Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 9:6

"When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed his eyes with the clay," — John 9:6 (ASV)

To make known his intention to the blind man, Jesus made clay from dust and spittle and placed it on the sightless eyes. The touch of a friendly hand would be reassuring. The weight of the clay would indicate to the blind man that something had been done to him, and it would induce obedience to Jesus’ command. Certainly he would not want to continue sitting by the roadside with mud smeared over his eyes. Though his lifelong affliction may have made him apathetic, he now had at least one motive for obeying.

The Pool of Siloam was probably a considerable distance from the place where the blind man was. His trip must have been a venture of faith. Jesus had not even told him that he would be healed but had merely commanded him to wash. If the man had overheard Jesus’ conversation with the disciples, he would have expected something to happen. Yet so extraordinary a miracle as giving sight to a man born blind would have seemed impossible.