NOTES for Joh 9:5
In the Synodal translation a difference in grammatical forms can be traced here, as also in John 8:12, and in Matt. 5:14. It turns out that when Jesus addresses the disciples, He calls them the "light of the world," while when He speaks of Himself, He uses the expression "light to the world." On this basis one could build an entire sermon, could one not? However, when the Greek text is examined, no such distinction is found. Accordingly, practically all modern translations put here the same grammatical form as in Matt 5:14: "light of the world." And there is meaning in this too, if the Teacher speaks of Himself and of the disciples in the same expressions. It is simply that while He lives His earthly life, He fulfills this function: to bring light into this world enveloped in darkness; after His Ascension this function passes to His disciples.