Joh 9:1
9:1 And {1} as [Jesus] passed by, he saw a man which was blind
    from [his] birth.

 (1) Sin is even the beginning of all bodily diseases, and yet
     it does not follow that in punishing, even very severely,
     that God is punishing because of sin.

Joh 9:3
9:3 Jesus answered, {a} Neither hath this man sinned, nor his
    parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest
    in him.

    (a) Christ reasons here as his disciples thought, who
        presupposed that no diseases came except for the reason
        of sins: as a result of this he answers that there was
        another cause of this man's blindness, and that was in
        order that God's work might be seen.

Joh 9:4
9:4 {2} I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is
    {b} day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

 (2) The works of Christ are is it were a light, which enlighten
     the darkness of the world.
     (b) By "day" is meant the light, that is, the enlightening
         doctrine of the heavenly truth: and by night is meant
         the darkness which comes by the obscurity of the same
         doctrine.

Joh 9:6
9:6 {3} When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made
    clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind
    man with the clay,

 (3) Christ healing the man born blind by taking the symbol of
     clay, and afterward the symbol of the fountain of Siloam
     (which signifies "sent") shows that as he at the beginning
     made man, so does he again restore both his body and soul:
     and yet in such a way that he himself comes first of his
     own accord to heal us.

Joh 9:8
9:8 {4} The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen
    him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and
    begged?

 (4) A true image of all men, who as they are naturally blind do
     not themselves receive the light that is offered unto them,
     nor endure it in another, and yet make a great fuss among
     themselves.

Joh 9:10
9:10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes {c}
     opened?

     (c) This is a Hebrew idiom, for they call a man's eyes shut
         when they cannot receive any light: and therefore blind
         men who are made to see are said to have their eyes
         opened.

Joh 9:16
9:16 {5} Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not
     of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others
     said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And
     there was a division among them.

 (5) Religion is assaulted most by the pretence of religion: but
     the more it is pressed down, the more it rises up.

Joh 9:24
9:24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said
     unto him, {d} Give God the praise: we know that this man is
     a {e} sinner.

     (d) A solemn order, by which men were put under oath in
         ancient time to acknowledge their fault before God, as
         if it was said to them, "Consider that you are before
         God, who knows the entire matter, and therefore be sure
         that you revere his majesty, and do him this honour and
         confess the whole matter openly rather than to lie
         before him"; Jos 7:19; 1Sa 6:5.
     (e) He is called a sinner in the Hebrew language, who is
         a wicked man, and someone who makes an art of sinning.

Joh 9:28
9:28 {6} Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple;
     but we are Moses' disciples.

     (6) Eventually, proud wickedness must necessarily break
         forth, which lies vainly hidden under a zeal of
         godliness.

Joh 9:34
9:34 They answered and said unto him, {f} Thou wast altogether
     born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him
     out.

     (f) You are wicked even from your cradle, and as we used to
         say, there is nothing in you but sin.

Joh 9:35
9:35 {7} Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had
     found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son
     of God?

 (7) Most happy is their state who are cast furthest out of the
     Church of the wicked (who themselves proudly boast to be of
     the Church) so that Christ may come nearer to them.

Joh 9:39
9:39 {8} And Jesus said, For {g} judgment I am come into this
     world, that they {h} which see not might see; and that they
     which see might be made blind.

 (8) Christ enlightens all those by the preaching of the Gospel
     who acknowledge their own darkness, but those who seem to
     themselves to see clearly enough, those he altogether
     blinds: and these latter ones are often those who have the
     highest place in the Church.
     (g) With great power and authority, to do what is righteous
         and just: as if he said, "These men take upon
         themselves to govern the people of God after their own
         desire, as though they saw all things, and no one else
         did: but I will rule much differently than these men
         do: for those whom they consider as blind men, them
         will I enlighten, and those who take themselves to be
         wisest, them will I drown in most abundant darkness of
         ignorance.
     (h) In these words of seeing and not seeing there is a
         secret taunting and rebuff to the Pharisees: for they
         thought all men to be blind but themselves.