John 9:24-25
So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The religious leaders used the phrase "Give glory to God" not to encourage thankfulness for the healing, but as a solemn adjuration, an oath, to force the man to confess deceit or collusion in his healing. They "knew" Jesus was a "sinner" because he violated their Sabbath laws, and they wanted the man's testimony to support their predetermined condemnation, not to acknowledge God's power.
The religious authorities have already questioned the parents of the man Jesus healed, and finding no help there, they call the man himself back for a second interrogation. They try to pressure him into admitting the miracle was a fraud and that Jesus is a sinner, essentially commanding him to "give glory to God" by confessing the supposed deception. The man, however, stands firm, insisting on the reality of his healing.
The religious leaders demand the man 'give glory to God.' What does this powerful phrase really mean in this moment, and why is it used here?
When the leaders call the man back, they use the solemn phrase, 'Give glory to God.' This isn't a request for him to praise God for his healing. Instead, it's a formal way of administering an oath. They are commanding him, in God's presence, to speak the absolute truth. It's like saying, 'God knows everything, so tell us what really happened.' They want him to confess to a fraud, believing that would bring 'glory' to God by upholding God's justice against deception. They're trying to pressure him into admitting Jesus is a sinner by making him swear to the 'truth' as they see it.
The leaders claim they 'know' Jesus is a sinner. How does the man's simple testimony contrast with their authoritative pronouncements?
The religious authorities assert their knowledge with an emphatic 'We know that this man is a sinner.' They see themselves as the ultimate interpreters of God's law, particularly regarding the Sabbath. Because they believe Jesus violated it, they've concluded he be a sinner, outside of God's favor. However, the man's response is rooted in his direct, personal experience: 'Whether he be a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.' He sets his lived reality against their theological deductions. His knowledge comes from God's direct intervention in his life, not from their pronouncements.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about John 9:24-25 is available in the Sola app.
Understand the original words
hamartōlos · Greek Noun/Adjective
A term used in Scripture to describe a person who misses the mark of God's standard of righteousness. It often implies a state of rebellion, moral failure, or spiritual uncleanness in the sight of God.
didōmi doxa tō theō · Greek Verb phrase
An expression used in a legal or religious context to demand an oath of truthfulness. It means to speak the truth before God, acknowledging that God knows the facts and that one should not lie.
The phrase 'Give glory to God' was an adjuration, akin to taking an oath, used by the religious leaders to pressure the formerly blind man into confessing a fabricated fraud, thereby implicitly dishonoring God by lying.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
Jesus heals a man who had been blind from birth using a mud poultice and sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, an act which occurred on the Sabbath.
Early 1st century AD
Pharisees Interrogate the Healed Man
The Pharisees question the man about his healing, but he insists Jesus is a prophet, leading to his expulsion from the synagogue.
Early 1st century AD
Pharisees Interrogate the Man's Parents
The man's parents confirm he was born blind but refuse to identify Jesus, fearing expulsion.
Early 1st century AD
Pharisees Re-interrogate the Healed Man
The religious authorities call the man back for a second interrogation, demanding he 'give glory to God' by confessing a fraud.
This passage uses the same phrase, 'Give glory to God,' as a solemn adjuration for someone to confess the truth, highlighting its use as a way to compel an honest admission under divine authority.
1 Samuel 6:5Similar to John 9:24, this verse uses the phrase 'Give glory to the Lord' to urge people to confess their sins and acknowledge God's power, showing a consistent biblical pattern of using this expression in contexts of accountability.
John 5:41Jesus Himself speaks about not accepting glory from men, contrasting it with the glory that comes from God. This highlights the tension between human validation and divine acknowledgment, which is central to the confrontation in John 9.
Acts 4:16-17The religious leaders debate how to deal with Peter and John after they healed a man in Jesus' name, mirroring the Sanhedrin's fear and desire to suppress the truth about Jesus' power.
Romans 1:18-23This passage describes how people suppress the truth about God and choose to worship created things instead, a theme echoed in the leaders' refusal to acknowledge the divine power they witnessed in Jesus' miracle.
vincentJohn 9:24: "Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner."
Give God the praise (δὸς δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ)Rev., give glory to God. Compare Joshua 7:19; 1 Samuel 6:5. This phrase addressed to an offender implies that by some previous act or word he has done dishonor to God, and appeals to him to repair the dishonor by speaking the truth. In this case it is also an appeal to the restored man to ascribe his cure directly to G…
bensonJohn 9:24: "Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner."
John 9:24-29 . Then again called they the man — The court, finding that nothing could be learned from the man’s parents, by which the miracle could be disproved, called the man himself a second time, and tried, by fair words, to extort from him a confession to the disparagement of Jesus. They said, Give God the praise — If the cure was really wrought in the mann…
The religious leaders used the phrase "Give glory to God" not to encourage thankfulness for the healing, but as a solemn adjuration, an oath, to force the man to confess deceit or collusion in his healing. They "knew" Jesus was a "sinner" because he violated their Sabbath laws, and they wanted the man's testimony to support their predetermined condemnation, not to acknowledge God's power.
The religious authorities have already questioned the parents of the man Jesus healed, and finding no help there, they call the man himself back for a second interrogation. They try to pressure him into admitting the miracle was a fraud and that Jesus is a sinner, essentially commanding him to "give glory to God" by confessing the supposed deception. The man, however, stands firm, insisting on the reality of his healing.
The religious authorities have already questioned the parents of the man Jesus healed, and finding no help there, they call the man himself back for a second interrogation. They try to pressure him into admitting the miracle was a fraud and that Jesus is a sinner, essentially commanding him to "give glory to God" by confessing the supposed deception. The man, however, stands firm, insisting on the reality of his healing.
"So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I…" — The religious leaders used the phrase "Give glory to God" not to encourage thankfulness for the healing, but as a solemn adjuration, an oath, to force the man to confess deceit or collusion in his he…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
