Devine Scripture

John 9:14

What does John 9:14 mean?

A plain-English look at John 9:14 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What John 9:14 means

John discloses the crucial fact: the healing occurred on the Sabbath, and Jesus made clay in the process. This sets up a clash between Jesus’ merciful work and the Pharisees’ interpretation of Sabbath regulations. They will view kneading or making clay as work, thus a violation. The note shows why the matter requires an official response. It also reveals a pattern in the Gospels: acts of restoration on the Sabbath become signs of the Sabbath’s true purpose—doing good and giving life. The verse prepares the reader for the line of questioning that will follow, centered more on legal categories than on celebrating a long-awaited mercy.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

Now it was the sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

Now it was the sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

Now the day on which the earth was mixed by Jesus and the man's eyes were made open was the Sabbath.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and it was a sabbath when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

Now it was the sabbath, when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

Now it was sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.

Context

By inserting this detail before the Pharisees’ interrogation, John frames the controversy. The coming questions will not merely seek truth but will test Jesus’ conformity to their Sabbath rules. This context explains the intensity of the dispute and the division it produces among the Pharisees themselves. The narrative is moving from simple testimony to legal debate, making the man’s healing a watershed issue in the wider conflict over Jesus’ authority and identity. The next verse begins the formal questioning based on this Sabbath concern.

v.13They bring to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.

v.14This passage

v.15Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. And he said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and I see.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Mark 2:23

    And it came to pass, that he was going on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears.

  • Matthew 12:1

    At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears and to eat.

  • John 5:16

    And for this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did these things on the sabbath.

  • Luke 14:1

    And it came to pass, when he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him.

  • Luke 6:1

    Now it came to pass on a sabbath, that he was going through the grainfields; and his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

  • Luke 13:10

    And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath day.

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