John 9:37

Joh 9:37. Ἑώρακας, thou hast seen) Thou hast begun to see with these eyes of thine, which have been opened for thee.—ὁ λαλῶν, He who speaks) A lowly speech, being framed in the third person.

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

Joh_9:37-38. Καὶ … καὶ] thou hast actually seen Him, and, etc. Comp. on Joh_6:36. The substantial meaning of the second clause is: and hearest Him speak with thee; but it has a more concrete and lively turn.

ἑώρακας] refers to the present interview, not to a former one; for he had not seen Jesus whilst the act of healing was being performed, and he had not returned to Him from Siloam (see on Joh_9:7). The use of the perf. as the present, of completed action (thou hast a view of Him), need not surprise (Bernhardy, p. 378).

ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν] ἐκεῖνος is not predicate (Hilgenfeld in his Zeitschrift, 1859, p. 416); but, as Johns very favourite manner is, subject, demonstratively comprehending the foregoing participial designation of the same, as in Joh_1:18; Joh_1:33, Joh_5:11. Comp. 2Co_10:18. So also in the Classics, although they more frequently use οὗτος in this way (see Krüger on Thuc. 2. 15. 4). The connection alone, then, shows whether the person intended is some one else, or, as in this case, and in Joh_9:35, the speaker himself, who presents himself objectively as a third person, and thus introduces himself to the individual addressed with special emphasis. At the same time, the force of ἐκεῖνος is not thus transformed into that of idem or ipse.[52]

κύριε] jam augustiore sensu ita dicit, quam dixerat, Joh_9:36, Bengel.

προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ] John uses προσκυνεῖν solely of divine worship, Joh_4:20 ff., Joh_12:20. The man was seized by the feelingas yet indeed vague and indistinctof the divine δόξα, the bearer of which, the Messiah, the object of his newly awakened faith and confession, stands before him. The higher conception of ὁ υἱὸς τ. θεοῦ has struck him.

[52] In relation to the erroneous assertion that ἐκεῖνος in Joh_19:35 betrays an author different from the Apostle John (see on the passage), the Johannine use of the word was discussed at length by Steitz in d. Stud. u. Krit. 1859, p. 497 ff.; Buttmann in the same journal for 1860, p. 505 ff.; and then again by Steitz in the Stud. u. Krit. for 1861, p. 368 ff. These controversial discussions (see, finally, Steitz in Hilgenfelds ZeitsChr. 1862, p. 264 ff.) were in so far unnecessary, as the use of ἐκεῖνος in John does not deviate from the genuine Greek usage; and as the context of Joh_19:35 shows, as clearly as that of the present passage that the person who speaks is pointed to, being presented objectively as though he were a third person.

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.

Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him--the new sense of sight having at that moment its highest exercise, in gazing upon "the Light of the world."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

37. Thou hast both seen him. By these words of Christ the blind man could not be carried higher than to a very small and cold portion of faith. For Christ does not mention his power, or the reason why he was sent by the Father, or what he has brought to men. But what principally belongs to faith is, to know that, by the sacrifice of his death, atonement has been made for our sins, and we are reconciled to God; that his resurrection was a triumph over vanquished death; that we are renewed by his Spirit, in order that, being dead to the flesh and to sin, we may live to righteousness; that he is the only Mediator; that the Spirit is the earnest of our adoption; in short, that in him is found every thing that belongs to eternal life. But the Evangelist either does not relate the whole of the conversation which Christ held with him, or he only means that the blind man professed his attachment to Christ, so that henceforth he began to be one of his disciples. For my own part, I have no doubt that Jesus intended to be acknowledged by him as the Christ, that from this beginning of faith he might afterwards lead him forward to a more intimate knowledge of himself.

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.

(37) Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.—The answer reminds us of that to the woman of Samaria, “I that speak unto thee am He” (Joh_4:26); but here both the sense of sight and that of hearing are appealed to as conveying knowledge to the mind. There is a special fitness in the emphasis thus laid upon the seeing Him, in the case of one whose very power to see was witness to the presence of the Messiah. The words do not refer to any earlier meeting, but the perfect tense refers to the completion of the act of vision and the abiding impression.

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

37. Thou hast both seen him] Better, Thou hast even seen Him, and He that speaketh with thee is He. The latter half of the sentence is similar to the declaration in Joh_4:26. “This spontaneous revelation to the outcast from the synagogue finds its only parallel in the similar revelation to the outcast from the nation.” Westcott. Not even Apostles are told so speedily.

