John 9

Io 9.1Et praeteriēns Iēsus vīdit hominem caecum ā nātīvitāte:

And passing by, Jesus saw a man blind from birth:

Note. praeteriēns: present participle of praetereō, 'passing by'. ā nātīvitāte: 'from birth'.

Io 9.2et interrogāvērunt eum discipulī eius: Rabbi, quis peccāvit, hic, aut parentēs eius, ut caecus nāscerētur?

and his disciples asked him: Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind?

Note. Rabbi: Hebrew/Aramaic title, 'my master, teacher', kept untranslated. ut caecus nāscerētur: result clause, 'so that he was born blind'. The disciples assume blindness is a punishment for sin.

Io 9.3Respondit Iēsus: Neque hic peccāvit, neque parentēs eius: sed ut manifestentur opera Deī in illō.

Jesus answered: Neither this man sinned, nor his parents: but so that the works of God might be made plain in him.

Note. Neque … neque: 'neither … nor'. sed ut manifestentur: purpose clause with the subjunctive; supply 'he was born blind' before it.

Io 9.4Mē oportet operārī opera eius quī mīsit mē, dōnec diēs est: venit nox, quandō nēmō potest operārī:

I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day: the night comes, when no one can work:

Note. Mē oportet operārī: impersonal oportet with an accusative and infinitive, 'I must work'. operor is deponent. dōnec diēs est: 'while it is day'. quandō nēmō potest: 'when no one can'.

Io 9.5quamdiū sum in mundō, lūx sum mundī.

as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Note. quamdiū: 'as long as'.

Io 9.6Haec cum dīxisset, exspuit in terram, et fēcit lutum ex spūtō, et līnīvit lutum super oculōs eius,

When he had said these things, he spat on the ground, and made mud from the spittle, and smeared the mud over his eyes,

Note. Haec cum dīxisset: cum + pluperfect subjunctive, 'when he had said this'. līnīvit: Late Latin perfect of linō, 'smeared'; the classical perfect is lēvī. Spittle was used as a remedy for eye complaints in the ancient world.

Io 9.7et dīxit eī: Vāde, lavā in natātōriā Silōë (quod interpretātur Missus). Abiit ergō, et lāvit, et vēnit vidēns.

and said to him: Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is translated Sent). He went away therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Note. Vāde, lavā: two imperatives. natātōria: a pool for bathing. Silōē: the pool of Siloam in the south of Jerusalem. quod interpretātur Missus: John explains the Hebrew name, 'which is translated Sent'.

Io 9.8Itaque vīcīnī, et quī vīderant eum prius quia mendīcus erat, dīcēbant: Nōnne hic est quī sedēbat, et mendīcābat? Aliī dīcēbant: Quia hic est.

And so the neighbours, and those who had seen him before, that he was a beggar, were saying: Is this not the man who used to sit and beg? Others were saying: It is he.

Note. Itaque: 'and so'. quī vīderant eum prius quia mendīcus erat: 'who had seen him before, that he was a beggar'; quia + indicative after a verb of seeing. sedēbat et mendīcābat: imperfects of habit, 'used to sit and beg'. Quia hic est: quia introducing direct speech.

Io 9.9Aliī autem: Nēquāquam, sed similis est eī. Ille vērō dīcēbat: Quia ego sum.

Others, however: Not at all, but he is like him. He, however, was saying: I am he.

Note. Nēquāquam: 'by no means, not at all'. similis est eī: similis + dative. Quia ego sum: again quia marks the start of the words spoken.

Io 9.10Dīcēbant ergō eī: Quōmodo apertī sunt tibi oculī?

They were saying therefore to him: How were your eyes opened?

Note. apertī sunt: perfect passive of aperiō, 'were opened'. tibi: dative of the person concerned, 'your eyes'.

Io 9.11Respondit: Ille homō quī dīcitur Iēsus, lutum fēcit: et ūnxit oculōs meōs, et dīxit mihi: Vāde ad natātōria Silōë, et lavā. Et abiī, et lāvī, et videō.

He answered: That man who is called Jesus made mud: and he anointed my eyes, and said to me: Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash. And I went away, and washed, and I see.

Note. ūnxit: perfect of ung(u)ō, 'anointed, smeared'. abiī … lāvī … videō: the run of perfects ending in a present tells the story in three steps.

Io 9.12Et dīxērunt eī: Ubi est ille? Ait: Nesciō.

And they said to him: Where is he? He says: I do not know.

Note. Ait: present of the defective verb aiō, 'he says'.

Io 9.13Addūcunt eum ad pharisaeōs, quī caecus fuerat.

They lead him who had been blind to the pharisees.

Note. quī caecus fuerat: the relative refers back to eum, 'him who had been blind'.

Io 9.14Erat autem sabbatum quandō lutum fēcit Iēsus, et aperuit oculōs eius.

It was, however, the sabbath when Jesus made the mud, and opened his eyes.

Note. sabbatum: the sabbath, the Jewish day of rest. Making mud counted as work, which is why the healing caused a dispute.

