John 9:15 (KJV)

What does John 9:15 mean?

John 9:15 records a formerly blind man’s account to the Pharisees, a Jewish religious group, of how he came to see. His answer gives them a firsthand report of what Jesus did and what happened when the man washed.

The Pharisees ask the man after his neighbors have brought him to them. The man’s brief answer follows the order of events: clay on his eyes, washing, and sight. He speaks from his own experience rather than offering an explanation of how the healing happened.

The Greek behind John 9:15

• “received his sight” — ἀναβλέπω (anablepō): The Greek can mean to gain or regain sight. In this passage, the man had been blind from birth, so the phrase describes his gaining sight for the first time.
• “see” — βλέπω (blepō): The Greek carries the sense of seeing. The man ends his account with his present condition: he can now see.

Why John 9:15 matters

• The question is part of a repeated inquiry. “Again” recalls the earlier questions about how the man’s eyes were opened, when he gave his neighbors an account in verse 11.
• The report becomes important to a dispute about Jesus. Verse 14 says the clay was made and the man’s eyes were opened on the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest. In verse 16, some Pharisees question Jesus because of that timing.
• The man’s words keep his own experience before the Pharisees. When they ask him what he says about the person who opened his eyes, he answers, “He is a prophet” (verse 17).