What does John 9:10 mean?

Explanation

John 9:10 recounts a moment when a man who had been born blind is questioned about how he gained his sight.

Here, members of the community or a group of Pharisees are likely the inquirers, expressing skepticism or curiosity about the miracle.

The question, "How were thine eyes opened?" is straightforward, but it implies doubt and the desire for an explanation of the miraculous event.

At a deeper level, it reflects the human search for understanding when confronted with the inexplicable, and it sets the stage for a testimony of Jesus' miraculous power.

Historical Context

This verse is part of the narrative found in John 9, which describes the healing of a man born blind by Jesus.

The Gospel according to John is believed to have been written towards the end of the 1st century AD.

This was a time when the early Christian community was seeking to establish its identity and affirm the divinity of Jesus Christ.

The miracle of giving sight to the blind man serves as a powerful sign of Jesus' divine authority and helps to validate the claim of His Messiahship to a skeptical audience, including His followers and critics.

Theological Insights

From a Christian theological perspective, this verse serves two key insights:

• Divine Intervention: The act of Jesus giving sight to a physically blind man symbolizes divine intervention in the human condition, suggesting that Jesus has the power to bring enlightenment and salvation.
• Faith and Skepticism: The questioning by the people reflects a common theme in the Gospels, the tension between faith and skepticism.

The response of the healed man, which follows in subsequent verses, is seen as an affirmation of faith in Jesus' miraculous abilities.

Different denominations may focus on various aspects of this miracle, such as an allegory for spiritual awakening or a literal account of Jesus' divine power over physical ailments.

Practical Applications

This verse can inspire individuals to seek clarity and understanding in situations that may seem inexplicable.

Christians might find encouragement to share their personal 'testimonies' of transformation and enlightenment in their faith journey.

Furthermore, it underscores the importance of being open to witnessing the work of the divine in everyday life, even when it defies conventional expectations.

Cross-References

• John 9:1-7: The immediate context where Jesus heals the man born blind by making clay with spit and anointing the man's eyes.
• John 9:25: The man's assertion of his experience: "One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see."
• Mark 10:46-52: Another instance of Jesus healing a blind man, Bartimaeus.
• Luke 18:35-43: Luke's account of the healing of a blind beggar.

Language Study

In the original Greek text, the verb used for 'opened' is ἠνοίγησαν (ēnoigēsan), which is the aorist passive 3rd person plural of ἀνοίγω (anoigō), meaning 'to open'.

The use of the passive voice indicates that the action was done to the man's eyes, emphasizing the external power (presumably Jesus's intervention) that caused the opening and thus the healing.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In various cultures and religious texts, healing the blind is often symbolic of divine power or enlightenment.

For example, in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata, the character Dhritarashtra is blind, and his condition has symbolic significance.

In Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet who was said to have been given the gift of prophecy as compensation for his loss of sight.

The healing by Jesus takes on a dual meaning in the biblical context: as a genuine physical healing and as a metaphor for spiritual awakening.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern scientific understandings of blindness and its treatments are vastly different from those in ancient times, with advanced procedures such as cataract surgery or corneal transplants.

Yet, the sudden healing depicted in John 9:10 does not have a parallel in medical science, reaffirming to believers that it was a miraculous event beyond the scope of natural explanation.

Commentaries

Commentators throughout history have reflected on this verse in varied ways:

• Matthew Henry's Commentary emphasizes the ignorance of the questioners, pointing out that they seemed more concerned with the process of healing rather than the miraculous nature of the event itself.
• John Calvin's Commentary remarks on the significance of the miracle as a divine act and how it is in human nature to inquire about things that seem extraordinary or implausible.
• The IVP New Testament Commentary Series discusses the social and religious implications of the healing, noting how the blind man's testimony confronts the disbelief of the community.

Each commentary looks at the intersection of the miraculous with human responses to the divine, reflecting on the deeper implications of Jesus's works on individual faith and broader societal perspectives.