Because of the two questions, it may be necessary in some languages to place the introductory expression they asked at the beginning of the verse. The two questions, moreover, may seem repetitious, since the first is a general statement and the second refers specifically to the curing of blindness. Sometimes the two can be effectively combined into a single question, for example, “What did he do to you in order to cure you of your blindness?”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .