complete verse (John 9:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 9:8:

  • Uma: “From there, his neighbors and people who usually saw him begging, asked one another, they said: ‘Who is that over there? Isn’t he the blind man who usually sits begging?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “He was seen by his neighbours (lit. companions of houses close by) and the people who had seen him begging. They said, ‘Isn’t this the person who was sitting there asking for money/begging?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “His neighbors and the people who always saw him, a blind beggar, said, ‘It seems as if he is the one whose only work is to sit and beg.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When his neighbors and the ones who had seen him when he had been begging-for-alms previously saw him, they said, ‘Isn’t this the one that was always sitting there begging-for-alms?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When his neighbors saw and others who had seen him when he still was begging, they said, ‘Isn’t that that blind one who begs?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “All the neighbors and other people who knew he had been a blind man said, ‘Isn’t this the man who sits at the gate asking for alms?'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 9:8

This verse initiates a series of dialogues concerning the healing, which continue through verse 34.

Who had seen him begging before this refers to habitual action, as indicated by New American Bible (“who had been accustomed to see him begging”) and Moffatt (“to whom he had been a familiar sight as a beggar”). From Jerusalem Bible (“who earlier had seen him begging”) one could gain the impression that they had seen him begging only once, immediately before the healing.

The question Isn’t this the man…? expects the answer “Yes.” Who used to sit and beg (so many translations) expresses accurately the force of the Greek particles (“the one sitting and begging”).

There is no indication to whom the question in verse 8 is posed; however, one may say “asked one another.” Since the question does expect a positive answer and to this extent is an exclamation, it may be appropriate in some languages to introduce it by a type of exclamatory statement, for example, “exclaimed to one another” or “asked with wonder.”

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 .