John 9:25

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!”

Parallel Translations

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.

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.

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."

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."

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."

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."

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!"

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!"

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.

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."

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.

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."

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.

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.

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!"

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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."

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."

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.

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."

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!"

Contextual Overview

¹³They brought the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees. ¹⁴The day that Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath. ¹⁵Then the Pharisees asked him again how he received his sight. ¹⁶Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was a division among them. ¹⁷Again they asked the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he opened your eyes?” ¹⁸The Jews did not believe this about him—that he was blind and received sight—until they summoned the parents of the one who had received his sight. ¹⁹They asked them, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” ²⁰“We know this is our son and that he was born blind,” his parents answered. ²¹“But we don’t know how he now sees, and we don’t know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he’s of age. He will speak for himself.” ²²His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jews, since the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed him as the Messiah, he would be banned from the synagogue.

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 serpent:

Genesis 4:11
So now you are cursed, alienated from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed.

Genesis 9:7
But you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out over the earth and multiply on it.”

Genesis 9:8
Then God said to Noah and his sons with him,

Genesis 9:20
Noah, as a man of the soil, began by planting a vineyard.

Genesis 9:21
He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.

Genesis 9:22
Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside.

Genesis 9:28
Now Noah lived 350 years after the flood.

Genesis 49:7
Their anger is cursed, for it is strong,and their fury, for it is cruel!I will disperse them throughout Jacoband scatter them throughout Israel.

Deuteronomy 27:16
‘The one who dishonors his father or mother is cursed.’

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.