John 5:7

7 The one who was sick answered him, "Sir, I do not have anyone that, whenever the water is stirred up, could put me into the pool. But {while} I am coming, another goes down before me."

John 5:7 Meaning and 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:

when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool;
that is, as soon as it is troubled by the angel, to put him in first before any other; for it was the first man only that had a cure this way:

but while I am coming;
in a slow way, by the help of his crutches, or in the best manner he could:

another steppeth down before me;
not so much disordered, or more active and nimble: so among those that wait on the ministry of the word, some are sooner in Christ, or earlier called by his grace, than others; some lie here a long time, and see one and another come to Christ, believe in him, profess his name, and are received into the church; and they still left, in an uncalled and unconverted estate.

John 5:7 In-Context

5 And a certain man was there who had [been] thirty-eight years in his sickness.

6 Jesus, [when he] saw this one lying [there] and knew that he had [been sick] a long time already, said to him, "Do you want to become well?"

7 The one who was sick answered him, "Sir, I do not have anyone that, whenever the water is stirred up, could put me into the pool. But {while} I am coming, another goes down before me."

8 Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!"

9 And immediately the man became well and picked up his mat and began to walk. (Now it was the Sabbath on that day.)

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "during which [time]"