John 9:8

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”

John 9:8 in Other Translations

8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?

8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?"

8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”

8 Soon the town was buzzing. His relatives and those who year after year had seen him as a blind man begging were saying, "Why, isn't this the man we knew, who sat here and begged?"

8 The neighbors therefore, and they that saw him aforetime, that he was a beggar, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?

8 His neighbors and those who had previously seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?"

8 His neighbors and those who formerly had seen him as a beggar said, "Isn't this the man who sat begging?"

8 His neighbors and those who had earlier seen him begging asked questions. "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" they asked.

John 9:8 Meaning and Commentary

John 9:8

The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen
him
For it seems the blind man was not a stranger, one that came out of the country to the city to beg; but a native of Jerusalem, that had long lived in a certain neighbourhood in it, and was well known to be what he was;

that he was blind;
the Alexandrian copy, and one of Beza's exemplars, and the Vulgate Latin version read, "that he was a beggar"; to which agree the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions: wherefore they

said, is this not he that sat and begged?
they particularly remark his begging posture; he was not laid all along, as the lame man in ( Acts 3:2 ) ; nor did he go from door to door, as others were used to do, but he sat in some certain place, as blind men generally did; see ( Matthew 20:30 ) .

John 9:8 In-Context

6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.

7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”

9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

Cross References

• 1. Acts 3:2,10