What Does John 9:14 Mean in the King James?
And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
On the Sabbath, the same act that makes clay also opens sight: restoration is creative work.
THE MEANING
This verse addresses the reader now with making and opened sight occurring within the Sabbath. The work that forms clay is also the setting in which a person’s perception is restored, holding rest and restoration together.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that a sacred day can only be honored by leaving a person’s need untouched is unsettled here: the Sabbath holds Jesus’ making and the opening of a man’s eyes.
THE ROOT
ἐποίησεν
epoiēsen
GROWS FROM
ποιε-
poie-: make, do, bring about
The verb ποιέω can name both doing and making, with related forms for the maker and the made thing. Here the clay-forming and eye-opening belong to one creative act: sight is opened through what is formed.
ALSO GROWS
poiēma: a thing made; workmanship
ποίημα
This noun names the made result and keeps the clay’s forming within the same family of making.
poiētēs: maker; doer
ποιητής
The agent and the work brought forth share the same word family, connecting Jesus’ action to what it produces.
σάββατον
sabbaton
GROWS FROM
σαββατ-
sabbat-: Sabbath, a day of rest or cessation
The Greek loanword carries the Hebrew שבת (shabbat, Sabbath; cessation or rest) into the verse. The day named by rest holds the making of clay and the opening of sight in the same scene.
ALSO GROWS
sabbatismos: Sabbath-rest
σαββατισμός
This related word in Hebrews 4:9 keeps the root’s rest-bearing sense visible.
sabbatizō: to keep or observe the Sabbath
σαββατίζω
This verb makes the Sabbath a lived practice, while John places Jesus’ life-restoring act within the day.
THE PATTERN
The Sabbath is set apart for life, holding rest together with human flourishing and wholeness.
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.THE THREAD
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.The Greek verb ποιέω behind “made” in John 9:14 also appears as “doeth” in John 5:19. That verse frames the Son’s action as continuous with what the Father does; here, that shared action takes the tangible form of clay-making and opened sight.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us