 2:19-22; 2 Kings 4:18-44; 2 Kings 5:1-14). This was an advance over his previous description of Jesus as simply "the man called Jesus" ( John 9:11). His faith was growing.

Context Summary

John 9:13-25 - The Testimony Of Personal Experience
The jealous Pharisees now set themselves to discredit the miracle and to throw suspicion upon the witness. But their hostility, prompted by jealousy and vindictiveness, forced the healed man to realize the moral majesty of Jesus. His eyes became opened to the true values of things, as well as to the world of nature. In a day he had grown far away from the parents, who were simple people, unaccustomed to the glare of publicity, and very much afraid of these religious magnates.
It is marvelous to note this man proving himself more than a match for his opponents, and answering them with a simplicity and a majesty that confounded them. Matthew 10:19. He needed, however, a touch that no human wisdom could impart, and this was given by Christ, who always seeks those whom man casts out and those who dare to live up to the truth they know. Notice the steps: He is a prophet; He is not a sinner; He is from God; he worshiped Him. None come in contact with Christ without being blinded or enlightened. Our guilt is proportioned to our refusal of the light. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 9

1  The man born blind is restored to sight
8  He is brought to the Pharisees
13  They are offended at it;
35  but he is received of Jesus, and confesses him
39  Who they are whom Jesus enlightens

Greek Commentary for John 9:17

Unto the blind man again [τωι τυπλωι παλιν]
The doctors disagree and they ask the patient whose story they had already heard (John 9:15). In that he opened thine eyes Causal use of οτι — hoti and triple augment in the first aorist active indicative of ανοιγω — anoigō They offer the excuse that the man‘s experience particularly qualified him to explain the “how,” overlooking the fact he had already told his story and also trying to conceal their own hopeless division of opinion. He is a prophet The man will go that far anyhow. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 9:17

John 10:19 There was a division [σχίσμα ἐγένετο]
Rev., more correctly, there arose. The word σχίσμα , division, from σχίζω , to cleave, describes a fact which continually recurs in John's narrative. See John 6:52, John 6:60, John 6:66; John 7:12, John 7:25sqq.; John 8:22; John 9:16, John 9:17; John 10:19, John 10:24, John 10:41; John 11:37sqq.; John 12:19, John 12:29, John 12:42; John 16:18, John 16:19. [source]
John 9:21 But how he now seeth we know not [πως δε νυν βλεπει ουκ οιδαμεν]
Concerning the third question they profess ignorance both as to the “how” Opened First aorist active indicative with single augment of ανοιγω — anoigō same form as ηνεωιχεν — ēneōixen (triple augment) in John 9:17. 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. [source]
John 9:24 A second time [εκ δευτερου]
He had given the Pharisees the facts the first time (John 9:15). It was really the third time (see παλιν — palin in John 9:17). Now it was like a joke unless the Pharisees meant to imply that his previous story was untrue. Give glory to God Second aorist active imperative of διδωμι — didōmi (cf. σχεσ ες — sches class="normal greek">αμαρτωλος εστιν — hes). This phrase does not mean gratitude to God as in Luke 17:18. It is rather an adjuration to speak the truth (Joshua 7:19; 1 Samuel 6:5) as if he had not done it before. Augustine says: “Quid est Da gloriam Deo? Nega quod accepisti. ” Is a sinner (δικαιος — hamartōlos estin). They can no longer deny the fact of the cure since the testimony of the parents (John 9:19) and now wish the man to admit that he was lying in saying that Jesus healed him. He must accept their ecclesiastical authority as proving that Jesus had nothing to do with the cure since Jesus is a sinner. They wish to decide the fact by logic and authority like all persecutors through the ages. Recall the Pharisaic distinction between αμαρτωλος — dikaios (righteous) and hamartōlos (sinner). [source]
John 9:26 What did he do to thee? [Τι εποιησεν σοι]
Another cross-examination, now admitting that Jesus opened his eyes and wishing again (John 9:15, John 9:17) to know “how.” [source]
John 9:27 I told you even now [ειπον υμιν ηδη]
In 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” (και — kai) that Jesus had some “disciples” (ματηται — mathētai predicate nominative with the infinitive γενεσται — genesthai) and that the Pharisees knew that fact. “Do ye also (like the Galilean mob) wish, etc.” See John 7:45-52. It cut to the bone. [source]
John 9:28 They reviled him [ελοιδορησαν αυτον]
First aorist active indicative of λοιδορεω — loidoreō old verb from λοιδορος — loidoros (reviler, 1 Corinthians 5:11), in N.T. only here, Acts 23:4; 1 Corinthians 4:12; 1 Peter 2:23. Thou art his disciple Probably a fling in εκεινου — ekeinou (of that fellow). He had called him a prophet (John 9:17) and became a joyful follower later (John 9:36-38). But we are disciples of Moses This they said with proud scorn of the healed beggar. All orthodox rabbis so claimed. [source]

What do the individual words in John 9:17 mean?

They say therefore to the blind [man] again What you say concerning Him for He opened of you the eyes - And he said - A prophet He is
λέγουσιν οὖν τῷ τυφλῷ πάλιν Τί σὺ λέγεις περὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἠνέῳξέν σου τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς δὲ εἶπεν ὅτι Προφήτης ἐστίν

λέγουσιν  They  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
τῷ  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
τυφλῷ  blind  [man] 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: τυφλός  
Sense: blind.
πάλιν  again 
Parse: Adverb
Root: πάλιν  
Sense: anew, again.
λέγεις  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
περὶ  concerning 
Parse: Preposition
Root: περί 
Sense: about, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near.
ἠνέῳξέν  He  opened 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀνοίγω 
Sense: to open.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ὀφθαλμούς  eyes 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ὀφθαλμός  
Sense: the eye.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
εἶπεν  he  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
ὅτι  - 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
Προφήτης  A  prophet 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προφήτης  
Sense: in Greek writings, an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things.
ἐστίν  He  is 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.