Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 9:22-24

"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. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. So they called a second time the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give glory to God: we know that this man is a sinner." — John 9:22-24 (ASV)

These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.

They thought they could get the better of him by giving him a little of what they called good advice: "Praise God, but be quiet concerning this man; depend upon it, he is a sinner."

These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him,–

They wanted to see if they could catch him in his words; so they said to him, in a very pious fashion:

These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.

They thought that they could smooth the man over, so that he would say no more. "We know – we who know everything, we who are the rulers and teachers of the people, – we know that this man is a sinner." That might have closed the mouths of many men; but, on that occasion, they had before them a person who could not easily be made to believe all they chose to say, – a sharp, shrewd man, who had keener eyes in his head, even when he was blind, than they had while they could see.