John 9:22 Meaning and Explanation
“These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →John explains the parents' evasiveness: the authorities had already agreed to expel from the synagogue anyone who confessed Jesus as Christ.
What Does John 9:22 Mean?
John steps outside the scene to tell us what the parents knew: a ruling was already in place. To confess Jesus as Christ meant being put out of the synagogue — cut off from the community's worship, standing, and daily belonging. For an ordinary family, that was social and spiritual exile.
The verdict had been fixed before the evidence was heard; that is the quiet scandal of the verse. It also tells us the cost of confession was real, as Jesus would later warn his followers it would remain (John 16:2). The parents guard their place and lose their part in the story; their son will lose his place and find the Lord. The chapter gently asks which trade we are making.
John 9:22 in the Original Language
aposynagogos (ἀποσυνάγωγος), 'put out of the synagogue' -- expelled from the synagogue community; the word appears only in John's Gospel (9:22; 12:42; 16:2).
Frequently Asked Questions About John 9:22
What does John 9:22 mean?
John explains the parents' evasiveness: the authorities had already agreed to expel from the synagogue anyone who confessed Jesus as Christ.