Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 9:16-17

"Some therefore of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, because he keepeth not the sabbath. But others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such signs? And there was division among them. They say therefore unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, in that he opened thine eyes? And he said, He is a prophet." — John 9:16-17 (ASV)

Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he does not keep the Sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They said to the blind man again, What do you say of him, that he has opened your eyes? He said, He is a prophet.

He could see that.

Therefore some of the Pharisees said, This man is not of God, because he does not keep the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say to the blind man again, What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes? He said, He is a prophet.

He felt that he could safely go as far as that, for Jesus could not have performed such a miracle as that if he had not been a prophet sent by God.

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. They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.

That was as much as he then knew. By thoughtful consideration, he had come as far as to know that Jesus must be a prophet.

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. They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.

He was a brave man, who dared to say what he believed whether he offended or pleased. He did not know much, but what he did know he did know, and he was quite certain about it.

There are some men whose breadth of knowledge is as remarkable as its shallowness. It is like water upon the meadows when a river overflows its banks, and covers a wide area, but there is scarcely an inch of depth. Give us the narrower river that is deep, and that can bear onwards to the ocean a noble fleet, rather than the wide expanse of useless, shallow water.