complete verse (John 9:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 9:6:

  • Uma: “After speaking like that, he spit on the ground, he mixed it with a little ground/dirt so that it was muddy, he smeared it on the eyes of that blind person,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When Isa had finished saying this, he spat on the ground and he mixed his spittle with the dirt making mud. Then he smeared the mud on the eyes of the person.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when Jesus had said this, he spit upon the ground and he got mud which was made there by his spit, and he rubbed it on the eyes of the blind person.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Upon Jesus’ saying that, he spit-on the soil and made-it into mud. Then he applied/rubbed it on the eyes of the blind-one” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When Jesus had said that, he spat on the ground. He made into mud that which he spat, and then he applied it to the eyes of that blind man.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “After saying this, Jesus spit onto the ground. He made mud with the spit. He rubbed it on the eyes of the blind man.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 9:6

The connection between this verse and the preceding one is evident. Having stated that he is the light for the world, Jesus now illustrates what that means by healing the man’s blindness.

The expression made some mud with the spittle may require a more specific indication of how the mud was made, for example, “mixed the dirt with the spittle” or “by means of his fingers mixed the dirt with the spittle to make mud.”

In place of the verb rubbed … on (New English Bible “spread on”; Moffatt, New American Bible “smeared on”; Revised Standard Version “anointed”), one ancient Greek manuscript reads “put on.” This reading may be the basis for Jerusalem Bible “put this over” and Phillips “applied to.” In verse 15 the verb put … on is used when the man describes what Jesus did to him. It is probably the basis for the reading “put on” in verse 6 of one Greek manuscript.

In rendering he rubbed the mud on the man’s eyes it is important to avoid the suggestion that he “rubbed the mud into the man’s eyes.” What apparently happened was that Jesus smeared the mud over the man’s eyelids. This fact must be made clear in some languages, to avoid the impression that the mud was rubbed on the eyeballs.

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 .