Jesus saith to him, rise ,.... From thy bed, or couch, on which he lay in one of the porches: and take up thy bed and walk ; these words were spoken by the same power, as those to Lazarus, which called him out of his grave; as appears from the effect they had upon the man, who was in himself impotent, weak, and helpless. read more
And immediately the man was made whole ,.... As soon as ever the words were spoken by Christ, such power went with them, as restored the man to perfect health; and he finding himself to be quite well, rose up directly: and took up his bed and walked ; which may be expressive of a sinner's rising from the bed of sin, and taking up the cross, or carrying the body of sin and death with him; and walking by faith in Christ, as he has received him: and on the same day was the sabbath ;... read more
The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured ,.... When they saw him, either at the place, or as he walked through the streets, with his bed on his back: it is the sabbath day : do not you know it? surely you forget yourself, or you would never be guilty of such an action as this; it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed . It was forbid by the law, to carry any burden on the sabbath day; see Nehemiah 13:15 ; for "carrying out and bringing in anything, from one place to... read more
He answered them ,.... That is, the impotent man, who was now made whole, replied to the Jews: he that made me whole, the same said unto me, take up thy bed and walk ; intimating, that he that had such divine power, as to make him whole, had power to dispense with the sabbath, and such an action on it; and that his word was warrant and authority sufficient, to support him in what he did; for he that had wrought this cure for him, he concluded must be from God; was at least a great... read more
Then asked they him ,.... Suspecting who had made him whole, and gave him this order: what man is that which said unto thee, take up thy bed and walk ? they take no notice of the cure, being unwilling to give any glory to Christ, and still less to spread it; but chose rather that it should be obscured, hid, and unobserved; but they laid hold on that, which they thought might be improved to his reproach and scandal; and they call him a man, as supposing him to be a mere man, and a wicked... read more
And he that was healed, wist not who he was ,.... He had never seen, and perhaps had never heard of Christ before, and so knew him not; and besides, Christ gave him no opportunity of conversing with him, or so much as to ask him who he was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away ; had slipped away, as soon as ever he had wrought the miracle: a multitude being in that place ; or "from the multitude that were in that place"; not that he hid himself among them, and there remained... read more
Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple ,.... Perhaps on the same day; for as soon as he had been at home, and laid down his bed, it is very likely he went directly to the temple, there to show himself, attend the worship of the place, and return thanks to God for the great mercy bestowed on him: and said unto him, behold thou art made whole ; cured of the disease that had attended him so many years; and a wonderful cure it was; well may a "behold" be prefixed; though this is here not... read more
The man departed ,.... From Christ, and from the temple, not through displeasure, or as resenting what was said to him, but as highly delighted that he had found his kind benefactor and physician; and went either to Bethesda, where the miracle was wrought, and where a multitude of people were, and where he might expect to find some of the persons that had questioned him about carrying his bed, and who it was that bid him do it; or rather to the sanhedrim; see John 5:33 compared with John... read more
A feast - This is generally supposed, by the best critics, to have been the feast of the passover, which was the most eminent feast among the Jews. In several excellent MSS. the article is added, ἡ ἑορτη , The feast, the grand, the principal festival. Petavius supposes that the feast of Purim, or lots, is here meant; and one MS. reads ἡ σκηνοπηγια , the feast of Tabernacles. Several of the primitive fathers believe Pentecost to be intended; and they are followed by many of the... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 5:7
The impotent man answered him, Sir ,.... Which was a common and courteous way of speaking, much in use with the Jews, especially to strangers. The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions read, "yea Lord", which is a direct answer to the question: I have no man ; the Ethiopic version reads, "men"; he had no servant, so Nonnus, or servants, to wait upon him, and take him up in their arms, and carry him into the pool; he was a poor man, and such God is pleased to choose and call by his grace: ... read more