John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 5:6
When Jesus saw him lie ,.... In such a helpless condition: and knew that he had been now a long time, in that case , or "in his disease", as the Ethiopic version supplies; even seven years before Christ was born; which is a proof of his omniscience: the words may be literally rendered, as they are in the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions, "that he had had much time"; or as the Arabic version, "that he had had many years"; that is had lived many years, and was now an old man; he had his... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 5:5
And a certain man was there ,.... At Bethesda's pool, in one of the five porches, or cloisters, that belonged to it: which had an infirmity thirty and eight years ; what his infirmity was, is not said; he was one of the weak, or impotent folk, for so he is called, John 5:7 . Some think his distemper was the palsy, and though he had had this infirmity so many years, it is not certain that he had waited so long in this place for a cure; though it may be, for that he had attended some... read more