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)

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 9:8

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 9:8

9:8a

his neighbors: This phrase refers to the people who lived near the man Jesus had healed. In some languages you may need to indicate whose neighbors they are.

those who had formerly seen him begging: This phrase refers to people who were not his neighbors who had seen the man begging in the past. They may have seen the man begging many times, over many years. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

others who used to see him beg

began to ask: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as began to ask is more literally “were saying.” Probably several people asked this question. Here is another way to translate this verb:

asked (New International Version)
-or-
asked each other (New Living Translation (2004))

9:8b

Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?: The form of this question implies that the answer is that this was the man who often sat and begged. The question was asked because there was some doubt. It also expresses surprise that this might be the same man. Translate this in a natural way in your language to ask a question with an attitude of surprise. For example:

Does this not look like the man who used to sit and beg?
-or-
Could this be the same man we saw sitting here begging?

used to sit and beg: This phrase refers to what the man did before as a habit. Before he was healed, he often sat and begged. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

was always sitting there begging
-or-
sits and begs

General Comment on 9:8b

In some languages it may be natural to translate this question as an indirect quotation. For example:

wondered if he really could be the same man (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
were asking each other whether he was the one who sat and begged before

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