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John 9:32

ESV Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.
NIV Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
NASB Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.
CSB Throughout history no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind.
NLT Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind.
KJV Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.

What does John 9:32 mean?

The man speaking these words, so far as we know, is the first person in all of human history to be cured of lifelong blindness. Jesus' miracle not only showed His godly power (John 12:37–38), it also fulfilled prophecies about the Messiah (Isaiah 29:18; 35:5; 42:7). In Scripture, concepts such as light and darkness, or sight versus blindness, were used to represent spiritual matters. In prior verses, the recently-healed man has pointed out that the miraculous healing Jesus performed on him ought to be evidence that Jesus is from God (John 9:30–31).

Further, Jesus' miracle is unique. Not only has Jesus done something supernatural, He has done something no other prophet or priest in Israel's history had ever done. Earlier, the scribes and Pharisees interrogating this man rejected Jesus on the grounds that they didn't know where He'd come from. This response, from the one who'd been healed, points out that such excuses are just that: excuses to be prejudiced, not valid answers.

The "bottom line" of the formerly-blind man's argument comes in the next verse, in simple and common-sense terms.
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What is the Gospel?
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