CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>John 10:21 Commentaries: Others were saying, "These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?"</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/newcom.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../vmenus/john/10-21.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcom/john/10-21.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="http://biblehub.com/commentaries/">Commentaries</a> > John 10:21</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../john/10-20.htm" title="John 10:20">◄</a> John 10:21 <a href="../john/10-22.htm" title="John 10:22">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse">Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?</div><div id="jump">Jump to: <a href="/commentaries/alford/john/10.htm" title="Henry Alford - Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary">Alford</a> • <a href="/commentaries/barnes/john/10.htm" title="Barnes' Notes">Barnes</a> • <a href="/commentaries/bengel/john/10.htm" title="Bengel's Gnomen">Bengel</a> • <a href="/commentaries/benson/john/10.htm" title="Benson Commentary">Benson</a> • <a href="/commentaries/illustrator/john/10.htm" title="Biblical Illustrator">BI</a> • <a href="/commentaries/calvin/john/10.htm" title="Calvin's Commentaries">Calvin</a> • <a href="/commentaries/cambridge/john/10.htm" title="Cambridge Bible">Cambridge</a> • <a href="/commentaries/chrysostom/john/10.htm" title="Chrysostom Homilies">Chrysostom</a> • <a href="/commentaries/clarke/john/10.htm" title="Clarke's Commentary">Clarke</a> • <a href="/commentaries/darby/john/10.htm" title="Darby's Bible Synopsis">Darby</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ellicott/john/10.htm" title="Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers">Ellicott</a> • <a href="/commentaries/expositors/john/10.htm" title="Expositor's Bible">Expositor's</a> • <a href="/commentaries/edt/john/10.htm" title="Expositor's Dictionary">Exp Dct</a> • <a href="/commentaries/egt/john/10.htm" title="Expositor's Greek">Exp Grk</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gaebelein/john/10.htm" title="Gaebelein's Annotated Bible">Gaebelein</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gsb/john/10.htm" title="Geneva Study Bible">GSB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gill/john/10.htm" title="Gill's Bible Exposition">Gill</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gray/john/10.htm" title="Gray's Concise">Gray</a> • <a href="/commentaries/guzik/john/10.htm" title="Guzik Bible Commentary">Guzik</a> • <a href="/commentaries/haydock/john/10.htm" title="Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary">Haydock</a> • <a href="/commentaries/hastings/john/10-11.htm" title="Hastings Great Texts">Hastings</a> • <a href="/commentaries/homiletics/john/10.htm" title="Pulpit Homiletics">Homiletics</a> • <a href="/commentaries/icc/john/10.htm" title="ICC NT Commentary">ICC</a> • <a href="/commentaries/jfb/john/10.htm" title="Jamieson-Fausset-Brown">JFB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/kelly/john/10.htm" title="Kelly Commentary">Kelly</a> • <a href="/commentaries/king-en/john/10.htm" title="Kingcomments Bible Studies">King</a> • <a href="/commentaries/lange/john/10.htm" title="Lange Commentary">Lange</a> • <a href="/commentaries/maclaren/john/10.htm" title="MacLaren Expositions">MacLaren</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhc/john/10.htm" title="Matthew Henry Concise">MHC</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhcw/john/10.htm" title="Matthew Henry Full">MHCW</a> • <a href="/commentaries/meyer/john/10.htm" title="Meyer Commentary">Meyer</a> • <a href="/commentaries/parker/john/10.htm" title="The People's Bible by Joseph Parker">Parker</a> • <a href="/commentaries/pnt/john/10.htm" title="People's New Testament">PNT</a> • <a href="/commentaries/poole/john/10.htm" title="Matthew Poole">Poole</a> • <a href="/commentaries/pulpit/john/10.htm" title="Pulpit Commentary">Pulpit</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sermon/john/10.htm" title="Sermon Bible">Sermon</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sco/john/10.htm" title="Scofield Reference Notes">SCO</a> • <a href="/commentaries/teed/john/10.htm" title="Teed Bible Commentary">Teed</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ttb/john/10.htm" title="Through The Bible">TTB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/vws/john/10.htm" title="Vincent's Word Studies">VWS</a> • <a href="/commentaries/wes/john/10.htm" title="Wesley's Notes">WES</a> • <a href="#tsk" title="Treasury of Scripture Knowledge">TSK</a></div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="comtype">EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)</div><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/john/10.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(21) <span class= "bld">Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil.