John 9:6 Commentary - Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

1) "When he had thus spoken," (tauta eipon) "When he had said these things," to and for the benefit of His disciples, His church fellowship followers He had chosen, who had been with Him from the beginning, Joh 9:21; Joh 15:16; Joh 15:26-27.

2) "He spat on the ground," (eptusen chamai) "He spat upon the ground," the earth, from which man was first made, Gen 2:7; Joh 8:23. A similar, yet slightly different physical form was followed in the healing of a deaf man as recounted, Mar 7:33-37.

3) "And made clay of the spittle," (kai epoiesen ek tou ptusmatos) "And he made clay out of and from the spittle," in the dust of the ground, which too was and is under the curse of sin, Rom 8:19-22. This gesture indicates that Jesus can use the accursed earth, by His redemptive power, to give sight to the blind, a lesson indicating that man's body should be used for purposes of redemptive service, after he has been saved or come to behold Jesus, Eph 5:14-17.

4) "And he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.'' (kai epetheken autou ton pelon epi tous ophthalmous) "And he put the clay he had made on his eyes," the eyes of the blind man, the sightless beggar, who was blind from birth, Joh 9:1, known as a beggar by his neighbors, and those who saw him at the temple gate, Joh 9:8.