complete verse (John 9:32)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 9:32:

  • Uma: “From the beginning of the world, we have never yet heard a story that a person blind from birth could be healed.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Since the beginning of the world it has not been heard that a person blind from birth was caused to see.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “From the beginning of the creation of the world until now, this is the first time we have heard about a person who could medicine and cure the eyes of a person who was totally blind before he was born.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Ever-since the beginning of the world, certainly no person has been-reported who has removed the blindness of one who was-born-with his blindness.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For from long ago when the world was young, there has never been anyone who could make well someone born blind, only now.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “From long ago it has not been heard that there arose a man who opened the eyes of a blind man who had been blind since birth.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 9:32

Since the beginning of the world is literally “from the age.” Most translations give the same meaning that Good News Translation gives this phrase. Since the beginning of the world may be rendered “since the world was created” or “from the very time that the world was first created.”

Nobody has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a blind person may require restructuring in the light of 9.1, which states that the man had been born blind. For example, “people have never heard that anyone ever gave sight to a person who had been blind from the day he was born” or “… caused a man who had always been blind to see” or “… caused that a man who was blind from birth would be able to see.”

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 .