</span>—We trace here again the presence of the better party among the Sanhedrin, which we found before (<a href="/john/9-16.htm" title="Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keeps not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.">John 9:16</a>). “His words,” they would say, “are words of calm teaching. The possession by a demon disorders, frenzies, makes the slave of madness. It is inconsistent with words like these.”<p><span class= "bld">Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?</span>—“Surely a devil cannot open the eyes of the blind? “is the form their question took. They go back from the teaching to the great sign which gave rise to it, and they find that work and word are alike opposed to the thought of being the result of a demon’s presence. Such a miracle had never before been known. A demon does not give the power to do a prophet’s work. (Comp. Notes on <a href="/john/9-16.htm" title="Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keeps not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.">John 9:16</a> and <a href="/matthew/12-24.htm" title="But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.">Matthew 12:24</a>.)<p><a name="mhc" id="mhc"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/mhc/john/10.htm">Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary</a></div>10:19-21 Satan ruins many, by putting them out of conceit with the word and ordinances. Men would not be laughed out of their necessary food, yet suffer themselves thus to be laughed out of what is far more necessary. If our zeal and earnestness in the cause of Christ, especially in the blessed work of bringing his sheep into his fold, bring upon us evil names, let us not heed it, but remember our Master was thus reproached before us.<a name="bar" id="bar"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/barnes/john/10.htm">Barnes' Notes on the Bible</a></div>Not the words ... - His words are sober, grave, pious, full of wisdom. The preaching of Jesus always produced effect. It made bitter enemies or decided friends. So will all faithful preaching. It is not the fault of the gospel that there are divisions, but of the unbelief and mad passions of men. <a name="jfb" id="jfb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/jfb/john/10.htm">Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary</a></div>19-21. There was a division … again among the Jews for these sayings—the light and the darkness revealing themselves with increasing clearness in the separation of the teachable from the obstinately prejudiced. The one saw in Him only "a devil and a madman"; the other revolted at the thought that such words could come from one possessed, and sight be given to the blind by a demoniac; showing clearly that a deeper impression had been made upon them than their words expressed.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/poole/john/10.htm">Matthew Poole's Commentary</a></div> But others, that were less passionate and brutish in their expressions, and more thinking and considerate in passing their judgments, said, <span class="bld">These are not the words</span> (so we translate it; the word in the Greek is rhmata, which signifies things, and matters, as well as words; and by what follows, one would think that were the more proper translation of it here) <span class="bld">of him that hath a devil.</span> They instance in no words, but in a matter of fact; asking if a devil could open the eyes of the blind? That is, of one that was born blind; for they certainly speak with reference to that miracle which he had so lately wrought upon such a person. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="gil" id="gil"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gill/john/10.htm">Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a></div>Others said, these are not the words of him that hath a devil,.... No madman or demoniac, one possessed of a devil, and under the influence of Satan, would ever talk in so divine a manner, and speak such words of truth and soberness: these were, some of the wiser sort, and were well disposed to Christ, who reasoned thus, and they were but few: whereas those that charged him with madness and distraction were many, as in the preceding verse; <p>can a devil open the eyes of the blind? referring to the late instance, of Christ's curing a man that was blind from his birth; if it was in the power of a devil to do such an action, which it is not, yet it is not in his nature, it is not usual with him to do any good; but to do all the hurt he can, both to the bodies and souls of men: in one of Beza's copies it is read, "can one that has a devil open the eyes of the blind?" so the Persic version, can a "demoniac", &c.? which reading suits best with what is before said; and then the sense is, can a madman, one that is a lunatic, one possessed with the devil, either talk in the manner this man does, or do such wonderful actions as he has done, particularly cure a man that was born blind? <a name="gsb" id="gsb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gsb/john/10.htm">Geneva Study Bible</a></div><span class="cverse2">Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?