John 9:3

3 Jesus replied, "Neither this man sinned nor his parents, but [it happened] so that the works of God could be revealed in him.

John 9:3 Meaning and Commentary

John 9:3

Jesus answered, neither hath this man sinned, nor his
parents
Not but that both were guilty of original sin, and had committed actual transgressions; but Christ's answer is to be considered agreeable to the design of the question; and the sense is, that it was not any sin that either of them had committed, whilst he was in the womb, or previous to his birth, that was the cause of this blindness; otherwise, all such irregularities and afflictions arise from sin, and the fall of man, as does that spiritual blindness with which all mankind are attended:

but that the works of God should be manifest in him;
that is, that Christ might have an opportunity of working a miracle in the cure of him, whereby it might appear that he is truly and properly God, the Son of God, and the Messiah; and so spiritual blindness, which has followed the fall of man, takes place in the elect of God in common with others, that the power of divine grace might be displayed in bringing them out of darkness into marvellous light.

John 9:3 In-Context

1 And [as he] went away, he saw a man blind from birth.

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?"

3 Jesus replied, "Neither this man sinned nor his parents, but [it happened] so that the works of God could be revealed in him.

4 It is necessary [for] us to do the deeds of the one who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work!

5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Footnotes

• [a]. *The words "[it happened]" are not in the Greek text but are implied