John 5:12

12 Therefore they asked him, What man is that, that said to thee, Take up thy bed, and go? [Therefore they asked him, Who is that man, that said to thee, Take thy bed and wander?]

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Vet. Nizzachon, p. 207.

John 5:12 In-Context

10 Therefore the Jews said to him that was made whole, It is sabbath, it is not leaveful to thee, to take away thy bed.

11 He answered to them, He that made me whole, said to me, Take thy bed, and go [Take thy bed, and wander].

12 Therefore they asked him, What man is that, that said to thee, Take up thy bed, and go? [Therefore they asked him, Who is that man, that said to thee, Take thy bed and wander?]

13 But he that was made whole, wist not who it was. And Jesus bowed away from the people, that was set in the place [Forsooth Jesus bowed him from the company ordained, or set, in the place].

14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, Lo! thou art made whole; now do not thou do sin [now do not thou sin], lest any worse thing befall to thee.