“Go, wash” = the man’s faith was tested by a command. He responded readily, unlike Naaman when challenged similarly by Elisha in (2 Kings 5:10-11). He has believed without first seeing and because of that he is enabled to see. This is faith in its purest form and highly pleases God (John 20:29). Note that obedience to the command of Jesus brought sight to the blind man. This is a principle that also applies to us. Obedience to Christ always brings sight (John 7:17).

2 Kings 5:10-11  Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”  But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.

John 20:29  Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 7:17  If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

“Siloam” means “sent”. Originally the name had to do with the fact that the water was sent into the pool by a channel cut through the rock by workmen under the direction of Hezekiah. The name was given to the pool quite early (Neh 3:15) with connotations of the rejection of the Messiah (Isaiah 8:6-9).

Nehemiah 3:15  The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David.

Isaiah 8:6-9  “Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoices over Rezin and the son of Remaliah,  therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the River— the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks  and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck. Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, O Immanuel!”  Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered!

“came home seeing” is a very low-key way of stating the healing of the blind man. Have you ever noticed how low-key God is in the things He does for us? We want God to come through in showy ways so His power is advertised to all, but He doesn’t do things the way we want or the way we expect. He sends His Son to earth and has Him born in a farmyard feeding trough to poor people and the only advertising He does is to a small group of shepherds and 3 pagans who lived hundreds of miles away.

When the man is healed and can see, he first goes home to tell those closest to him of the incredible blessing he has received. Those newly converted, who have received their spiritual sight are just as ambitious in their telling of what they have received to their friends and relatives and rightly so. Wouldn’t it be great if we never lost that excitement?

Edersheim notes, “Sight was restored by clay, made out of the ground by the spittle of Him, Whose breath had at the first breathed life into clay; and this was then washed in the Pool of Siloam, from whose waters had been drawn on the Feast of Tabernacles that which symbolised the forthpouring of the new life by the Spirit.”