“Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.”
Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner — the Pharisees bring the healed man back for further interrogation. 'Give God the praise'—this phrase may mean 'tell the truth before God' (an oath formula invoking God as witness) or 'give God credit for any cure' (implying Jesus played no role). They assert: 'we know that this man is a sinner'—they claim definitive knowledge that Jesus is a sinner (violating the Sabbath). The interrogation attempts to separate the healed man's allegiance from Jesus.
Church Fathers on John 9:24
The parents having referred the Pharisees to the healed man himself, they summon him a second time: Then again called they the man that was blind. They do not openly say now, Deny that Christ has healed you, but conceal their object under the presence of religion: Give God the praise, i.e. confess that this man has had nothing to do with the work.
Deny that you have received the benefit. This is not to give God the glory, but rather to blaspheme Him.
The man, that he might neither expose himself to calumny, nor at the same time conceal the truth, answers not that he knew Him to be righteous, but, Whether He is a sinner or no, I know not.
Read all 18 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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