3:31 The one who comes from above is superior to all. 3 The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. 4 The one who comes from heaven 5 is superior to all. 6
9:1 Now as Jesus was passing by, 11 he saw a man who had been blind from birth.
1 sn Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
2 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
3 tn Or “is above all.”
4 tn Grk “speaks from the earth.”
5 sn The one who comes from heaven refers to Christ. As in John 1:1, the Word’s preexistence is indicated here.
6 tc Ì75 א* D Ë1 565 as well as several versions and fathers lack the phrase “is superior to all” (ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν, epanw pantwn estin). This effectively joins the last sentence of v. 31 with v. 32: “The one who comes from heaven testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.” On the other side, the phrase may have been deleted because of perceived redundancy, since it duplicates what is said earlier in the verse. The witnesses that include ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν in both places are weighty and widespread (Ì36vid,66 א2 A B L Ws Θ Ψ 083 086 Ë13 33 Ï lat sys,p,h bo). On balance, the longer reading should probably be considered authentic.
5 tn “So” is supplied for transitional smoothness in English.
6 sn The imperfect tense is here rendered began coming for the author is not finished with this part of the story yet; these same Samaritans will appear again in v. 35.
7 tn Grk “And he said to them.”
8 tn The word “people” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
9 tn Or “going along.” The opening words of chap. 9, καὶ παράγων (kai paragwn), convey only the vaguest indication of the circumstances.