John 9:17

17 So they said to the blind man again, "What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?" And he said, "He is a prophet."

John 9:17 Meaning and Commentary

John 9:17

They say unto the blind man again
After they had discoursed among themselves, and could not agree about the author of the miracle, they turn to him that had been blind, who is called the blind man, because he had been so, and ask him his sentiments of him:

what sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes?
the question seems, at first sight, as if it was, whether Jesus had opened his eyes or not; but by the answer it appears, that it required his thoughts of him, "who hath opened thine eyes", as the Vulgate Latin and Persic versions read; or "seeing", or "because he hath opened thine eyes", as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions:

he said, he is a prophet;
the Syriac and Persic versions read, "I say he is a prophet"; or, "he is certainly a prophet", as the Arabic version. The Jews were wont to conclude a man's being a prophet from miracles wrought by him; see ( John 6:14 ) ( 7:31 ) ; though it does not appear that he believed him, as yet, to be that prophet, or the Messiah, that was to come; see ( John 9:36 ) .

John 9:17 In-Context

15 So the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received sight. And he said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."

16 So some of the Pharisees were saying, "This man is not from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath!" Others were saying, "How can a man [who is] a sinner perform such signs?" And there was a division among them.

17 So they said to the blind man again, "What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?" And he said, "He is a prophet."

18 So the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and received sight, until they summoned the parents of the one who received sight.

19 And they asked them, saying, "Is this man your son, whom you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?"