In Greek the man replied is literally “therefore (Greek oun) that man replied” and this clause is first in the sentence structure. The implication behind the man’s answer is that Jesus is superior to the Law of Moses. That is, the Jews have accused Jesus of breaking their Law (verse 16), but the man born blind knows that Jesus has healed him of his blindness. The only logical conclusion is that Jesus has power beyond the Law of Moses, a conclusion the Jewish authorities are not prepared to accept.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .