John 9:28

28. Then they reviled him] Omit ‘then.’ The word for ‘revile’ occurs nowhere else in the Gospels. Comp. 1Pe_2:23. Argument fails, so they resort to abuse.

Thou art his disciple] Better, Thou art that man’s disciple. They use a pronoun which expresses that they have nothing to do with Him. Comp. Joh_5:12 and Joh_7:11.

The pronouns are emphatic in both Joh_9:28 and Joh_9:29 : ‘Thou art His disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God hath spoken to Moses; but as for this fellow, &c.’

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9:28-29 The Pharisees could not defeat the logic of the miraculous sign (9:24-25, 30-33), so they turned from reason and cursed him (see 9:34). • The harsh division between Jesus and the religious leaders was clear. They considered those who followed Jesus to have rejected Moses and Judaism.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Joh 9:28. Ἐλοιδόρησαν, they reviled) They thought that they were loading him with dishonour, whomsoever they called by the term, a disciple of Christ.—ἐκέινου, of that man) By the use of this expression they put Jesus away to a distance from them.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joh_9:28-29. Ἐλοιδόρ.] as preliminary to the following words. Passionate outburst in an unrighteous cause.

σὺ εἶ μαθʼ ἐκ.] They had been unable to get out of him any declaration against Jesus, and regarded his behaviour, therefore, as a taking part with Christ. Bengel aptly remarks on ἐκείνου: Hoc vocabulo removent Jesum a sese. Comp. on Joh_7:11.

Joh_9:29. ἡμεῖς] once again with proud emphasis.

Μωϋσῇ] has the emphasis in opposition to τοῦτον, which thus receives the more contemptuous a meaning (Joh_6:42, and often).

πόθεν ἐστιν] i.e. by whom he is sent. Comp. Joh_8:14.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joh 9:28 . It serves its purpose of exasperating them and bringing them to the direct expression of their feelings. Ἐλοιδόρησαν … ἐστίν . “They reviled him.” On ἐκείνου Bengel has: “Hoc vocabulo removent Jesum a sese”.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. ἐλοιδόρησαν. The word occurs here only in the Gospels: comp. 1Pe 2:23. Argument fails, so they resort to abuse.

ἐκείνου. That man’s disciple: the pronoun expresses that they have nothing to do with Him: comp. Joh 9:12, Joh 7:12, Joh 19:21.

The pronouns are emphatic in both Joh 9:28 and Joh 9:29: ‘Thou art His disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God hath spoken to Moses; but as for this fellow, &c.’ See on Joh 9:16 and Joh 1:17.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Proud wickedness must needs at length break forth, which in vain lieth hid under a zeal of godliness.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 28. Then they reviled him] ελοιδορησαν. Eustathius derives λοιδορια from λογος, a word, and δορυ, a spear:- they spoke cutting, piercing words. Solomon talks of some who spoke like the piercings of a sword, Pr 12:18. And the psalmist speaks of words that are like drawn swords, Ps 55:21, words which show that the person who speaks them has his heart full of murderous intentions; and that, if he had the same power with a sword as he has with his tongue, he would destroy him whom he thus reproaches.

We are Moses' disciples.] By this they meant that they were genuine Pharisees; for they did not allow the Sadducees to be disciples of Moses.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

28. Then they upbraided him. It is probable that all the reproaches which were prompted by the violence of their rage and indignation were eagerly cast upon him; but there was this one reproach among men, that they called him an apostate from the Law. For, in their opinion, he could not be a disciple of Christ without revolting from the Law of Moses; and they expressly represent these two things as inconsistent with each other. It is a very plausible pretence, that they are afraid of revolting from the doctrine of Moses. For this is the true rule of piety, that we ought to listen to the prophets, by whom we certainly know that God has spoken; that our faith may not be carried about by any doctrines of men. From this principle they deduce their certainty as to the Law of Moses; but they lie when they say that they are the disciples of Moses, for they have turned aside from the end of the Law. Thus hypocrites are wont to tear God in pieces, when they wish to shelter themselves under his name. If Christ be the soul of the Law, as Paul tells us, (Romans 10:4,) what will the Law be when separated from him, but a dead body? We are taught by this example, that no man truly hears God, unless he be an attentive hearer of his word, so as to understand what God means and says.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(28) Then they reviled him.—The Greek word occurs only here in the Gospels. The other passages where it occurs in the New Testament are Act_23:4, 1Co_4:12, and 1Pe_2:23. It expresses the passionate outburst of their anger, which was excited by his question, and finds vent in heaping reproaches upon him.

Thou art his disciple.—They cast his own reproach back upon himself, but in stronger words than he had used they mark out the distinction between Jesus and themselves. Thou art that Man’s disciple.

But we are Moses’ disciples.—The emphasis of the words is important. We, as opposed to thou; Moses, as opposed to that Man’s.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

We know that God spoke to Moses,.... Out of the bush, and told him who he was, and sent him to deliver the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, and spoke the ten words, or law unto him, and by him delivered them to the children of Israel, and to whom he spake face to face, as a man does to his friend, and mouth to mouth, and not in dark sayings; they mean, they knew that Moses had his mission, commission, and credentials from God:

but as for this fellow; so they contemptuously called the Lord Jesus Christ,

we know not from whence he is; contradicting what others of them had said, Joh 7:27. They imagined they knew the country from whence he came, which they supposed to be Galilee, and the place where he was born, which they concluded was Nazareth; though in both they were in the wrong; and they knew his parents, Joseph and Mary, and his brethren and sisters; but as to his divine filiation, they knew nothing of it; nor would they own his mission, commission, and credentials to be from heaven; and pretended they had no reason to conclude they were.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples.

