John 9:25

Contemporary English Version

The man replied, "I don't know if he is a sinner or not. All I know is that I used to be blind, but now I can see!"

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
The man answered, "I don't know if he is a sinner. But I do know this: I was blind, and now I can see."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
He answered and sayde: Whyther he be a synner or noo I cannot tell: One thinge I am sure of that I was blynde and now I se.

Hebrew Names Version
He therefore answered, "I don't know if he is a sinner. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."

International Standard Version
But he responded, "I don't know whether he is a sinner or not. The one thing I do know is that I used to be blind and now I can see!"

New American Standard Bible
He then answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."

New Century Version
He answered, "I don't know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see."

Update Bible Version
He therefore answered, Whether he is a sinner, I don't know: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

Webster's Bible Translation
He answered and said, Whether he is a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.

English Standard Version
He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."

World English Bible
He therefore answered, "I don't know if he is a sinner. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
He answered and said, That he is a sinner I know not: one thing I know, that I was blind, and now see.

Weymouth's New Testament
"Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know," he replied; "one thing I know--that I was once blind and that now I can see."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne he seide, If he is a synnere, Y woot neuer; o thing Y woot, that whanne Y was blynd, now Y se.

English Revised Version
He therefore answered, Whether he be a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

Berean Standard Bible
He answered, "Whether He is a sinner I do not know. There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!"

Amplified Bible
Then he answered, "I do not know whether He is a sinner [separated from God]; but one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."

American Standard Version
He therefore answered, Whether he is a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

Bible in Basic English
He said in answer, I have no knowledge if he is a sinner or not, but one thing I am certain about; I was blind, and now I see.

Complete Jewish Bible
He answered, "Whether he's a sinner or not I don't know. One thing I do know: I was blind, now I see."

Darby Translation
He answered therefore, If he is sinful I know not. One thing I know, that, being blind [before], now I see.

Etheridge Translation
He answered and said to them, Whether he be a sinner, I know not; but one (thing) I know, that I have been blind, and now, behold, I see.

Murdock Translation
He replied, and said to them: Whether he is a sinner, I know not; but, one thing I know, that I was blind, and lo, now I see.

King James Version (1611)
He answered, and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.

New Living Translation
"I don't know whether he is a sinner," the man replied. "But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!"

New Life Bible
The man who had been blind said to them, "I do not know if He is a sinner or not. One thing I know. I was blind, but now I can see."

New Revised Standard
He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then he answered, and sayd, Whether hee be a sinner or no, I can not tell: one thing I know, that I was blinde, and nowe I see.

George Lamsa Translation
He answered and said to them, If he is a sinner I do not know; but I do know one thing, that I was blind, and now behold, I see.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He, therefore, answered - Whether he is a sinner, I know not: One thing, I know, - That, whereas I was, blind, now, I see!

Douay-Rheims Bible
He said therefore to them: If he be a sinner, I know not. One thing I know, that whereas I was blind. now I see.

Revised Standard Version
He answered, "Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He aunswered, and sayde: Whether he be a sinner or no, I can not tell: One thyng I am sure of, that wheras I was blynde, nowe I see.

Good News Translation
"I do not know if he is a sinner or not," the man replied. "One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see."

Christian Standard Bible®
He answered, “Whether or not he’s a sinner, I don’t know. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!”

King James Version
He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

Lexham English Bible
Then that man replied, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I know—that although I was blind, now I see!"

Literal Translation
Then he answered and said, Whether He is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know; that being blind, now I see.

Young's Literal Translation
he answered, therefore, and said, `If he be a sinner -- I have not known, one thing I have known, that, being blind, now I see.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He answered, & sayde: Whether he be a synner or no, I can not tell: one thinge am I sure off, that I was blynde, and now I se.

Mace New Testament (1729)
whether he be so or not, said he, I don't know: one thing I very well know, that once I was blind, and now I see.

THE MESSAGE
He replied, "I know nothing about that one way or the other. But I know one thing for sure: I was blind... I now see."

New English Translation
He replied, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing—that although I was blind, now I can see."

New King James Version
He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."

Simplified Cowboy Version
The man said, "Whether Jesus is some kind of swindler, I do not know. But I'll tell you what I do know. I once was blind, but now I see!"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
He then answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."

Legacy Standard Bible
He then answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."