</span></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><div class="comtype">EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)</div><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/cambridge/john/10.htm">Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges</a></div><span class="bld">21</span>. <span class="ital">of him that hath a devil</span>] Better, <span class="ital">of</span> <span class="bld">one possessed with a demon</span>: the expression differs from that in <span class="ital"><a href="/john/10-20.htm" title="And many of them said, He has a devil, and is mad; why hear you him?">John 10:20</a></span>.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="ital">Can a devil</span>] Or, <span class="ital">Surely a</span> <span class="bld">demon</span> <span class="ital">cannot</span>. See on <a href="/john/9-40.htm" title="And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said to him, Are we blind also?">John 9:40</a>. It was too great and too beneficent a miracle for a demon. But here they stop short: they state what He <span class="ital">cannot</span> be; they do not see, or will not admit, what He <span class="ital">must</span> be.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/bengel/john/10.htm">Bengel's Gnomen</a></div><a href="/john/10-21.htm" title="Others said, These are not the words of him that has a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?">John 10:21</a>. <span class="greekheb">Ῥήματα</span>) Hebr. <span class="greekheb">דברים </span>words. Comp. what goes before [<a href="/john/10-19.htm" title="There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.">John 10:19</a>, There was a division for these sayings]: also comp. the works alluded to in what follows [<a href="/john/10-25.htm" title="Jesus answered them, I told you, and you believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.">John 10:25</a>].<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="pul" id="pul"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/john/10.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 21.</span> - There was a twofold reply: one drawn from their own experience. <span class="cmt_word">Others said, These</span> (<span class="greek">ῤήματα</span>; <span class="accented">verba</span>, Vulgate) <span class="cmt_word">sayings</span> - "things said" - <span class="cmt_word">are not those of one who is possessed by a daemon</span>. Their majestic calm, their conscious strength, the strange thrill they sent through human hearts, and which we feel to this hour, discriminate them from the scream of the maniac, with which some of the more astounding statements taken by themselves might have suggested comparison. They give another argument drawn from the miracle which had just taken place, which proves that his friends on this occasion were very far from the mad wickedness of those whose moral sense had been so perverted as to say that "he casts out daemons by the prince of daemons" (see <a href="/matthew/12-24.htm">Matthew 12:24</a>, etc., and parallel passages). <span class="cmt_word">Can a daemon open the eyes of the blind?</span> It is not in the nature of a damon to heal disease, and pour light on sightless eyes. The goodness of the Lord triumphs over the vile insinuation. We must have better explanation than this of his mysterious claims. The contest was sharp. The conflict for a while silenced opposition, only to break out again with greater malice and fury. John 10:21<a name="vws" id="vws"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/vws/john/10.htm">Vincent's Word Studies</a></div>That hath a devil (δαιμονιζομένου)<p>Literally, of one demonized. Rev., one possessed with a devil.<p>Can a devil (μὴ δύναται)<p>Surely a demon cannot. <div class="vheading2">Links</div><a href="/interlinear/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 Interlinear</a><br /><a href="/texts/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 Parallel Texts</a><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/niv/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="http://bibleapps.com/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 Bible Apps</a><br /><a href="/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 Parallel</a><br /><a href="http://bibliaparalela.com/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="http://holybible.com.cn/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="http://saintebible.com/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 French Bible</a><br /><a href="http://bibeltext.com/john/10-21.htm">John 10:21 German Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td align="center"><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script><br /><br /> </div> <div id="left"><a href="../john/10-20.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="John 10:20"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="John 10:20" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../john/10-22.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="John 10:22"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="John 10:22" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div> <div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>