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.

And he said, Lord, I believe,.... He immediately found faith in his soul, and that in exercise, moving towards, and acting upon Christ, as the Son of God, and true Messiah, for everlasting life and salvation; and as soon as he did perceive it, he made an open and hearty profession of it:

and he worshipped him: as God, with religious worship and adoration, not only trusting in him, but ascribing honour, glory, and blessing to him, which are due to God only, and not a creature.

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

37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

Ver. 37. Thou hast both seen him] This seems to have been but some part of the discourse that passed between them, to make the man believe. Or if it were all, then we see as in a mirror the mighty power of Christ’s word. Well might he say, Joh 6:63; "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Well might Mr Fox say in his Acts and Monuments, speaking of the people of God here in England in the reign of Henry VIII, when they began to lift up their heads out of the puddle of Popery, "This one thing I greatly marvel and muse at, to note in the registers, and consider how the word of God did multiply so exceedingly as it did among them. For I find that one neighbour resorting and conferring with another, again with a few words of their first or second talk did win and turn their minds to that wherein they desired to persuade them, touching the truth of God’s word and sacraments."

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.

This is as much as, I am he. Thou hast not only seen him with the eyes of thy body, but thou hast had experience of his Divine virtue and power, in giving thee sight who wert born blind: thus seeing also signifieth, Joh 14:9. It is very observable here, that miracles do not work faith, but confirm it. The blind man had experienced here a miracle wrought upon himself, but yet he is an unbeliever, until the Lord cometh to give him the revelation of his word: faith cometh by hearing: but together with this word we must also conceive a mighty power to have flowed from Christ, inwardly enlightening him, and enabling him to discern the truth of what he told him, and making him yet further willing to receive him, and close with him.

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

And Jesus said, Thou hast both seen him, with the eyes so recently opened. Hast thou not found out that I am thy Healer, thy Prophet, thy Messiah? The ewrakav refers to the present interview, not to any previous one; for we are not told that he had already sought or found his Benefactor (Lucke, Meyer, Luthardt). Thou hast seen him with the eyes of thy spirit as well as the eyes of flesh, and, in addition, he that talketh with thee, familiarly as man with man, is he sublime Person who seems to stand far off from thought and experience" (Westcott). The ekeinov of this passage and Joh_19:35 also is a fairly classical usage for expressing, in the lips of the speaker, a reference to himself pointed at and presented objectively as a third person (see Meyer, and our note on Joh_19:35, and its bearing on the authorship of the Gospel). Nowhere does our Lord more openly admit that he as the Christ, the Son of God. The disciples scarcely rise beyond the climax of this revelation even on the night of the Passion. The man"s faith was waiting for its Object, and the vision comes to his unscaled spiritual vision.

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

Lord, I believe - What an excellent spirit was this man of! Of so deep and strong an understanding; (as he had just shown to the confusion of the Pharisees,) and yet of so teachable a temper!

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

37. καὶ ἑώρακας. Winer, p. 342. We are uncertain whether the first καὶ anticipates the second, ‘Thou hast both seen Him,’ or emphasizes the verb, ‘Thou hast even seen Him:’ the latter seems better.

ἐκεῖνος. S. John’s characteristic use of ἐκεῖνος to reproduce a previous subject with emphasis (see on Joh 1:18): He that speaketh with thee is He. Comp. Joh 4:26. “This spontaneous revelation to the outcast from the synagogue finds its only parallel in the similar revelation to the outcast from the nation” (Westcott). Not even Apostles are told so speedily.

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.

37.] These words καὶ ἑώρακας αὐτ. serve to remind the man of the benefit he has received, and to awaken in him the liveliest gratitude: compare Luk 2:30. They do not refer to a former seeing, when he was healed: this was the first time that he had seen his Benefactor.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

37. The reply of Jesus, beginning καὶ ἑώρακας αὐτόν, has a special force as addressed to a man who had been blind from his birth. “You have seen Him.” This was one of the first blessings which came to him through “the opening of his eyes.” In his case, faith followed immediately on the “seeing” of Jesus, in marked contrast with the case of those to whom it was said ἑωράκατέ [με] καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε (6:36, where see note).

καὶ ὁ λαλῶν μετὰ σοῦ ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν, “He who is talking with you is He.” Cf. 4:26 for a similar discovery of Himself to the Samaritan woman. For ἐκεῖνος, used by the speaker or narrator of himself, see on 19:35.

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