Io 9.15Iterum ergō interrogābant eum pharisaeī quōmodo vīdisset. Ille autem dīxit eīs: Lutum mihi posuit super oculōs, et lāvī, et videō.

Again therefore the pharisees were asking him how he had come to see. He, however, said to them: He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.

Note. quōmodo vīdisset: indirect question with the pluperfect subjunctive, 'how he had come to see'.

Io 9.16Dīcēbant ergō ex pharisaeīs quīdam: Nōn est hic homō ā Deō, quī sabbatum nōn custōdit. Aliī autem dīcēbant: Quōmodo potest homō peccātor haec signa facere? Et schisma erat inter eōs.

Some of the pharisees therefore were saying: This man is not from God, who does not keep the sabbath. Others, however, were saying: How can a man who is a sinner do these signs? And there was a split among them.

Note. quīdam … aliī: 'some … others'. quī sabbatum nōn custōdit: 'seeing that he does not keep the sabbath'; the relative clause gives the reason. schisma: Greek loanword, 'a split'.

Io 9.17Dīcunt ergō caecō iterum: Tū quid dīcis dē illō quī aperuit oculōs tuōs? Ille autem dīxit: Quia prophēta est.

They say therefore to the blind man again: You, what do you say about him who opened your eyes? He, however, said: He is a prophet.

Note. caecō: the adjective used as a noun, 'the blind man'. Quia prophēta est: recitative quia, 'He is a prophet'.

Io 9.18Nōn crēdidērunt ergō Iūdaeī dē illō, quia caecus fuisset et vīdisset, dōnec vocāvērunt parentēs eius, quī vīderat:

The Jews therefore did not believe about him, that he had been blind and had come to see, until they called his parents, his who had come to see:

Note. quia caecus fuisset et vīdisset: 'that he had been blind and had come to see'; the subjunctive shows this is what the Jews would not believe. dōnec vocāvērunt: dōnec + indicative of a fact, 'until they called'. quī vīderat: 'of the one who had come to see'.

Io 9.19et interrogāvērunt eōs, dīcentēs: Hic est fīlius vester, quem vōs dīcitis quia caecus nātus est? quōmodo ergō nunc videt?

and they asked them, saying: Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?

Note. quem vōs dīcitis quia caecus nātus est: a mixed construction, 'who you say was born blind'; quia + indicative after dīcitis.

Io 9.20Respondērunt eīs parentēs eius, et dīxērunt: Scīmus quia hic est fīlius noster, et quia caecus nātus est:

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

Io 9.21quōmodo autem nunc videat, nescīmus: aut quis eius aperuit oculōs, nōs nescīmus; ipsum interrogāte: aetātem habet, ipse dē sē loquātur.

how, however, he now sees, we do not know: or who opened his eyes, we do not know; ask him himself: he has his age, let him speak for himself.

Note. aetātem habet: 'he is of age', old enough to give evidence. ipse dē sē loquātur: jussive subjunctive, 'let him speak for himself'.

Io 9.22Haec dīxērunt parentēs eius, quoniam timēbant Iūdaeōs: iam enim cōnspīrāvērunt Iūdaeī, ut sī quis eum cōnfitērētur esse Chrīstum, extrā synagōgam fieret.

His parents said these things, because they were afraid of the Jews: for already the Jews had agreed that if anyone should confess him to be the Christ, he would be put outside the synagogue.

Note. cōnspīrāvērunt … ut … extrā synagōgam fieret: 'had agreed that he should be put outside the synagogue', i.e. expelled from the community. sī quis: 'if anyone'. Chrīstum: Greek for Messiah, 'anointed one'.

Io 9.23Proptereā parentēs eius dīxērunt: Quia aetātem habet, ipsum interrogāte.

For this reason his parents said: He has his age, ask him himself.

Io 9.24Vocāvērunt ergō rūrsum hominem quī fuerat caecus, et dīxērunt eī: Dā glōriam Deō: nōs scīmus quia hic homō peccātor est.

They called therefore again the man who had been blind, and said to him: Give glory to God: we know that this man is a sinner.

Note. Dā glōriam Deō: an oath formula, 'give glory to God', i.e. tell the truth before God. hic homō peccātor est: peccātor 'sinner' because he broke the sabbath.

Io 9.25Dīxit ergō eīs ille: Sī peccātor est, nesciō; ūnum sciō, quia caecus cum essem, modo videō.

He said therefore to them: Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.

Note. Sī peccātor est, nesciō: sī here means 'whether'. caecus cum essem: cum + imperfect subjunctive, concessive, 'though I was blind'.

Io 9.26Dīxērunt ergō illī: Quid fēcit tibi? quōmodo aperuit tibi oculōs?

They said therefore to him: What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes to you?

Io 9.27Respondit eīs: Dīxī vōbīs iam, et audīstis: quod iterum vultis audīre? numquid et vōs vultis discipulī eius fierī?

He answered them: I told you already, and you heard: why do you want to hear it again? Surely you also do not want to become his disciples?

Note. quod iterum vultis audīre? quod here asks 'why?', like quid. numquid et vōs: 'surely you too do not …?', said with irony. discipulī eius fierī: fīō 'become', with a predicate nominative.

