complete verse (John 9:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 9:12:

  • Uma: “They asked him: ‘So where is he?’ He said to them: ‘I don’t know.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘Where is that person now,’ they said. He answered, he said, ‘I don’t know.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then the people asked, ‘Who is he?’ And the man said, ‘I do not know.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Whereupon they said, ‘Where is he?’ ‘I have no idea (lit. no-concern indeed),’ he answered.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘Well where is he now?’ they asked.’I don’t know where he went,’ said his answer.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He was asked, ‘Where is this man you are speaking of?’ He said, ‘I don’t know.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Jesus Cures the Man Born Blind

Following is a 1973 painting of the JESUS MAFA project, a response to New Testament readings from the Lectionary by a Christian community in Cameroon, Africa. Each of the readings was selected and adapted to dramatic interpretation by the community members. Photographs of their interpretations were made, and these were then transcribed to paintings:

In this simply beautiful painting of one of Jesus’ healings, we see a caring Jesus bend over a blind man holding his walking stick. From the story in John’s gospel, we know that the religious leaders struggle with accepting Jesus’ activity and Jesus responds saying, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” The Pharisees do not look at the blind man as a person, but as a symbol and Jesus points out their error. We are reminded that we should see the humanity in all people, refusing to use them for our own ends. We must look past our own issues and see the individuals.

From Art in the Christian Tradition , a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. Image retrieved March 23, 2026. Original source: librairie-emmanuel.fr.

Translation commentary on John 9:12

They refers back to the people mentioned in verse 8. The official opposition to Jesus is introduced in the next verse, when the man is taken before the Pharisees.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 9:12

9:12a

Where is He?: The people wanted to know where Jesus had gone. For example:

Where is he now? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Where is that man? (NET Bible Bible)

they asked: The pronoun they refers to the neighbors and other people that were introduced in 9:8. What the people said was a question, so it may be natural to say:

they asked him

9:12b

“I do not know,” he answered: The healed man said he did not know where Jesus went. Place the quote introducer where it is natural in your language. For example:

He said, “I do not know.” (New Revised Standard Version)

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