John 9 · Verse 8

John 9:8

The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
John 9:8, King James Version

John 9:8 in other translations

BSBAt this, his neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging began to ask, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”
WEBTherefore the neighbors and those who saw that he was blind before said, “Isn’t this he who sat and begged?”
ASVThe neighbors therefore, and they that saw him aforetime, that he was a beggar, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
YLTthe neighbours, therefore, and those seeing him before, that he was blind, said, ‘Is not this he who is sitting and begging?'
DARBYThe neighbours therefore, and those who used to see him before, that he was a beggar, said, Is not this he that was sitting and begging?
BBEThen the neighbours and others who had seen him before in the street, with his hand out for money, said, Is not this the man who got money from people?
WebsterThe neighbors therefore, and they who before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?

What does John 9:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 9:8-15
8-15. The neighbours therefore ... said, Is not this he that sat and begged--Here are a number of details to identify the newly seeing with the long-known blind beggar.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 8. The neighbours, &c. This man seems to have been one who attracted considerable attention. The number of persons totally blind in any community is very small, and it is possible that this was the on]y blind beggar in Jerusalem. The case was one, therefore, likely to attract attention, and one where there could be no imposture, as he was generally known.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 That he was blind - Ὁτι τυφλος ην: but, instead of this, προσαιτης, when he begged, or was a beggar, is the reading of ABC*DKL, seven others, both the Syriac, both the Arabic, later Persic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Sahidic, Gothic, Slavonic, Vulgate, eight copies of the Itala, and some of the primitive fathers. This is in all probability the true reading, and is received by Griesbach into the text. Beggars in all countries have a language peculiar to themselves. The language of the Jewish beggars was the following: זבי כי Deserve something by me - Give me something that God may reward you. רכי ני זכי גר מך O ye tender-hearted, do yourselves good by me. Another form, which seems to have been used by such as had formerly been in better circumstances, was this: סכי כי מה הוינא אסתכל בי מה אנא Look back and see what I have been; look upon me now, and see what I am. See Lightfoot.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 9:8-12
Those whose eyes are opened, and whose hearts are cleansed by grace, being known to be the same person, but widely different in character, live as monuments to the Redeemer's glory, and recommend his grace to all who desire the same precious salvation. It is good to observe the way and method of God's works, and they will appear the more wonderful. Apply this spiritually. In the work of grace wrought upon the soul we see the change, but we see not the hand that makes it: the way of the Spirit is like that of the wind, which thou hearest the sound of, but canst not tell whence it comes, nor whither it goes.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

John 9:8 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.

ΟἱHoiTheG3588
οὖνounthereforeG3767
γείτονεςgeitonesneighboursG1069
καὶkaiandG2532
οἱhoithoseG3588
θεωροῦντεςtheōrounteshaving seenG2334
αὐτὸνautonhimG846
τὸto<the>G3588
πρότερονproteronbeforeG4387
ὅτιhotithatG3754
προσαίτηςprosaitēsa beggar
ἦν,ēnhe was,G1510
ἔλεγον·elegonwere saying;G3004
οὐχouchSurelyG3756
οὗτόςhoutosthisG3778
ἐστινestinisG1510
ὁhothe [one]G3588
καθήμενοςkathēmenossittingG2521
καὶkaiandG2532
προσαιτῶν;prosaitōnbegging?G4319

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

Cross references for John 9:8

  • 1 Samuel 2:8

    He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.

  • Luke 18:35

    And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:

  • 1 Samuel 21:11

    And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

  • Acts 3:2-11

    And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. …

  • Luke 16:20-22

    And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

  • Mark 10:46

    And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimeus, the son of Timeus, sat by the highway side begging.

  • Ruth 1:19

    So they two went until they came to Beth–lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth–lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Is not.
Ru 1:19; 1Sa 21:11
sat.
1Sa 2:8; Mr 10:46; Lu 16:20-22; 18:35; Ac 3:2-11

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

Context

  • John 9:7

    And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

  • John 9:8

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

  • John 9:9

    Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.

Read all of John 9

John 9:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces los vecinos, y los que antes le habían visto que era ciego, decían: ¿No es éste el que se sentaba y mendigaba?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Les voisins donc, et ceux qui, l’ayant vu auparavant, savaient qu’il était mendiant, dirent: N’est-ce pas celui qui était assis et qui mendiait?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Die Nachbarn nun und die ihn früher gesehen hatten, daß er ein Bettler war, sprachen: Ist dieser nicht der, der da saß und bettelte?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Itaque vicini, et qui viderant eum prius quia mendicus erat, dicebant: Nonne hic est qui sedebat, et mendicabat? Alii dicebant: Quia hic est.