Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.

JOHN 9:24KJV
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John 9:24 (KJV)

What does John 9:24 mean?

John 9:24 describes how the religious leaders called the man who had been blind back in and told him to give glory to God, insisting that they know Jesus is a sinner. The leaders are pressuring the healed man to agree with their negative view of Jesus, rather than acknowledge what Jesus has done for him.

The scene takes place after Jesus healed a man who was born blind. The Pharisees, skeptical and upset about the miracle, summon the man again to question him. By saying "Give God the praise," they are urging him to credit God alone and deny any good in Jesus. Their statement, "we know that this man is a sinner," shows their fixed opinion about Jesus and their attempt to sway the man's testimony.

The Greek behind John 9:24

  • ἁμαρτωλός (hamartōlos) — "sinner": The Greek word here refers to someone who is morally or religiously in the wrong. The Pharisees use it to discredit Jesus, showing their judgment is already made.
  • δόξαν (doxan) — "praise" or "glory": This word often means giving honor or recognition. Here, the leaders use it to push the man to honor God in a way that excludes Jesus, reflecting their bias.
  • οἴδαμεν (oidamen) — "we know": This verb carries a sense of certainty or established knowledge. The Pharisees are not asking for the man's opinion but declaring their own conclusion about Jesus.

Why John 9:24 matters

  • John 9:24 reveals the pressure religious authorities put on witnesses to conform to their views, even when faced with clear evidence of a miracle.
  • The verse highlights the tension between acknowledging God's work and the refusal to see that work in someone they have already judged, like Jesus.
  • This moment sets up the man's bold response in the following verses, emphasizing personal experience over authority-driven tradition.

Where else these words appear

“they” Greek G5455 · used in 38 verses

  • Matthew 20:32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
  • Luke 8:8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
  • John 4:16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

“again” Greek G1208 · used in 45 verses

  • Matthew 21:30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
  • Acts 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
  • Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

“sinner” Greek G268 · used in 45 verses

  • Matthew 9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
  • Luke 6:33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
  • John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

“blind” Greek G5185 · used in 48 verses

  • Matthew 9:27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
  • Mark 8:23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
  • John 9:13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.