John 9:39

ESV Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind."

NIV Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."

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

CSB Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment, in order that those who do not see will see and those who do see will become blind."

NLT Then Jesus told him, 'I entered this world to render judgment — to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.'

KJV And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

NKJV And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

What does John 9:39 mean?

This comment can be confusing when compared to statements such as John 3:17 and John 12:47. In those verses, Jesus states He did not come "to condemn" or "to judge." Here, Jesus states He came "for judgment." The reason for Jesus' earthly ministry was to secure our salvation; this required judgment on and against sin. The result of this ministry, however, is the eventual condemnation of those who reject Him (John 3:36).

The reference to those who see versus those who are blind summarizes the entire incident with the blind beggar and the religious critics. Those who admit their need and trust in God are those who will be granted sight. The blind man was given both sight and knowledge by Jesus in response to sincere faith. Those who are arrogant and presume they already know will be hardened by the presence of Jesus. Despite their knowledge (John 5:39–40), they'll allow their own prejudice to blind them (2 Corinthians 4:4), making them incapable of understanding what they don't want to understand anyway (John 7:17).

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Context Summary
John 9:35–41 shows Jesus meeting with the man He healed, who had been blind since birth. His healing and subsequent conversation with the Pharisees resulted in the man being excommunicated from his synagogue. Jesus reveals His identity to the man and explains how this episode summarized His earthly ministry. The Pharisees again prove their spiritual stubbornness, giving Jesus an opportunity to connect greater knowledge with greater responsibility.

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Chapter Summary
Jesus encounters a man who has been blind his entire life. Consistent with notions of that era, the disciples assume the disability is due to some specific sin: either the man's or his parents'. Jesus challenges this idea and heals the man. His restoration leads to interrogation. The Pharisees try to discredit Jesus' miraculous work. The healed man's simple, straightforward perspective embarrasses the religious leaders, who excommunicate him in frustration. Jesus meets with the healed man, explaining more about His identity and the purpose of His ministry. Jesus also reminds the Pharisees that those who ought to know better, spiritually, will be held more accountable as a result.

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