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

one: John 9:30, John 5:11, 1 John 5:10

Reciprocal: Song of Solomon 8:1 - I would John 5:15 - which John 9:39 - that they

Cross-References

Genesis 3:14
So the Lord God said to the snake: "Because of what you have done, you will be the only animal to suffer this curse— For as long as you live, you will crawl on your stomach and eat dirt.

Genesis 4:11
And so, I'll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm the land again.

Genesis 9:7
I want you and your descendants to have many children, so people will live everywhere on earth.

Genesis 9:8
Again, God said to Noah and his sons:

Genesis 9:20
Noah farmed the land and was the first to plant a vineyard.

Genesis 9:21
One day he got drunk and was lying naked in his tent.

Genesis 9:22
Ham entered the tent and saw him naked, then went back outside and told his brothers.

Genesis 9:28
Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood

Genesis 49:7
Now I place a curse on you because of your fierce anger. Your descendants will be scattered among the tribes of Israel.

Deuteronomy 28:18
You'll have only a few children, your crops will be small, and your herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and goats won't produce many young.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He answered and said,.... That is, the man who had been blind, who takes no notice of the confession they pressed him to, which is what he could not do; there being no collusion in this case, he only replies to the reproachful character they had given of his benefactor.

Whether he be a sinner or not, I know not: or "if he is a sinner I know not", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it, suggesting that he did not know he was a sinner; he could not charge him with being one; nor could he join with them in saying he was a sinner; nor did he think and believe he was: however, he was sure he had done a good thing to him, and in that he was no sinner; and what proof they had of his being one he could not tell: and be that as it will, adds he,

one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see; as if he should say, whatever charges you bring against the person that has done me this favour, which I am not able to answer to, you cannot reason me out of this; this I am sure of, that once I had no eyes to see with, and now I have, and that by the means of this man you reproach. And so it is with persons enlightened in a spiritual sense, whatever things they may be ignorant of, though they may not know the exact time of their conversion, nor have so much Gospel light and knowledge as others, or be so capable of expressing themselves, or giving such a distinct and orderly account of the work of God upon them as some can, nor dispute with an adversary for the truths of the Gospel, or have that faith of assurance, and discoveries of God's love, and the application of such great and precious promises as others have; yet this they know, that they were once blind, as to the knowledge of spiritual things, as to a saving knowledge of God in Christ, as to a true sight and sense of themselves, their sins and lost estate, as to the way of righteousness and salvation by Christ, or the work of the Spirit of God upon their souls, or as to any true and spiritual discerning of the Scriptures, and the doctrines of grace in them: but now they are comfortably assured, they see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the plague of their own hearts, the insufficiency of their righteousness to justify them before God, and the beauty, fulness, suitableness, and ability of Christ as a Saviour; and that their salvation is, and must be of free grace; and that they see the truths of the Gospel in another light than they did before, and have some glimpse of eternal glory and happiness, in the hope of which they rejoice.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not - The man had just said that he believed Jesus to be a prophet, John 9:17. By his saying that he did not know whether he was a sinner may be meant that though he might be a prophet, yet that he might not be perfect; or that it did not become him, being an obscure and unlearned man, to attempt to determine that question. What follows shows that he did not believe that he was a sinner, and these words were probably spoken in irony to deride the Pharisees. They were perverse and full of cavils, and were determined not to believe. The man reminded them that the question was not whether Jesus was a sinner; that, though that might be, yet it did not settle the other question about opening his eyes, which was the chief point of the inquiry.

One thing I know ... - About this he could have no doubt. He disregarded, therefore, their cavils. We may learn, also, here:

1. That this declaration may be made by every converted sinner. He may not be able to meet the cavils of others. He may not be able to tell how he was converted. It is enough if he can say, “I was a sinner, but now love God; I was in darkness, but have now been brought to the light of truth.”
2. We should not be ashamed of the fact that we are made to see by the Son of God. No cavil or derision of men should deter us from such an avowal.
3. Sinners are perpetually shifting the real point of inquiry. They do not inquire into the facts. They assume that a thing cannot be true, and then argue as if that was a conceded point. The proper way in religion is first to inquire into the facts, and then account for them as we can.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 25. Whereas I was blind, now I see. — He pays no attention to their cavils, nor to their perversion of justice; but, in the simplicity of his heart, speaks to the fact, of the reality of which he was ready to give them the most substantial evidence.