Question:
Answer:
In short, it’s an apples and oranges comparison.
There is no doubt that “Ego Eimi” (I AM) is a divine name, as God the Father refers to himself as such in Exodus 3:14. The name conveys that God’s essence is existence, that he necessarily is and there cannot be overcome by any outside force or person, precisely because they are created by him and thus inferior to him.
Some Jewish leaders and their disciples pick up stones to throw at Jesus precisely because he claims the divine name and thus equality with God (John 8:58-59), a blasphemy in their eyes.
Regarding the blind man in John 9:9, he is not claiming to be God but rather is simply asserting that he is the man born blind. Mere human beings throughout history have used the words “I am” in their respective languages to confirm something about themselves. And yet there is no confusion about their claiming to any divinity with such assertions.
Similarly, there is no confusion that a young Samuel is claiming to be divine in responding to Eli the priest (1 Samuel 3).