John 9:8

8 And so neighbours, and they that had seen him before, for he was a beggar, said, Whether this is not 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 said these things, he spat into the earth, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed the clay on his eyes,

7 and said to him, Go, and be thou washed in the water of Siloam, that is to say, Sent. Then he went, and washed, and came seeing. [and said to him, Go, and be thou washen in the water, or cistern, of Siloam, that is interpreted, Sent. Therefore he went, and washed, and came seeing.]

8 And so neighbours, and they that had seen him before, for he was a beggar, said, Whether this is not he, that sat, and begged?

9 Other men said, That this it is; and other men said, Nay, but he is like him. But he said, I am [he].

10 Therefore they said to him, How be thine eyes opened?