John 5:12

12 Then they put to him the question: Who is the man who said to you, Take it up and go?

John 5:12 Meaning and Commentary

John 5:12

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 man too, for giving orders to transgress a tradition of the elders, though no mere man could work such a cure as this was. And so the Jews since, though they cannot find fault with the cure, which they put an "if" upon, yet are highly displeased with the order, to take up his bed and carry it:

``if (say they F1) he wrought a cure, lo, that is good, but why did he bid him take up his bed?''

the answer may be, to show that he was cured.


FOOTNOTES:

F1 Vet. Nizzachon, p. 207.

John 5:12 In-Context

10 So the Jews said to the man who had been made well, It is the Sabbath; and it is against the law for you to take up your bed.
11 He said to them, But he who made me well, said to me, Take up your bed and go.
12 Then they put to him the question: Who is the man who said to you, Take it up and go?
13 Now he who had been made well had no knowledge who it was, Jesus having gone away because of the number of people who were in that place.
14 After a time Jesus came across him in the Temple and said to him, See, you are well and strong; do no more sin for fear a worse thing comes to you.
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