10:21a

But others replied: This phrase introduces the words of those Jewish people who were impressed by Jesus. They disagreed with the people who just said that Jesus had a demon. They argued against them, giving a reason why what they said could not be true.

These are not the words of a man possessed by a demon: This sentence disagrees with what the others said about Jesus. The speakers argued that Jesus could not be possessed by a demon because of what he said. In some languages it is more natural to translate the phrase the words with a verb. For example:

A man with a demon could not talk like this! (Good News Translation)
-or-
A man who is crazy with a demon does not say things like this. (New Century Version)
-or-
No one talks like this if he’s possessed by a demon. (God’s Word)

10:21b

Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?: This is a rhetorical question. The expected answer is “No.” The people used it to emphasize a negative statement. It indicates that a demon could not give sight to blind people. It is implied that only God could do this, or someone whom God had sent. There are two ways to translate this rhetorical question:

• Use a rhetorical question. For example:

Can a demon give sight to the blind? (God’s Word)

• Use a statement. For example:

No one like that could give sight to a blind person! (Contemporary English Version)

Translate this rhetorical question in a way that is natural in your language.

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