John 5:10

10 The Jews stopped the healed man and said, "It's the Sabbath. You can't carry your bedroll around. It's against the rules."

John 5:10 Meaning and Commentary

John 5:10

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 Nehemiah 13:19 ) ( Jeremiah 17:22 ) ; for

``carrying out and bringing in anything, from one place to another, is said F24 to be work, and one of the principal works;''

and therefore forbid by the law, which says, "thou shall not do any work"; and one of the traditions of the elders is this F25,

``whoever carries anything out (i.e. on the sabbath day), whether in his right hand, or in his left, in his bosom, or (wpytk le) , "on his shoulder", is guilty; for so carried the Kohathites.''

And particularly it is said F26, that

``he that rolls up a bed of the brasiers or tinkers (i.e. on the sabbath day) is bound to a sin offering.''

Which was a fold up bed, such as tinkers, and those that went from city to city to work, had; and who carried their beds with them, as the gloss observes; and were so far from being lawful to be carried by them, on the sabbath, that they might not fold them up.


FOOTNOTES:

F24 Maimon. Hilchot Sabbat, c. 12. sect. 6.
F25 Misn. Sabbat, c. 10. sect. 3.
F26 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 47. 1. & 138. 1.

John 5:10 In-Context

8 Jesus said, "Get up, take your bedroll, start walking."
9 The man was healed on the spot. He picked up his bedroll and walked off.
10 The Jews stopped the healed man and said, "It's the Sabbath. You can't carry your bedroll around. It's against the rules."
11 But he told them, "The man who made me well told me to. He said, 'Take your bedroll and start walking.'"
12 They asked, "Who gave you the order to take it up and start walking?"
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.