John 9:20

Revised Standard Version

His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“We know this is our son and that he was born blind,” his parents answered.

King James Version (1611)
His parents answered them, and said, We know that this is our sonne, and that he was borne blind:

King James Version
His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:

English Standard Version
His parents answered, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

New American Standard Bible
His parents then answered and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

New Century Version
His parents answered, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

Amplified Bible
His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

New American Standard Bible (1995)
His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Legacy Standard Bible
So his parents answered and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Berean Standard Bible
His parents answered, "We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind.

Contemporary English Version
The man's parents answered, "We are certain that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind.

Complete Jewish Bible
His parents answered, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind;

Darby Translation
His parents answered [them] and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Easy-to-Read Version
His parents answered, "We know that this man is our son. And we know that he was born blind.

Geneva Bible (1587)
His parents answered them, and sayd, We know that this is our sonne, & that he was borne blinde:

George Lamsa Translation
His parents answered and said, We know that he is our son, and that he was born blind.

Good News Translation
His parents answered, "We know that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind.

Lexham English Bible
So his parents answered and said, "We know that this man is our son, and that he was born blind.

Literal Translation
His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind.

American Standard Version
His parents answered and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:

Bible in Basic English
In answer his father and mother said, We are certain that this is our son and that he was blind at birth:

Hebrew Names Version
His parents answered them, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

International Standard Version
His parents replied, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

Etheridge Translation
His parents answered and said, We know that this (is) our son, and that blind he was born.

Murdock Translation
And his parents answered and said: We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
His father & mother aunswered them, and sayde: We knowe that this is our sonne, and that he was borne blynde:

English Revised Version
His parents answered and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:

World English Bible
His parents answered them, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
How then doth he now see? His parents answered them, and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind.

Weymouth's New Testament
"We know," replied the parents, "that this is our son and that he was born blind;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
His fadir and modir answeriden to hem, and seiden, We witen, that this is oure sone, and that he was borun blynd;

Update Bible Version
His parents therefore answered and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:

Webster's Bible Translation
His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:

New English Translation
So his parents replied, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

New King James Version
His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

New Living Translation
His parents replied, "We know this is our son and that he was born blind,

New Life Bible
They answered, "We know this is our son and we know he was born blind.

New Revised Standard
His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
His parents, therefore, answered, and said - We know that, this, is our son, and that, blind, he was born;

Douay-Rheims Bible
His parents answered them and said: We know that this is our son and that he was born blind:

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
His father and mother answered them and sayde: we wote well that this is oure sonne and that he was borne blynde:

Young's Literal Translation
His parents answered them and said, `We have known that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
His elders answered them, and sayde: We knowe, that this is oure sonne, and that he was borne blynde.

Mace New Testament (1729)
his parents answered, that this is our son, and that he was born blind: we are very certain.

THE MESSAGE
His parents said, "We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind. But we don't know how he came to see—haven't a clue about who opened his eyes. Why don't you ask him? He's a grown man and can speak for himself." (His parents were talking like this because they were intimidated by the Jewish leaders, who had already decided that anyone who took a stand that this was the Messiah would be kicked out of the meeting place. That's why his parents said, "Ask him. He's a grown man.")

Simplified Cowboy Version
His parents knew they were in a sticky situation and said, "This is our boy, and yes, he was born blind as a bat.

Contextual Overview

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. ¹⁴ Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." ¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was a division among them. ¹⁷ So they again said to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." ¹⁸ The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, ¹⁹ and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" ²⁰ His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹ but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." ²² His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if any one should confess him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Mark 9:21 - How

Cross-References

Genesis 3:23
therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 4:2
And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground.

Genesis 5:29
and called his name Noah, saying, "Out of the ground which the LORD has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands."

Genesis 9:18
The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.

Genesis 9:19
These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was peopled.

Genesis 9:24
When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him,

Genesis 9:26
He also said, "Blessed by the LORD my God be Shem; and let Canaan be his slave."

Deuteronomy 20:6
And what man is there that has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man enjoy its fruit.

Deuteronomy 28:30
You shall betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, and you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, and you shall not use the fruit of it.

Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

His parents answered them, and said,.... What follows, which contains distinct answers to the several questions: and to the first they reply very freely, and with great confidence,

we know that this is our son; for though his receiving his sight made a considerable alteration in him, yet his features were the same; and there might be some marks in his body, which they were acquainted with, by which they knew assuredly he was their son: and if even the neighbours, though they disagreed about him, yet some of them knew him to be the same person that had been blind and begged, then much more his parents; and even those who said it was not he, yet they owned he was like him: and with respect to the second question they answer,

and that he was born blind: this they were ready to attest, and did attest.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

His parents answered ... - To the first two questions they answered without hesitation. They knew that he was their son, and that he was born blind. The third question they could not positively answer, as they had not witnessed the means of the cure, and were afraid to express their belief. It appears that they had themselves no doubt, but they were not eye-witnesses, and could not be therefore legal evidence.

He is of age - He is of sufficient age to give testimony. Among the Jews this age was fixed at thirteen years.

If any man did confess that he was Christ - Did acknowledge that he was the Messiah. They had prejudged the case, and were determined to put down all free inquiry, and not to be convinced by any means.

Put out of the synagogue - This took place in the temple, or near the temple. It does not refer, therefore, to any immediate and violent putting forth from the place where they were. It refers to excommunication from the synagogue. Among the Jews there were two grades of excommunication; the one for lighter offences, of which they mentioned 24 causes; the other for greater offences. The first excluded a man for 30 days from the privilege of entering a synagogue, and from coming nearer to his wife or friends than 4 cubits. The other was a solemn exclusion forever from the worship of the synagogue, attended with awful maledictions and curses, and an exclusion from all contact with the people. This was called the curse, and so thoroughly excluded the person from all communion whatever with his countrymen, that they were not allowed to sell to him anything, even the necessaries of life (Buxtorf). It is probable that this latter punishment was what they intended to inflict if anyone should confess that Jesus was the Messiah: and it was the fear of this terrible punishment that deterred his parents from expressing their opinion.