And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said to him, Are we blind also?
Are.
John 9:34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
John 7:47-52 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? …
Matthew 15:12-14 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? …
and they asked Him
The Pharisees' question to Jesus reflects their skepticism and challenge to His authority. Throughout the Gospels, they frequently question Jesus to test Him or to find grounds for accusation. This interaction is part of a larger narrative where Jesus' miracles and teachings often provoke questions and debates about His identity and mission. The act of questioning was a common method in rabbinic tradition, used to engage in theological discussion and debate.
“Are we blind too?”
This question reveals the Pharisees' misunderstanding of spiritual blindness. While they were physically able to see, Jesus often used blindness metaphorically to describe a lack of spiritual insight or understanding. The Pharisees' question is ironic because, despite their religious knowledge, they fail to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. This theme of spiritual blindness is echoed in other parts of Scripture, such as Isaiah 6:9-10, where the prophet speaks of people who see but do not perceive. Jesus' response to the Pharisees highlights the contrast between physical sight and spiritual insight, a recurring theme in His teachings.
• The group represents Israel’s religious gatekeepers, men convinced they already “see” (John 9:13–16; Matthew 23:25).
• They have just examined the healed beggar and rejected his testimony, revealing hearts hardened like those Isaiah described (Isaiah 6:9–10).
• Although steeped in Scripture, they illustrate that knowing facts without faith can still leave a soul in darkness (John 5:39–40).
• Physical nearness to Jesus does not equal fellowship with Him (John 7:45–52).
• Standing in the same crowd, they enjoy the same evidence as the formerly blind man, yet respond opposite ways—one worships, the others oppose (John 9:35–38).
• Their presence shows how a person can sit in every service, hear every sermon, and still miss the Light of the world (John 8:12).
• “This” points to Jesus’ prior statement: “so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind” (John 9:39).
• Hearing truth is a stewardship; what we do with it matters (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 4:2).
• For these Pharisees, the same word that opened one man’s eyes now exposes their pride (John 3:19-20).
• Instead of repenting, they interrogate—an age-old pattern (Luke 11:53-54).
• Their question is less a quest for clarity and more a defensive challenge, akin to Cain’s “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9).
• Confronting Jesus directly, they reveal that unbelief often masquerades as honest inquiry (John 10:24-26).
• The irony is thick: men claiming perfect sight unwittingly confess their blindness (Revelation 3:17).
• Spiritual blindness is not a lack of intellect but a heart unwilling to bow (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
• Jesus will answer in verse 41 that self-proclaimed “sight” leaves their guilt intact, echoing His earlier warning that light rejected becomes greater darkness (Matthew 6:23).
John 9:40 captures proud hearts colliding with convicting truth. Religious leaders, sure of their spiritual vision, stand inches from the Healer yet remain in darkness. Their question, “Are we blind too?” unintentionally affirms Jesus’ diagnosis: unwillingness to admit need is the very essence of blindness. The passage invites every reader to trade self-confidence for humble faith, letting the Light of the world open our eyes.
(40) And some of the Pharisees which were with him.--The words in the preceding verse are not addressed specially to any one. The Pharisees would be still watching our Lord, and some had probably followed the beggar, expecting that our Lord would seek him, and hoping that the interview might furnish some ground for a fresh charge against one or both of them. It is the presence of mental conditions such as theirs and such as his that has brought again to our Lord's thoughts the judicial result of His manifestation, and this rises to His lips as an utterance of the solemn thought that fills His mind. The Pharisees hear this exclamation, and apply to themselves that which their own state suggested; but which was expressed as, and is, a wide law, holding true for all mankind.Are we blind also?--They misunderstand His words, for He has asserted of the blind ("they which see not") that the result of His coming is "that they might see." But yet they do not understand the words in a physical sense, in which they could have had no application to themselves. Care is required to catch the force of the term in these three verses, and it may be well to distinguish again the meanings attached to the word blind. It is used (1) for physical blindness. This has been its meaning throughout the chapter. It suggests the imagery in these verses, but is not itself present in the thought which is of spiritual, blindness only. (2) For conscious spiritual blindness ("they which see not," "they which think they see not"), which is really the first step to spiritual sight. (3) For unconscious spiritual blindness ("they which see," "they which think they see"), which is really the first step to a total loss of spiritual perception.
Verse 40. - Those of the Pharisees who were with him. This expression does not simply mean who were near him at that moment, but who were to a certain extent siding with him (John 8:30, 31), while criticizing and rejecting his message; who were incensed with him for promising to them "freedom" and sonship, and whose faith in his claims was of the most superficial and vacillating kind. These wavering, self-satisfied Pharisees heard these things, and they said to him, Are we blind also? Many commentators, who call attention to the contrast between the τυφλοί and μή βλέποντες of ver. 39, think that the speakers who made use of this word did not draw the distinction, and meant nothing more than their use μὴ βλέποντες by of τυφλοί. But this is unsatisfactory; whatever it 'means in the one clause, it ought to mean in the other. There is a difference between "becoming blind," and being "the blind." They ask whether they are blind also, i.e. as blind as those who have, according to Christ's own dictum, become so. They seem to admit that some who have the power of sight have been blinded by the very light that shines upon them, but they are in doubt with reference to their own case.