John 5

John 5:2

[a] by the sheep market a pool] The words being read, as they are now in our best copies, ἐπὶ τῇ προβατικῇ κολυμβήθρᾳ, both in the dative case, the only nominative case in the period must be ἡ ἐπιλεγομένη Βεθεσδὰ, and then there can be no way of translating it but by understanding the word בית house, which is after contained in the word Bethesda, and which must be the subject to which the following adjunct belongs, πέντε στοὰς ἔχουσα, having five porches, which cannot be said so properly of any thing as of an house. If this be the reading, then this house, called in Syriac בית הכרה, the house of mercy, as the Syriac now reads it, that is, the almshouse literally, (not as Beza would have it, domus effusionis,) must be resolved to have been a nosocomium or hospital for those that are sick, and that it was built ἐπὶ τῇ κολυμβήθρᾳ, upon or adjoining to that pool, (or, as the King’s MS. reads, ἐν τῇ, on it,) and had five porches in it. Others anciently did read it (see Rob. Steph. var. lect.) without ἐπὶ τῇ in the nominative case, ἦν δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις προβατικὴ κολυμβήθρα, there was at Jerusalem a sheep pool. So St. Chrysostom, and St. Cyrill of Alexandria, Theophylact, Theophilus Antioch. and St. Jerome. Bethesda (saith he, in Locis Hebr.) piscina in Jerusalem quæ vocatur peculialis: “Bethesda is a pool in Jerusalem, called the cattle pool;” which if it be the right reading, then may that pool be there set for this house and pool together, and both (ἐπιλεγομένη) with the agnomen of Bethesda, the almshouse, or else בית may be taken in a larger notion to signify any place, and so signify the pool only, without supposing any house there, but only some buildings, as porches or entrances into the pool, ver. 7. As for that

John 5:4

For an angel, or, as it may be probably sup- ¹ at the sheep-pool ² sick of the palsy: for so the ³ Or, a descended in, κατέβαινεν ἴν.

John 5:14

The cure that was lately wrought upon thee, thou knewest not by whom, must oblige thee to an upright reformation of life, or else thou art to expect more fearful judgments than that disease was. ‘both wrought a cure, (which they thought unlawful on the sabbath, Mark iii. 2,) and also bad him to carry his bed, ver. 10, on the sabbath day.

John 5:17

To this exception of theirs against him, because of his curing on the sabbath, Jesus made this reply: God my Father, from whose rest you take the celebration of the sabbath, did not so rest from all work on the sabbath day, but that ever since he hath done works of providence (see Chrysostom, hom. 10. in Gen. p. 63.) and of preservation and mercy every day; and why may not I his Son do so without exception, my Father’s actions and mine being the same? which the Jews, that knew that the Son of God must be of the very divine nature, (as a son is of the same nature with his father,) and therefore equal with God, interpreted to be a blasphemy in him whom they believed not to be the Messias, and therefore fit to be punished with death.

John 5:19

To this exception of theirs against Christ he answers, Although I affirm myself the Son of God, and so am rightly concluded by you to be equal with my Father, yet this is far from being matter of impiety in me, far from opposing myself against God: for I do nothing but what is the express will of my Father that I should do, and therefore it was reasonable for me to say what I did, ver. 17, that my Father’s actions will justify me in doing the same.

John 5:20

For out of the infinite love my Father bears to me, he communicates all things to me, and by that means you are likely to have greater matter of won-

was gone out privately, illiterate. until now, that April. also called God his

own Father, and wroughta Thou Chry the God.

John 5:21

For even to the raising of the dead, far greater than the curing of the sick, my Father hath communicated his power to me, and as my Father raiseth, so will I whomsoever I please.

John 5:22

And for the office of judging (angels or men), my Father doth it not himself, but hath put all into the Son’s hand, both the present governing of the church and final sentencing of all.

John 5:23

And so by this means it appears that as it was no fault in me to say what I did, ver. 17, though it were the equalling myself with the Father, so it must needs be great hypocrisy in you to think and pretend that you zealously honour my Father, when you do despise and dishonour me, which am sent with this power at this time, on purpose to be honoured by all men, in the same manner as my Father is honoured, that so I may work a reformation among you.

John 5:24

This is so perfectly the will of my Father, that I must tell you, that on your heeding and hearkening to me at this time, and believing and entertaining my doctrine as the message of God, depends your eternal well being, your escaping eternal death, and attaining eternal life.

John 5:25

And I assure you, this power which God my Father hath given me at this time extendeth to the greatest things, even to raising the dead out of their graves, (as also sinners out of their graves of sin,) which power you shall shortly see (nay, in the spiritual sense is already) exercised by me.

John 5:26

For as God hath of and from himself power to give life to any thing, so hath he given this power to me, and I have it.

John 5:27

And as I am God-man, that is, in that I have thus humbled myself to this mean estate, (which ought not to lessen, but rather increase the account which is due to me in the world,) my Father, by way of reward, (Phil. ii. 8, 9,) hath given me all power and authority, both now and hereafter, in and over his church. And so again in other respects: as, 1. that men having a merciful high priest, (not such an one as cannot suffer, or consequently be touched with our infirmities, but one, that is a man upon the earth, in all things, tempted like unto us, yet without sin,) might have confidence of access to him, in his present government of all things; and, 2. that men which have

John 5:28

Let not what I say be matter of wonderment to you, for certainly there shall be (as certainly as if it were come already) a time of general resurrection for all the dead; (and an essay thereof shall shortly be seen among you.)

