John 5:10

10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and ¹it is not lawful for you to take up your bed."

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.

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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 to him, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk."

9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.

10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed."

11 But he answered them, "The man who healed me, that man said to me, 'Take up your bed, and walk.'"

12 They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?"

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 20:10; Nehemiah 13:19; Jeremiah 17:21, 22; [John 7:23; John 9:16; Matthew 12:2; Mark 2:24; Mark 3:4; Luke 6:2; Luke 13:14]