John 9 · Verse 32

John 9:32

Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.

John 9:32, King James Version

John 9:32 in other translations

BSB	Never before has anyone heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
WEB	Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind.
ASV	Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind.
YLT	from the age it was not heard, that any one did open eyes of one who hath been born blind;
DARBY	Since time was, it has not been heard that any one opened the eyes of one born blind.
BBE	In all the years nobody has ever before seen the eyes of a man blind from birth made open.
Webster	Since the world began hath it not been heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.

What does John 9:32 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 9:24-34

24-34. Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner--not wishing him to own, even to the praise of God, that a miracle had been wrought upon him, but to show more regard to the honor of God than ascribe any such act to one who was a sinner.

Read the full comment on John 9:24-34 →

Barnes' Notes

Verse 32. Since the world began. Neither Moses nor any of the prophets had ever done this. No instance of this kind is recorded in the Old Testament. As this was a miracle which had never been performed, the man argued justly that he who had done it must be from God. As Jesus did it not by surgical operations, but by clay, it showed that he had power of working miracles by any means. It may be also remarked that the restoration of sight to the blind by surgical operations was never performed until the year 1728. Dr. Cheselden, an English surgeon, was the first who attempted it successfully, who was enabled to remove a cataract from the eye of a young man, and to restore sight. This fact shows the difficulty of the operation when the most skilful natural means are employed, and the greatness of the miracle performed by the Saviour.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 32 Since the world began - Εκ του αιωνος, From the age - probably meaning from the commencement of time. Neither Moses nor the prophets have ever opened the eyes of a man who was born blind: if this person then were not the best of beings, would God grant him a privilege which he has hitherto denied to his choicest favorites? Opened the eyes of one that was born blind - It will readily appear that our Lord performed no surgical operation in this cure: the man was born blind, and he was restored to sight by the power of God; the simple means used could have had no effect in the cure; the miracle is therefore complete. That there are cases, in which a person who was born blind may be restored to sight by surgical means, we know: but no such means were used by Christ: and it is worthy of remark that, from the foundation of the world, no person born blind has been restored to sight, even by surgical operation, till about the year of our Lord, 1728; when the celebrated Dr. Cheselden, by couching the eyes of a young man, 14 years of age, who had been born blind, restored him to perfect soundness. This was the effect of well directed surgery: that performed by Christ was a miracle.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 9:24-34

As Christ's mercies are most valued by those who have felt the want of them, that have been blind, and now see; so the most powerful and lasting affections to Christ, arise from actual knowledge of him. In the work of grace in the soul, though we cannot tell when, and how, and by what steps the blessed change was wrought, yet we may take the comfort, if we can say, through grace, Whereas I was blind, now I see. I…

Read the full comment on John 9:24-34 →

John 9:32 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἐκekOut ofG1537

τοῦtoutheG3588

αἰῶνοςaiōnosageG165

οὐκoukneverG3756

ἠκούσθηēkousthēit has been heardG191

ὅτιhotithatG3754

ἠνέῳξένēneōxenopenedG455

τιςtisanyoneG5100

ὀφθαλμοὺςophthalmous[the] eyesG3788

τυφλοῦtuphlouof [one] blindG5185

γεγεννημένου.gegennēmenouborn.G1080

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 9:32

Isaiah 64:4
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
Job 20:4
Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
Luke 1:70
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
Revelation 16:18
And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Since.It is worthy of remark, that, from the foundation of the world, no person born blind had been restored to sight, even by surgical operation, till about the year 1728; when the celebrated Dr. Cheselden, by couching the eyes of a young man fourteen years of age, restored them to perfect vision. This was the effect of well-directed surgery; that performed by Christ was wholly a miracle, effected by the power of God. The simple means employed could have had no effect in this case, and were merely employed as symbols.
the world.
Job 20:4; Isa 64:4; Lu 1:70; Re 16:18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

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.
John 9:32
Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
John 9:33
If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.

Read all of John 9

John 9:32 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Desde el siglo no fué oído, que abriese alguno los ojos de uno que nació ciego.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Jamais on n’entendit dire que quelqu’un ait ouvert les yeux d’un aveugle-né.
German Elberfelder 1871	Von Ewigkeit her ist es nicht erhört, daß jemand die Augen eines Blindgeborenen aufgetan habe.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	A sæculo non est auditum quia quis aperuit oculos cæci nati.