The consultation with the parents: V. 18. But the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight. V. 19. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who, ye say, was born blind? How, then, doth he now see?
The Jewish rulers, having found the testimony of the former blind man too simple to permit any questioning, now tried to invalidate his statements by expressing doubts as to his former blindness. In an effort to discredit the whole matter, therefore, they called the parents before their tribunal.
Mark the procedure of a typical hierarchical government. The parents were asked whether they were sure as to the identity of this man, and also whether they knew in what way he had received his sight. We can very well imagine the scene, the timid old people shrinking back before the overbearing manner of the inquisitors, hardly daring to open their mouth, for fear of saying something that would offend the mighty ones.