Paragraph 9:24–34

The Pharisees tried to frighten the man that Jesus had healed so that he would agree with them. They wanted him to say that he did not believe that Jesus was from God. But the man continued to defend Jesus. He also challenged them about why they did not see that God was working when Jesus healed him.

9:24a

So: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So here introduces what the Jewish religious leaders did when the man’s parents refused to answer them clearly.

a second time they called for the man who had been blind: The Jewish leaders summoned the man (called him to come to them) again. He apparently was not present at that time. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

The leaders called the man back (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind (New International Version)
-or-
Then they told/ordered the blind man who was healed to come a second time

9:24b

Give glory to God!: The expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as Give glory to God was a serious promise to tell the truth. The Jewish leaders wanted the man to make an oath. They were commanding him to speak the truth to them. For example:

Swear by God to tell the truth! (New Century Version)
-or-
Promise before God that you will tell the truth! (Good News Translation)
-or-
Speak the truth before God. (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Answer honestly with God as your witness.

9:24c

We know that this man is a sinner: The Jewish leaders wanted to convince the man who had been blind that Jesus was not a good person. They told him what they thought in order to influence him to think the same thing.

We: The pronoun We is exclusive here. The Jewish leaders wanted to persuade the healed man to agree with them.

this man: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as this man refers to Jesus. In this context it is good to avoid using an expression that shows respect. The speakers did not admire Jesus. You may refer to Jesus in a way that implies this. For example:

this person

a sinner: A sinner is someone who sins or does not obey the law. Here the Pharisees called Jesus a sinner because he did not obey their Sabbath law (see 9:16). However, though he did not follow all the Pharisees’ rules, he always obeyed God’s law.

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