The connection between this verse and the preceding one is evident. Having stated that he is the light for the world, Jesus now illustrates what that means by healing the man’s blindness.

The expression made some mud with the spittle may require a more specific indication of how the mud was made, for example, “mixed the dirt with the spittle” or “by means of his fingers mixed the dirt with the spittle to make mud.”

In place of the verb rubbed … on (New English Bible “spread on”; Moffatt, New American Bible “smeared on”; Revised Standard Version “anointed”), one ancient Greek manuscript reads “put on.” This reading may be the basis for Jerusalem Bible “put this over” and Phillips “applied to.” In verse 15 the verb put … on is used when the man describes what Jesus did to him. It is probably the basis for the reading “put on” in verse 6 of one Greek manuscript.

In rendering he rubbed the mud on the man’s eyes it is important to avoid the suggestion that he “rubbed the mud into the man’s eyes.” What apparently happened was that Jesus smeared the mud over the man’s eyelids. This fact must be made clear in some languages, to avoid the impression that the mud was rubbed on the eyeballs.

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 .