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John 9:15
ESV So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”
NIV Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. 'He put mud on my eyes,' the man replied, 'and I washed, and now I see.'
NASB Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, 'He applied mud to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.'
CSB Then the Pharisees asked him again how he received his sight."He put mud on my eyes," he told them. "I washed and I can see."
NLT The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, 'He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!'
KJV Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.

What does John 9:15 mean?

This is the second time that a man, born blind but healed by Jesus, has been asked to explain "how" he was healed (John 9:10). He'll be asked yet again in this story, by these same Pharisees (John 9:26), and after his parents are posed the same question (John 9:19). His answer is consistent, and truthful: Jesus put mud on his eyes and told him to wash, resulting in sight.

The Pharisees' reaction to this miracle illustrates the dangers of self-centered, tradition-bound spirituality. According to the prior verse, Jesus' healing occurred on a Sabbath day. The Pharisees were famous for their elaborate, rigid set of rules and laws. These developed from tradition, in an effort to ensure obedience to the laws of Moses. The Pharisees claim that Jesus' actions directly violate their traditional interpretations of holiness—and they're right. Jesus' actions do conflict with their traditions. This, in fact, seems to be the point, as Jesus purposefully tries to show that their shallow approach is not what God intends (John 7:22–24).

The following verse also shows how easily human beings choose to equate their own opinions with those of God. John includes seven "signs" in this gospel. These are seven miracles meant to prove that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah. The Old Testament predicted that the Promised One would heal blindness (Isaiah 29:18; 35:5; 42:7), and only Jesus is credited with this ability in Scripture. However, the Pharisees cannot accept that Jesus' work is divine—because He isn't in agreement with their specific doctrine.
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