John 5:29

And the righteous shall have their bodies and souls united in bliss; and the wicked shall also have a restitution of their bodies, to receive their sentence and punishment.

John 5:30

My judgment is a righteous judgment, and agreeable to my Father’s method and decree, that they which believe on me shall be saved, and they that reject me, damned. This my Father hath declared; and therefore it is not the seeking either honour or revenge to myself that I say or do this, but the going according to my Father’s prescript, and nothing else.

31, 32. If I did any thing that tended to mine own honour, and were a single witness therein, you might reasonably except against it; but as that which I do is not to honour myself, but only to execute my Father’s will, so for the truth of what I say my Father bears witness of me, and hath done it already, by sending the Spirit, and a voice from heaven, and giving me power to do miracles; and that sure is a competent testimony, which can deceive none.

John 5:31

[c] prayed him] The Hebrew נָאוּ signifies two things, to question, and to request or pray. And the Greek translators use one of these for the other, Psalm cxxii. 6, instead of pray for the peace, &c. ἐρωτήσατε τὰ πρὸς εἰρήνην, inquire or ask after, &c. So here, ἡρώτων μαθηταί, the disciples asked, for they intreated, desired; and ver. 40, the Samaritans ἡρώτων οὐτὸν μένειν, &c. asked, that is, besought him to stay. So Matt. xv. 23, ἡρώτων λέγοντες, Ἀπόλυσον, they (not asked, but) besought him, saying, Dismiss her, or do what she desires of thee, (as appears by Christ’s answer, rendering a reason why he did it not presently, vv. 24. 26.) So Acts xiii. 36, ἡρώτων ἐξελθεῖν, desired them to go out; and ch. xxiii. 20, ἐρωτήσαί σε, to desire thee; and 2 Thess. ii. 1, ἐρωτῶμεν ὑμᾶς ἀδελφοί, we beseech you, brethren. So John xvii. 9, οὐ περὶ κόσμου ἐρωτῶ, I pray not for the world; and ver. 15, οὐκ ἐρωτῶ, I pray not, and ver. 20. So ch. xvi. 26, ὅτι ἐρωτήσω, that I will pray, though, ver. 30, it be used in the other sense for asking questions.

John 5:33

And for the trial hereof, you have sent to John, who baptized me, when the Spirit so descended on me, and he that saw it testified to you the truth of it.

John 5:34

But as for me, I need not the testimony of John, or any man; but yet, that you that believe him may believe him of me, and so escape and fly from the danger which approacheth you, I thus mention to you his testimony, which was of such authority with you.

John 5:35

He was that Elias, described Ecclus. xlviii. by being like fire, and his word burning like a lamp, and for a while you liked well to hear him, but as soon as he testified of me then you presently rejected him.

John 5:36

But I have no need of that testimony of his, for the working of those miracles, which God hath enabled me to work, is a greater demonstration of my

John 5:37

And God the Father, by voice from heaven, hath testified of me; but ye, as according to your fathers’ desire, expressed Exod. xx. 19, Deut. v. 25, and xviii. 16, ye have not heard the voice of God, nor seen his appearance, so it appears by your actions, ye behave yourselves as those that know nothing of God, ungodly impious men: see 1 John iii. 6.

John 5:38

And for that only means left you, the word of God revealed to you, ye do not make use of that, or live according to it, as is apparent by your not believing on me, who have seen, and heard, and know his will, and am sent by God, as the only means of declaring that will to you, and am foretold in the scripture as the Messias to come.

John 5:39

Look into and examine the writings of the Old Testament, whereon you depend, and believe that through performance of the Mosaical precepts you shall have eternal life. And on examination you shall find that all those prophecies are types, and fulfilled in me, and that all the promises of life there made have an aspect on me, the giver of life.

John 5:40

But ye, though ye look upon these as the repository of your present and eternal bliss, and though they direct you to me as the only means to attain it, yet wilfully reject me, and by that means your eternal bliss also.

41, 42. Alas, it is not your approbation or estimation (to be acknowledged or well spoken of by you) that I contend for, while I thus speak. But to this purpose I say it. By your dealing with me, who come with this testimony of my Father, it is apparent and discernible, how far you are (whatever you pretend) from all piety and love of God, that this testimony of God cannot work on you to receive me, but the being well spoken of by men (see ch. xii. 43.) is all you care for, and because that may be lost by receiving me, therefore am I rejected by you.

John 5:43

But to see the sottishness of your dealings: I bring my commission from God, and ye heed it not; and yet if another, without any commission from God, a mere counterfeit, shall, in his own name, come, and undertake to seduce you, such as Simon Magus, (see note [e] 2 Thess. ii.) what multitudes of you Jews will follow him!

John 5:46

[d] nobleman] The τίς βασιλικός here signifies an officer of the king’s, one that had some place at the court of Herodes Antipas, who was then the tetrarch of Galilee. St. Jerome renders it palatinus. The Latin interpreter reads regulus, by a mistake reading βασιλίσκος. See Casaub. ad Baron. p. 210.