Having heard the name, the neighbours wanted the man behind it. The text gives no further motive. What they did next was bring the healed man to the Pharisees (John 9:13). Barnes believes they did this "to accuse Jesus of having violated the Sabbath," since the healing took place on the sabbath day (John 9:14). If so, their question may have been less about meeting Jesus than about handing Him over. Gill reads it the same way, saying it was asked "not out of good will to Christ, but that they might apprehend him."

"He said, I know not" (John 9:12). He had gone to the pool, washed, and "came seeing" (John 9:7), but he had been blind the whole time Jesus was with him. Then the neighbours "brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind" (John 9:13). The man would not meet Jesus again until Jesus found him after he was cast out (John 9:35-37).

Gill explains the man's answer this way: "Christ had withdrawn himself and was gone." Gill is not certain why. He suggests it may have been because the Jews would be irritated by the miracle, or to avoid popular applause, and says "it may be on both accounts." Feelings against Jesus were already high: shortly before this, "took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple" (John 8:59).

Jesus does not stay to collect praise or explain Himself. He heals and goes. Through most of the chapter the man must answer for Jesus without Jesus present, first to neighbours, then to the Pharisees, and again after they questioned his parents (John 9:13-34).

Yet Jesus has not forgotten him. When the man is cast out, the text says, "Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him" (John 9:35). The man who could not say where Jesus was is the man Jesus goes looking for.