John 9:22His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~30 AD. Temple courts. Parents of a man born blind face interrogation by religious leaders after their son's miraculous healing...
The emotion here: documenting the tragic cost of fear over faith
The original word
phobeomai (ἐφοβοῦντο) — terror that paralyzes, not mere concern but overwhelming dread
Why it matters
Synagogue excommunication meant complete social and economic isolation in Jewish society
Read with care
What most readers miss in John 9:22
These parents threw their own son under the bus to save themselves
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about persecution by outsiders, but this is about religious leaders persecuting people for experiencing God's power.
The thread continues
Verses that echo John 9:22
Bible Genome reading
John 9:22 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
John 9:22 comes from the book of John, written during the gospel period. The setting is the Temple. These words are attributed to John. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include fear, persecution. Notable phrases: feared the Jews; put out of the synagogue; confess him as Christ.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does John 9:22 mean to you, today?
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