What Does John 9:18 Mean in the King James?
But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
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
The man’s sight is restored before the witnesses’ trust is; they summon his parents to make an already real change credible.
THE MEANING
A real change in your life can be present before others trust the report of it. Here, trust waits for the parents’ confirmation; the healed man’s changed state alone has not settled the claim.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
A true change is always accepted as soon as it is reported.
THE ROOT
πιστεύω
pisteuō
GROWS FROM
πιστ-
pist-
Trust and reliance; the quality of being dependable.
“believe” in this verse is pisteuō. This word reaches beyond privately agreeing with a claim: it carries trust, the placing of reliance. The witnesses withhold that reliance until the parents can confirm that the healed man is the one who was blind.
ALSO GROWS
pistis: trust, reliance
πίστις
The related noun names the trust withheld from the report until it can be confirmed.
pistos: firm, steady, trustworthy
πιστός
This branch shows the same word family reaching toward dependability, not just agreement.
apistos: untrusting, unbelieving
ἄπιστος
This related form describes the refusal of trust at the center of the verse.
THE PATTERN
A report of extraordinary change can meet disbelief until another witness confirms it.
And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.THE THREAD
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.The same Greek trust-word, πιστεύω (pisteuō), links these verses: here, trust waits for the parents’ confirmation; there, Thomas’s trust follows seeing. The repeated root brings the question of what makes a report credible into view.
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