Matthew Poole and continuators on John 9:34

34 They answered, and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sin, and dost thou teach us And they cast him out.

The Pharisees seeing that they could by no Arts bring this poor blind man to their lure; either to deny, or speak any thing in abatement of the Miracle which Christ had wrought upon him; nor yet to agree with them, That Christ was a great Sinner; fall at last to a downright railing, They tell him, he was altogether born in sins. So were all of them; David had taught them, That there was none righteous, no not one; and confessed concerning himself, Psal. 51.5. That he was conceived in iniquity, and that in sin his mother had brought him forth. They had learned from Iob, That none can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean. Nothing can be clean that is born of a woman, Iob. 14.4. Their meaning therefore in this Phrase must be something more, and possibly the Adjective [non-Latin text not transcribed] which signifieth whole; we Translate it (as if it were [non-Latin text not transcribed]); alltogether doth import thus much, They do not onely tell this man, That he was born in sin; but that he was whole, or altogether born in Sin; that is, under the guilt of Sin: nor do they mean onely the common Corruption and Contagion of Humane Nature, derived from the loss of God's Image in Man upon the Fall of Adam, but some notorious Sin. If any say, How could they think that he was guilty of any such thing before he was born. Answ. It was the Opinion of Pythagoras, one of the Heathen Philosophers, That when Men and Women dyed, their Souls went into other Bodies, that were then born, and in those Bodies often suffered Punishment for those enormous acts, which they had been guilty of in former Bodies. It is apparent, that the Iews were some of them tainted with this Notion, from Herods saying, Math. 14.2. Mar. 6.14. When after the Beheading of Iohn the Baptist, he heard what great Works Christ did, That Iohn Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works did shew forth themselves in him. By which the best Interpreters think, That Herod, meant no more, than that Iohn Baptists Soul was gone into another Body, according to their Notion borrowed from the Heathens; for it had been easie for Herod by search, to have found, Whether Iohn Baptists Body was risen from the Dead. So it is thought, that the Pharisees here saying, Thou art altogether born in sin: meant, That his Soul was a sordid, filthy Soul, which in another Body had committed vile, and abominable things; and for those Sins, God set a mark upon him, even in his Birth, and he was born Blind. Or perhaps this Phrase signified no more, than a term of Reviling; of which, no great account can be given: As Passionate men in the madness of their Passions, oft throw out words of Reproach, of which neither themselves nor others can give any just and reasonable account. And doest thou teach us? Thou that art such a Mark'd Villain from thy Mothers Womb, or that art such an ignorant Idiot, doest thou think thy self fit to instrust us about true and false Prophets? who are of God, and who are not? Surely we are to be thy Teachers, and not thou ours.

And they cast him out. Some think that casting out here, signifieth no more than a turning him out of the place where they were; as the Word signifieth, Act. 7.58. and 13.50. Others think it is here to be understood of a Judicial Excommunication, or casting him out of Communion with the Iewish Church; which latter seemeth more probable, because of the notice of it brought to our Saviour, and the notice which he took of this poor man, upon this occasion. If it had been onely a turning him out of the place where they were met, it is not probable, that it would have made such a noise.

Marginal references: Or, Excommunicated him.