We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
These leaders use the "perfect tense" of "God hath spoken" to Moses, emphasizing that Moses' authority isn't just a past event, but a continuing revelation. By contrasting this with their ignorance of Jesus' origin, they’re subtly admitting Jesus' claims are so revolutionary that they can't even begin to categorize Him within their established framework, highlighting their own fear and inflexibility.
We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Pharisees are desperately trying to discredit the man Jesus healed, but he's holding firm, pointing to the undeniable miracle. Now, they're doubling down, comparing Jesus unfavorably to Moses, arguing that while they know Moses was sent by God, they have no such confirmation for Jesus' authority or origin. Their aim is to dismiss Jesus by contrasting him with the foundational figure of their faith, even though the miracle itself challenges their rigid understanding.
The religious leaders dug in their heels, clinging to a past they believed was divinely secured. What made Moses such an unassailable authority for them?
The Authority of the Lawgiver
The religious leaders declared, "We know that God has spoken to Moses." This wasn't just a casual statement; it was the bedrock of their faith and identity as God's chosen people.
This unwavering commitment to Moses, while rooted in genuine reverence for God's past actions, ultimately blinded them to God's present work.
They confidently pointed to Moses, but when it came to Jesus, their certainty evaporated into confusion and accusation. Why was Jesus such an enigma to them?
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The Scandal of Unfamiliar Origins
The second part of their statement, "but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from," reveals their core problem. It wasn't just a lack of information; it was a willful refusal to see.
Their inability to 'know where he comes from' was a symptom of their unwillingness to look where the evidence was leading them.
Understand the original words
laleō · Greek Verb
The act of communicating a message, command, or revelation from God to humanity. This establishes the authority of the message as divine in origin.
The religious leaders cling to the authority of Moses, a figure with undeniably divine credentials from their history. In contrast, they dismiss Jesus, unable to place him within their established framework and refusing to acknowledge the miraculous evidence of his divine commission.
c. 1440 BC
Exodus and Giving of the Law
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and gives them the Mosaic Law, establishing Moses as a divinely appointed mediator and lawgiver.
c. 400 BC - c. 4 BC
Intertestamental Period
A period with no prophetic voice from God recorded in Scripture, leading to an increased emphasis on the Mosaic Law and tradition among Jewish leaders.
c. AD 25-30
Jesus' Public Ministry Begins
Jesus begins his public ministry, teaching, healing, and challenging the religious establishment, drawing large crowds but also incurring the suspicion of the authorities.
AD 30-33
Growing Conflict with Religious Leaders
Jesus' teachings and miracles, particularly his Sabbath healings and claims of authority, increasingly bring him into conflict with the Pharisees and other religious leaders.
AD 33— this verse
Healing of the Man Born Blind
Jesus heals a man born blind, a miraculous act that becomes a focal point of controversy, leading to the man's expulsion from the synagogue and his deepening faith in Jesus.
AD 33
Confrontation in the Temple Courts
Following the healing, Jesus engages in a sharp debate with the religious leaders, challenging their spiritual blindness and their rejection of his divine authority.
This passage highlights the profound way God spoke to Moses, establishing Moses' unique authority, which the religious leaders in John 9:29 appeal to as the known standard against which Jesus' unknown origin is contrasted.
John 7:27-29The leaders here echo their earlier sentiment, showing a consistent pattern of acknowledging God's speaking to Moses while dismissing Jesus due to their perceived ignorance of His origin and divine commission.
Hebrews 1:1-3This passage elevates Jesus as God's ultimate revelation, speaking His final word, which profoundly contrasts with the leaders' limited view of God only speaking through Moses and their dismissal of Jesus' divine origin.
Isaiah 8:20This verse commands people to turn to the law and the testimony, reflecting the leaders' reliance on the established Mosaic law, but it also implicitly points to a higher truth that they were failing to recognize in Jesus.
John 9:30-33The healed man's powerful response directly challenges the leaders' logic, demonstrating that a miracle of this magnitude, unheard of before, is undeniable proof of a divine source, directly countering their claim of not knowing Jesus' origin.
barnesJohn 9:29: "We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is."
We know ... - We know that God commanded Moses to deliver the law. In that they were correct; but they assumed their interpretation of the law to be infallible, and, hence, condemned Jesus. As for this fellow - The word "fellow" is not in the original. It is simply "this." The word "fellow" implies contempt, which it cannot be proved they intended to express. Whence he is - We know not his origin…
ellicottJohn 9:29: "We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is."
(29) We know that God spake unto Moses. —Better, We know that God hath spoken unto Moses. “He was commissioned,” they would say, “by God, and received a revelation from God which remains to us.” They would press here, as before, the authority of the great Lawgiver, which to every Israelite was final. They will not, therefore, accept this Man as a prophet. Their words have tacit reference also to t…
These leaders use the "perfect tense" of "God hath spoken" to Moses, emphasizing that Moses' authority isn't just a past event, but a continuing revelation. By contrasting this with their ignorance of Jesus' origin, they’re subtly admitting Jesus' claims are so revolutionary that they can't even begin to categorize Him within their established framework, highlighting their own fear and inflexibility.
The Pharisees are desperately trying to discredit the man Jesus healed, but he's holding firm, pointing to the undeniable miracle. Now, they're doubling down, comparing Jesus unfavorably to Moses, arguing that while they know Moses was sent by God, they have no such confirmation for Jesus' authority or origin. Their aim is to dismiss Jesus by contrasting him with the foundational figure of their faith, even though the miracle itself challenges their rigid understanding.
The Pharisees are desperately trying to discredit the man Jesus healed, but he's holding firm, pointing to the undeniable miracle. Now, they're doubling down, comparing Jesus unfavorably to Moses, arguing that while they know Moses was sent by God, they have no such confirmation for Jesus' authority or origin. Their aim is to dismiss Jesus by contrasting him with the foundational figure of their faith, even though the miracle itself challenges their rigid understanding.
"We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”" — These leaders use the "perfect tense" of "God hath spoken" to Moses, emphasizing that Moses' authority isn't just a past event, but a continuing revelation. By contrasting this with their ignorance…
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Last reviewed October 2026