Io 9.28Maledīxērunt ergō eī, et dīxērunt: Tū discipulus illīus sīs: nōs autem Mōysī discipulī sumus.

They cursed him therefore, and said: You may be that man's disciple: we, however, are disciples of Moses.

Note. Tū discipulus illīus sīs: jussive or concessive subjunctive, 'you can be that man's disciple'. illīus is said with contempt. Mōysī: genitive, 'of Moses'.

Io 9.29Nōs scīmus quia Mōysī locūtus est Deus; hunc autem nescīmus unde sit.

We know that God spoke to Moses; this man, however, we do not know where he is from.

Note. hunc … nescīmus unde sit: 'this man, we do not know where he is from'; the object of the main verb is pulled forward out of the indirect question (prolepsis).

Io 9.30Respondit ille homō, et dīxit eīs: In hōc enim mīrābile est quia vōs nescītis unde sit, et aperuit meōs oculōs:

That man answered, and said to them: In this, then, there is something wonderful, that you do not know where he is from, and he opened my eyes:

Note. In hōc … mīrābile est quia: 'in this there is something wonderful, that …'.

Io 9.31scīmus autem quia peccātōrēs Deus nōn audit: sed sī quis Deī cultor est, et voluntātem eius facit, hunc exaudit.

we know, however, that God does not hear sinners: but if anyone is a worshipper of God, and does his will, him he listens to.

Note. peccātōrēs Deus nōn audit: object first for emphasis. sī quis … cultor est: 'if anyone is a worshipper'. exaudit: 'listens to, grants the prayer of'.

Io 9.32Ā saeculō nōn est audītum quia quis aperuit oculōs caecī nātī.

From the age of the world it has not been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind.

Note. Ā saeculō: 'from the beginning of the age', i.e. ever. quia quis aperuit: 'that anyone opened'; after quia the indefinite quis means 'anyone'. caecī nātī: 'of one born blind'.

Io 9.33Nisi esset hic ā Deō, nōn poterat facere quidquam.

Unless this man were from God, he could not do anything.

Note. Nisi esset … nōn poterat: a contrary-to-fact condition with an indicative in the main clause, common with possum: 'unless he were from God, he could not do anything'.

Io 9.34Respondērunt, et dīxērunt eī: In peccātīs nātus es tōtus, et tū docēs nōs? Et ēiēcērunt eum forās.

They answered, and said to him: In sins you were born, the whole of you, and are you teaching us? And they threw him outside.

Note. In peccātīs nātus es tōtus: 'you were born entirely in sins'. They read his blindness as a sign of sin. ēiēcērunt eum forās: 'threw him outside', probably expelled him from the synagogue.

Io 9.35Audīvit Iēsus quia ēiēcērunt eum forās: et cum invēnisset eum, dīxit eī: Tū crēdis in Fīlium Deī?

Jesus heard that they had thrown him outside: and when he had found him, he said to him: Do you believe in the Son of God?

Note. cum invēnisset: cum + pluperfect subjunctive, 'when he had found'. crēdis in Fīlium Deī: crēdō in + accusative. Some Greek manuscripts read 'Son of man' here.

Io 9.36Respondit ille, et dīxit: Quis est, Domine, ut crēdam in eum?

He answered, and said: Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?

Note. ut crēdam in eum: purpose clause, 'so that I may believe in him'.

Io 9.37Et dīxit eī Iēsus: Et vīdistī eum, et quī loquitur tēcum, ipse est.

And Jesus said to him: You have both seen him, and he who is speaking with you, he is the one.

Note. Et vīdistī eum, et …: et … et, 'both … and'. tēcum = cum tē. ipse est: 'he is the one'.

Io 9.38At ille ait: Crēdō, Domine. Et prōcidēns adōrāvit eum.

And he says: I believe, Lord. And falling forward he worshipped him.

Note. prōcidēns adōrāvit: 'falling forward, he worshipped'; the participle describes the gesture of prostration.

Io 9.39Et dīxit Iēsus: In iūdicium ego in hunc mundum vēnī: ut quī nōn vident videant, et quī vident caecī fīant.

And Jesus said: For judgement I came into this world: so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.

Note. In iūdicium: in + accusative of purpose, 'for judgement'. ut … videant … fīant: purpose clauses. The sentence turns on the double sense of seeing and blindness.

Io 9.40Et audiērunt quīdam ex pharisaeīs quī cum ipsō erant, et dīxērunt eī: Numquid et nōs caecī sumus?

And some of the pharisees who were with him heard, and said to him: Surely we too are not blind?

Note. quī cum ipsō erant: 'who were with him'. Numquid et nōs caecī sumus? 'Surely we too are not blind?'

Io 9.41Dīxit eīs Iēsus: Sī caecī essētis, nōn habērētis peccātum. Nunc vērō dīcitis, Quia vidēmus: peccātum vestrum manet.

Jesus said to them: If you were blind, you would not have sin. Now, however, you say, We see: your sin remains.

Note. Sī caecī essētis, nōn habērētis: present contrary-to-fact condition. Quia vidēmus: recitative quia, 'We see'.