John 9:20

New Life Version

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

Parallel Translations

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

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

King James Version
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.

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.

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

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;

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

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

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;

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

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

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:

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.

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;

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

English Revised Version
His parents answered and said, 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;

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:

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;

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

New Revised Standard
His parents answered, "We know that this 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;

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:

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.")

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.

Contextual Overview

¹³ They took the man who had been born blind to the proud religious law-keepers. ¹⁴ It was the Day of Rest when Jesus had made mud and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ Again the proud religious law-keepers asked the man who had been born blind how he had been made to see. He answered them, "Jesus put mud on my eyes. I washed and now I see!" ¹⁶ Some of the proud religious law-keepers said, "The Man Who did this is not from God because He worked on the Day of Rest." Others said, "How can a sinful man do powerful works?" They could not agree about Jesus. ¹⁷ They spoke again to the blind man, saying, "What do you say about Him since He opened your eyes?" He answered, "He is One Who speaks for God." ¹⁸ The Jews did not believe this man had been blind and had been made to see. They called his parents ¹⁹ and asked them, "Is this your son? Do you say he was born blind? How does he see now?" ²⁰ They answered, "We know this is our son and we know he was born blind. ²¹ But we do not know how it is that he can see now. We do not know who opened his eyes. He is old enough, ask him. He can tell you himself." ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. The Jews had talked among themselves. They had agreed that the person who said that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the Jewish place of worship.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Mark 9:21 - How

Cross-References

Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to work the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 4:2
Next she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was one who worked the ground.

Genesis 5:29
He gave him the name Noah. He said, "This one will give us rest from our work, from the hard work of our hands because the ground was cursed by the Lord."

Genesis 9:18
The sons of Noah who came out of the large boat were Shem, Ham and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.

Genesis 9:19
These three were the sons of Noah. And all the people of the earth came from them.

Genesis 9:24
When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him.

Genesis 9:26
He also said, "Honor and thanks be to the Lord, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.

Deuteronomy 20:6
Is there anyone who has planted grape vines and has not begun to eat their fruit? Let him go and return to his house or he might die in the battle and another man will begin to eat the fruit.

Deuteronomy 28:30
You will marry a wife. But another man will lie with her. You will build a house. But you will not live in it. You will plant vines. But you will not eat the fruit.

Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of the one who is right with God is a well of life, but the mouth of the sinful hides trouble.

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.