Ver. 28. Then they reviled him] As an apostate from the law, a noveller, a Nazarite, a disciple of Christ, Thou art his disciple, say they, and therefore a dolt, a dunce; as at this day in Italy and at Rome, the most honourable name of Christian is usually abused to signify. (D. Fulke.) The primitive persecutors painted Christ with an ass’s head and a book in his hand (as Tertullian saith), to signify that all his disciples, though they pretended learning, yet they were silly and ignorant people. Est enim Satanae pectus mendaciis faecundissimum, saith Luther. The basest can revile (as the abjects did David, Psa 35:15), and every black mouth cast dirt upon Christ’s disciples as the offscouring of all things, 1Co 4:13.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thou art his disciple - This they cast at him as a reproach. His defense of Jesus they regarded as proof that he was his follower, and this they now attempted to show was inconsistent with being a friend of Moses and his law. Moses had given the law respecting the Sabbath; Jesus had healed a man contrary, in their view, to the law of Moses. They therefore held Jesus to be a violater and contemner of the law of Moses, and of course that his followers were also.

We are Moses’ disciples - We acknowledge the authority of the law of Moses, which they alleged Jesus has broken by healing on that day.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

They reviled him with scornful[1] and disdainful language. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Maledixerunt, Greek: eloidoresan, reviled, rather than cursed.

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George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

If this were all their reviling, for them to tell this poor man that he was Christ’s disciple, it was a very tolerable imputation, and what the blind man had reason to glory in: their guilt in reviling is to be judged not so much from what they spake, for there was nothing of greater honour, as from what heart and spirit they spake it. A disciple signifies, one that followeth another, and learns of him. To be a disciple of Christ indeed, was the greatest thing that any could glory in; yet the imputation of it to this blind man is here called a reviling: whence we may observe, that the guilt of reviling is to be judged not so much from the words which a man speaketh, as from the frame of his spirit, and design of that in the speaking of them. If a man speaketh that of another which is good and true, yet if he doth it out of a design to expose him, to do him mischief, and make him odious unto others, God doth account this reviling, because it proceedeth from the hatred of our brother in our heart, and a design to do him harm. Again, though indeed it was no reproach to be called Christ’s disciple, yet they affixed this term upon this poor man out of a design to reproach him, and to expose him to the hatred of others. We are in the government of our tongues not only obliged to take heed what we say, but with what heart, and out of what design we speak it. A malicious design turns terms of the greatest honour into terms of reviling. Besides, they here oppose Christ and Moses: whereas, Moses was but the type, Christ the antitype; Moses prophesied of Christ, Christ was that Prophet which God had promised to raise up like unto him; Moses but the school master, who led them unto Christ.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

28. Moses’ disciples—The court puts on its dignity. Disciples of this Jesus, forsooth! We are disciples of the ancient founder of our law and nation!

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They reviled him, and Said,thou art the disciple of that Man (ekeinou) between whom and us there is an impassable chasm. Here is one of the strongest indications of the irreversible breach between the Jews and Jesus but we, instead of being his disciples, are disciples of Moses. This speech shows that, whatever the blind man meant to convey by the reproachful entreaty of ver. 27, the Jews took it as proof of his virtual confession of discipleship to Jesus, and this they assumed was tantamount to breaking with Moses. They assume that their traditionary interpretation of the Mastic Law has all the authority of the great Lawgiver himself.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

You are his disciple

"You are following Jesus!"

but we are disciples of Moses

The pronoun "we" is exclusive. The Jewish leaders are speaking only of themselves. AT: "but we are following Moses" (See: Exclusive and Inclusive "We")

We know that God has spoken to Moses

"We are sure that God has spoken to Moses"

we do not know where this one is from

Here the Jewish leaders are referring to Jesus. They imply that he has no authority to call disciples. AT: "we do not know where he comes from or where he gets his authority" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

Moses

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

28. καὶ ἐλοιδόρησαν αὐτόν, “and they reviled him.” Having failed to get anything out of the man which might be damaging to Jesus, they angrily accuse him of being on the side of Jesus.

Σὺ μαθητὴς εἶ ἐκείου, “you yourself are a disciple of that fellow.” ἐκεῖνος conveys a suggestion of contempt; and, as Bengel says, “hoc vocabulo remouent Iesum a sese.”

ἡμεῖς δέ κτλ., “we, on the contrary, are disciples of Moses,” as all orthodox Rabbis claimed to be.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Reviled [ελοιδορησαν] . The verb means to reproach or scold in a loud and abusive manner. Calvin, on 1Co 4:12, "being reviled we bless," remarks : "Loidoria is a harsher railing, which not only rebukes a man, but also sharply bites him, and stamps him with open contumely. Hence loidorein is to wound a man as with an accursed sting."

His disciple [μαθητης εκεινου] . Literally, that man's disciple. The pronoun has a contemptuous force which is not given by his.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.