John 9:8

8 The neighbors therefore, and they who before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?

John 9:8 Meaning and Commentary

John 9:8

The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen
him
For it seems the blind man was not a stranger, one that came out of the country to the city to beg; but a native of Jerusalem, that had long lived in a certain neighbourhood in it, and was well known to be what he was;

that he was blind;
the Alexandrian copy, and one of Beza's exemplars, and the Vulgate Latin version read, "that he was a beggar"; to which agree the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions: wherefore they

said, is this not he that sat and begged?
they particularly remark his begging posture; he was not laid all along, as the lame man in ( Acts 3:2 ) ; nor did he go from door to door, as others were used to do, but he sat in some certain place, as blind men generally did; see ( Matthew 20:30 ) .

John 9:8 In-Context

6 When he had thus spoken, he spit on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

7 And said to him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

8 The neighbors therefore, and they who before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?

9 Some said, This is he: others [said], He is like him: [but] he said, I am [he].

10 Therefore they said to him, How were thy eyes opened?