The Meaning of John 9:12 Explained

John 9:12

KJV: Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.

YLT: they said, therefore, to him, 'Where is that one?' he saith, 'I have not known.'

Darby: They said therefore to him, Where is he? He says, I do not know.

ASV: And they said unto him, Where is he? He saith, I know not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  said they  unto him,  Where  is  he?  He said,  I know  not. 

What does John 9:12 Mean?

Context Summary

John 9:1-12 - Jesus Opens Blind Eyes
At the close of the previous chapter our Lord bore the contradiction of sinners against Himself. The Jews had caught up the stones gathered to repair the Temple, in order to inflict the doom of the blasphemer; but Jesus passed through them unscathed and began to descend the great steps. To human gaze there was need for Jesus to hasten from His foes, John 8:59; in His thought there was greater need to heal this blind beggar. In the most leisurely manner, therefore, He made clay and wrought this miracle of sight. His heart was at rest in God. No great thing is wrought by those who live in perpetual ferment. Through the quiet heart God works His own works, and there will be time enough to get them all done before "the night cometh when no man can work," John 9:4.
Our Lord perceived that beneath the unpromising exterior of this man were elements of nobility, which He set Himself to elicit. The clay which the man found suddenly applied to his eyes awakened wonder, hope, expectation, and faith. It was a ladder by which he climbed from the pit of despair to the mount of joy. The walk to Siloam was a further venture of faith; but there were other steps to be taken ere he attained to the full stature of his discipleship. Some were forced on him by opposition; to others he was led by Christ Himself. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 9

1  The man born blind is restored to sight
8  He is brought to the Pharisees
13  They are offended at it;
35  but he is received of Jesus, and confesses him
39  Who they are whom Jesus enlightens

Greek Commentary for John 9:12

Where is he? [Που εστιν εκεινοσ]
The very question of John 7:11. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 9:12

John 7:11 The Jews [οι Ιουδαιοι]
The hostile leaders in Jerusalem, not the Galilean crowds (John 7:12) nor the populace in Jerusalem (John 7:25). Sought Imperfect active of ζητεω — zēteō “were seeking,” picture of the attitude of the Jewish leaders toward Jesus who had not yet appeared in public at the feast. In fact he had avoided Jerusalem since the collision in chapter 5. The leaders clearly wished to attack him. Where is he? “Where is that one? (emphatic use of εκεινος — ekeinos as in John 1:8; John 9:12). Jesus had been at two feasts during his ministry (passover in John 2:12.; possibly another passover in John 5:1), but he had avoided the preceding passover (John 6:4; John 7:1). The leaders in Jerusalem had kept in touch with Christ‘s work in Galilee. They anticipate a crisis in Jerusalem. [source]
John 9:9 Nay but he is like him [Ουχι αλλα ομοιος αυτωι εστιν]
Vigorous denial (αυτοι — ouchi) and mere similarity suggested. Associative instrumental case ομοιος — autoi after εκεινος ελεγεν — homoios The crowd is divided. He said (ekeinos elegen). Emphatic demonstrative (as in John 9:11, John 9:12, John 9:25, John 9:36), “That one spake up.” He knew. [source]
1 John 2:6 Even as he walked [κατως εκεινος περιεπατησεν]
Constative aorist active indicative summing up the life of Christ on earth with the emphatic use of the demonstrative εκεινος — ekeinos in reference to Christ as in 1 John 3:3, 1 John 3:5, 1 John 3:7, 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:17; John 7:11; John 9:12, John 9:28; John 19:21. [source]

What do the individual words in John 9:12 mean?

And they said to him Where is He He says Not I know
Καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ Ποῦ ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος Λέγει Οὐκ οἶδα

εἶπαν  they  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτῷ  to  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Ποῦ  Where 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ποῦ  
Sense: somewhere.
Λέγει  He  says 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
οἶδα  I  know 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: οἶδα  
Sense: to see.

What are the major concepts related to John 9:12?

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