John 9:30

John 9:30 Meaning and Explanation

The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.

King James Version (KJV)

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The man marvels at his judges: you cannot say where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes.

What Does John 9:30 Mean?

Now the beggar turns the tables. The wonder in the room, he says, is no longer the healing but the experts' refusal of it: the trained guardians of Israel's faith cannot place a man who has just done what only God's power accomplishes. With this verse he begins a short, devastating argument (vv. 30-33).

An unschooled beggar out-reasons the council — a pattern God seems to love. "Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes" (Matthew 11:25; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:27). The man's only method is honesty about the evidence: weigh the work that was actually done rather than the status of the one who did it. No credentials are required for that kind of clear sight; in this chapter, credentials seem almost to hinder it.

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What does John 9:30 mean?

The man marvels at his judges: you cannot say where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes.

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