Albert Barnes Commentary John 9:20-22

"His parents answered and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: but how he now seeth, we know not; or who opened his eyes, we know not: ask him; he is of age; he shall speak for himself. These things said his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man should confess him [to be] Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue." — John 9:20-22 (ASV)

His parents answered. To the first two questions, they answered without hesitation. They knew that he was their son and that he was born blind. The third question they could not positively answer, as they had not witnessed the means of the cure and were afraid to express their belief. It appears that they themselves had no doubt, but they were not eyewitnesses and therefore could not be legal evidence.

He is of age. He is of sufficient age to give testimony. Among the Jews, this age was fixed at thirteen years.

If any man did confess that he was Christ. This meant if anyone acknowledged that He was the Messiah. They had prejudged the case and were determined to suppress all free inquiry, resolved not to be convinced by any means.

Put out of the synagogue. This action took place in the temple or near the temple. It does not refer, therefore, to any immediate and violent expulsion from the place where they were. It refers to excommunication from the synagogue. Among the Jews, there were two grades of excommunication: one for lighter offences, for which they listed twenty-four causes, and the other for greater offences.

The first grade excluded a man for thirty days from the privilege of entering a synagogue and from coming nearer to his wife or friends than four cubits. The other was a solemn, permanent exclusion from the worship of the synagogue, attended with dreadful maledictions and curses, and an exclusion from all interaction with the people.

This severe form was called the curse. It so thoroughly excluded the person from any communion whatsoever with his countrymen that they were not allowed to sell him anything, even the necessities of life (Buxtorf). It is probable that this latter punishment was what they intended to inflict if anyone confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, and it was the fear of this terrible punishment that deterred his parents from expressing their opinion.