John 9:20

Contemporary English Version

The man's parents answered, "We are certain that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
His parents answered, "We know that this man is our son. And we know that he was born blind.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
His father and mother answered them and sayde: we wote well that this is oure sonne and that he was borne blynde:

Hebrew Names Version
His parents answered them, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

International Standard Version
His parents replied, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

New American Standard Bible
His parents then answered and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

New Century Version
His parents answered, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

Update Bible Version
His parents therefore answered and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:

Webster's Bible Translation
His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:

English Standard Version
His parents answered, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

World English Bible
His parents answered them, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
How then doth he now see? His parents answered them, and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind.

Weymouth's New Testament
"We know," replied the parents, "that this is our son and that he was born blind;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
His fadir and modir answeriden to hem, and seiden, We witen, that this is oure sone, and that he was borun blynd;

English Revised Version
His parents answered and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:

Berean Standard Bible
His parents answered, "We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind.

Amplified Bible
His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

American Standard Version
His parents answered and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:

Bible in Basic English
In answer his father and mother said, We are certain that this is our son and that he was blind at birth:

Complete Jewish Bible
His parents answered, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind;

Darby Translation
His parents answered [them] and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Etheridge Translation
His parents answered and said, We know that this (is) our son, and that blind he was born.

Murdock Translation
And his parents answered and said: We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

King James Version (1611)
His parents answered them, and said, We know that this is our sonne, and that he was borne blind:

New Living Translation
His parents replied, "We know this is our son and that he was born blind,

New Life Bible
They answered, "We know this is our son and we know he was born blind.

New Revised Standard
His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Geneva Bible (1587)
His parents answered them, and sayd, We know that this is our sonne, & that he was borne blinde:

George Lamsa Translation
His parents answered and said, We know that he is our son, and that he was born blind.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
His parents, therefore, answered, and said - We know that, this, is our son, and that, blind, he was born;

Douay-Rheims Bible
His parents answered them and said: We know that this is our son and that he was born blind:

Revised Standard Version
His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
His father & mother aunswered them, and sayde: We knowe that this is our sonne, and that he was borne blynde:

Good News Translation
His parents answered, "We know that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind.

Christian Standard Bible®
“We know this is our son and that he was born blind,” his parents answered.

King James Version
His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:

Lexham English Bible
So his parents answered and said, "We know that this man is our son, and that he was born blind.

Literal Translation
His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind.

Young's Literal Translation
His parents answered them and said, `We have known that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
His elders answered them, and sayde: We knowe, that this is oure sonne, and that he was borne blynde.

Mace New Testament (1729)
his parents answered, that this is our son, and that he was born blind: we are very certain.

THE MESSAGE
His parents said, "We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind. But we don't know how he came to see—haven't a clue about who opened his eyes. Why don't you ask him? He's a grown man and can speak for himself." (His parents were talking like this because they were intimidated by the Jewish leaders, who had already decided that anyone who took a stand that this was the Messiah would be kicked out of the meeting place. That's why his parents said, "Ask him. He's a grown man.")

New English Translation
So his parents replied, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

New King James Version
His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Simplified Cowboy Version
His parents knew they were in a sticky situation and said, "This is our boy, and yes, he was born blind as a bat.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Legacy Standard Bible
So his parents answered and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Contextual Overview

¹³The day when Jesus made the mud and healed the man was a Sabbath. So the people took the man to the Pharisees. ¹⁵ They asked him how he was able to see, and he answered, "Jesus made some mud and smeared it on my eyes. Then after I washed it off, I could see." ¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, "This man Jesus doesn't come from God. If he did, he would not break the law of the Sabbath." Others asked, "How could someone who is a sinner work such a miracle?" Since the Pharisees could not agree among themselves, ¹⁷ they asked the man, "What do you say about this one who healed your eyes?" "He is a prophet!" the man told them. ¹⁸ But the Jewish leaders would not believe that the man had once been blind. They sent for his parents ¹⁹ and asked them, "Is this the son that you said was born blind? How can he now see?" ²⁰ The man's parents answered, "We are certain that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind. ²¹ But we don't know how he got his sight or who gave it to him. Ask him! He is old enough to speak for himself." ²²The man's parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The leaders had already agreed that no one was to have anything to do with anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah. ²⁴ The leaders called the man back and said, "Swear by God to tell the truth! We know that Jesus is a sinner."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Mark 9:21 - How

Cross-References

Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God sent them out of the Garden of Eden, where they would have to work the ground from which the man had been made.

Genesis 4:2
Later she had another son and named him Abel. Abel became a sheep farmer, but Cain farmed the land.

Genesis 5:29
Lamech said, "I'll name him Noah because he will give us comfort, as we struggle hard to make a living on this land that the Lord has put under a curse."

Genesis 9:18
Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, came out of the boat. Ham later had a son named Canaan.

Genesis 9:19
All people on earth are descendants of Noah's three sons.

Genesis 9:24
When Noah woke up and learned what his youngest son had done,

Genesis 9:26
I ask the Lord my God to bless Shem and make Canaan his slave.

Deuteronomy 20:6
If any of you have planted a vineyard but haven't had your first grape harvest, you may go home. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to enjoy your grapes.

Deuteronomy 28:30
A man will be engaged to a woman, but before they can get married, she will be raped by enemy soldiers. Some of you will build houses, but never get to live in them. If you plant a vineyard, you won't be around long enough to enjoy the first harvest.

Proverbs 10:11
The words of good people are a source of life, but evil hides behind the words of the wicked.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

His parents answered them, and said,.... What follows, which contains distinct answers to the several questions: and to the first they reply very freely, and with great confidence,

we know that this is our son; for though his receiving his sight made a considerable alteration in him, yet his features were the same; and there might be some marks in his body, which they were acquainted with, by which they knew assuredly he was their son: and if even the neighbours, though they disagreed about him, yet some of them knew him to be the same person that had been blind and begged, then much more his parents; and even those who said it was not he, yet they owned he was like him: and with respect to the second question they answer,

and that he was born blind: this they were ready to attest, and did attest.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

His parents answered ... - To the first two questions they answered without hesitation. They knew that he was their son, and that he was born blind. The third question they could not positively answer, as they had not witnessed the means of the cure, and were afraid to express their belief. It appears that they had themselves no doubt, but they were not eye-witnesses, and could not be therefore legal evidence.

He is of age - He is of sufficient age to give testimony. Among the Jews this age was fixed at thirteen years.

If any man did confess that he was Christ - Did acknowledge that he was the Messiah. They had prejudged the case, and were determined to put down all free inquiry, and not to be convinced by any means.

Put out of the synagogue - This took place in the temple, or near the temple. It does not refer, therefore, to any immediate and violent putting forth from the place where they were. It refers to excommunication from the synagogue. Among the Jews there were two grades of excommunication; the one for lighter offences, of which they mentioned 24 causes; the other for greater offences. The first excluded a man for 30 days from the privilege of entering a synagogue, and from coming nearer to his wife or friends than 4 cubits. The other was a solemn exclusion forever from the worship of the synagogue, attended with awful maledictions and curses, and an exclusion from all contact with the people. This was called the curse, and so thoroughly excluded the person from all communion whatever with his countrymen, that they were not allowed to sell to him anything, even the necessaries of life (Buxtorf). It is probable that this latter punishment was what they intended to inflict if anyone should confess that Jesus was the Messiah: and it was the fear of this terrible punishment that deterred his parents from expressing their opinion.