Jesus says a man is blind from birth to enable others to see God's power and then that he is the light. Then he spits on dirt and rubs it on the blind man's eyes.
John 9:7 Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.
John 9:7 Go wash in the Pool of Siloam
Go off! Rinse off in the swimming pool of having been sent off!
John wanted people to get all of Jesus's plays on words, even when they were in another language.
The humor here is from Jesus sending someone off to wash off in the pool of the one being sent off. The word translated as "Siloam" is from the Hebrew word for "send off." John translates it into a past perfect passive participle in Greek using a word that means "the one being sent off." It used as the source of our word "apostle." The Gospel writer clearly saw the wordplay in this. Of course, this interchange has been one of word play.
Go, -- "Go" is a Greek verb that means literally "go under" or "bring under," and Jesus uses it to mean "go," but he often uses it to mean "go away" and "depart."
wash - The word translated as "wash" means "wash off" though it is usually applied to hands and feet. This makes sense here because it refers to the mud applied to the man's eyes.
in -- The word translated as "unto" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, and "up to" limits in time and measure.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
pool - - "Pool" is a Greek word that means "a place for diving", "swimming bath", "wine-vat", "reservoir," and cistern." It is from the Greek verb "to swim" and "to dive." This is the only time Jesus uses this word.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the Greek definite article,"the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." It is included because the Hebrew word has no word ending to show its role in the sentences so an article is needed.
Siloam. "Siloam" is a Hebrew word, which means "sent." The Gospel writer saw its Hebrew meaning as significant enough to translate it into the Greek participle, "having been sent." With the article, the sense is "the ones having been sent." Again, if everything Jesus said was in Aramaic, this word would simply be translated with everything else.
Go, -- "Go" is a Greek verb that means literally "go under" or "bring under," and Jesus uses it to mean "go," but he often uses it to mean "go away" and "depart."
wash - The word translated as "wash" means "wash off" though it is usually applied to hands and feet. This makes sense here because it refers to the mud applied to the man's eyes.
in -- The word translated as "unto" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, and "up to" limits in time and measure.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
Pool - - "Pool" is a Greek word that means "a place for diving", "swimming bath", "wine-vat", "reservoir," and cistern." It is from the Greek verb "to swim" and "to dive." This is the only time Jesus uses this word.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the Greek definite article,"the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." It is included because the Hebrew word has no word ending to show its role in the sentences so an article is needed.
Siloam. "Siloam" is from Siloam, which is not a Greek word, but a Hebrew word, which means "sent." The Gospel writer saw its Hebrew meaning as significant enough to translate it into the Greek participle, "having been sent." With the article, the sense is "the ones having been sent." Again, if everything Jesus said was in Aramaic, this word would simply be translated with everything else.
Ὕπαγε [47 verses](2nd sg pres imperat act) "Go" is hypago, which means "to lead under," "to bring under," "to bring a person before judgment," "to lead on by degrees," "to take away from beneath," "to withdraw," "to go away," "to retire," "to draw off," and "off with you."
νίψαι [5 verses](verb 2nd sg aor imperat mid) "Wash" is from nipto, which means specifically "to wash hands or feet," and generally "to clean", "to purge," and "to wash off."
εἰς [325 verses](prep) "Into" is eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)," "until (of time)," "as much as (of measure or limit)," "as far as (of measure or limit)," "towards (to express relation)," "in regard to (to express relation)," "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."
τὴν [821 verses](article sg fem acc) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
κολυμβήθραν [1 verse](noun sg fem acc) "Pool" is from kolymbethra, which means "a place for diving", "swimming bath", "wine-vat", "reservoir," and cistern." It is from the Greek verb "to swim" and "to dive." -
τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen) "Of" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
Σιλωάμ [3 verses](Hebrew Word) - "Siloam" is from Siloam, which is not a Greek word, but a Hebrew word שִׁלֹחַ which means "sent." Also appears as "Shiloa" in Isa 8:6. John translates it as the Greek past participle, (part sg perf mp masc nom) apostello, which means "the one who has been sent off," or "the one who has been sent away." In the other two references by Jesus, it refers not to the pool but a tower, which may have been over it.