John 5:10
New International Version
and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”

New Living Translation
so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”

English Standard Version
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.”

Berean Standard Bible
so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It is unlawful for you to carry your mat.”

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore the Jews were saying to the one having been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your mat."

King James Bible
The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

New King James Version
The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”

New American Standard Bible
So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is a Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”

NASB 1995
So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”

NASB 1977
Therefore the Jews were saying to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”

Legacy Standard Bible
So the Jews were saying to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”

Amplified Bible
So the Jews kept saying to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and you are not permitted to pick up your pallet [because it is unlawful].”

Christian Standard Bible
and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath. The law prohibits you from picking up your mat.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It’s illegal for you to pick up your mat.”

American Standard Version
So the Jews said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed.

Contemporary English Version
When the Jewish leaders saw the man carrying his mat, they said to him, "This is the Sabbath! No one is allowed to carry a mat on the Sabbath."

English Revised Version
So the Jews said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So the Jews told the man who had been healed, "This is a day of worship. You're not allowed to carry your cot today."

Good News Translation
so the Jewish authorities told the man who had been healed, "This is a Sabbath, and it is against our Law for you to carry your mat."

International Standard Version
So the Jewish leaders told the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.

Majority Standard Bible
so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, ?This is the Sabbath! It is unlawful for you to carry your mat.?

NET Bible
So the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and you are not permitted to carry your mat."

New Heart English Bible
So the Jewish leaders said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat."

Webster's Bible Translation
The Jews therefore said to him that was cured, it is the sabbath; it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

Weymouth New Testament
That day was a Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, "It is the Sabbath: you must not carry your mat."

World English Bible
So the Jews said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
the Jews then said to him that has been healed, “It is a Sabbath; it is not lawful to you to take up the pallet.”

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore the Jews were saying to the one having been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your mat."

Young's Literal Translation
the Jews then said to him that hath been healed, 'It is a sabbath; it is not lawful to thee to take up the couch.'

Smith's Literal Translation
Then said the Jews to him healed, It is the sabbath: it is not lawful for thee to take up thy couch.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The Jews therefore said to him that was healed: It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, the Jews said to the one who had been healed: “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to take up your stretcher.”

New American Bible
So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”

New Revised Standard Version
So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So the Jews said to him who was healed, It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your quilt-bed.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Jews were saying to him who was healed: “It is the Sabbath. You are not permitted to carry your bed.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
The Jews, therefore, said to him that was cured: It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.

Godbey New Testament
Then the Jews were saying to the healed man, It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

Haweis New Testament
The Jews therefore said to him that was cured, It is the sabbath: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

Mace New Testament
the Jews said to him that was cured, it is the sabbath-day; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.

Weymouth New Testament
That day was a Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, "It is the Sabbath: you must not carry your mat."

Worrell New Testament
The Jews, therefore, said to him who had been cured, "It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."

Worsley New Testament
Now this was the sabbath-day, therefore the Jews said to him that was cured, It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Pool of Bethesda
9Immediately the man was made well, and he picked up his mat and began to walk. Now this happened on the Sabbath day, 10so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It is unlawful for you to carry your mat.” 11But he answered, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”…

Cross References
Exodus 20:8-11
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. / Six days you shall labor and do all your work, / but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates. ...

Deuteronomy 5:12-15
Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. / Six days you shall labor and do all your work, / but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do. ...

Jeremiah 17:21-22
This is what the LORD says: Take heed for yourselves; do not carry a load or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. / You must not carry a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath day, but you must keep the Sabbath day holy, just as I commanded your forefathers.

Nehemiah 13:15-22
In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day. / Additionally, men of Tyre who lived there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem. / Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day? ...

Isaiah 58:13-14
If you turn your foot from breaking the Sabbath, from doing as you please on My holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight, and the LORD’s holy day honorable, if you honor it by not going your own way or seeking your own pleasure or speaking idle words, / then you will delight yourself in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Matthew 12:1-8
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. / When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” / Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ...

Mark 2:23-28
One Sabbath Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain as they walked along. / So the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” / Jesus replied, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? ...

Luke 6:1-5
One Sabbath Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them. / But some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” / Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ...

Matthew 12:9-14
Moving on from there, Jesus entered their synagogue, / and a man with a withered hand was there. In order to accuse Jesus, they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” / He replied, “If one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? ...

Mark 3:1-6
Once again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man with a withered hand was there. / In order to accuse Jesus, they were watching to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. / Then Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up among us.” ...

Luke 6:6-11
On another Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. / Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. / But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and stand among us.” So he got up and stood there. ...

Luke 13:10-17
One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, / and a woman there had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was hunched over and could not stand up straight. / When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your disability.” ...

Luke 14:1-6
One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and those in attendance were watching Him closely. / Right there before Him was a man with dropsy. / So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” ...

John 7:22-23
But because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.) / If a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses will not be broken, why are you angry with Me for making the whole man well on the Sabbath?

John 9:14-16
Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath. / So the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. The man answered, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” / Because of this, some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was division among them.


Treasury of Scripture

The Jews therefore said to him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.

it is not.

Exodus 20:8-11
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy…

Exodus 31:12-17
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, …

Nehemiah 13:15-21
In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals…

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John 5
1. Jesus on the Sabbath day cures him who was diseased thirty-eight years.
10. The Jews therefore object, and persecute him for it.
17. He answers for himself, and reproves them, showing by the testimony of his Father,
31. of John,
36. of his works,
39. and of the Scriptures, who he is.














so the Jews
The term "Jews" in the Gospel of John often refers to the Jewish leaders or authorities, particularly those who were opposed to Jesus. In the historical context, these leaders were primarily the Pharisees and Sadducees, who were deeply concerned with the observance of the Law. The Greek word used here is "Ἰουδαῖοι" (Ioudaioi), which can denote the Jewish people in general but often specifically points to the religious leaders in the context of John's Gospel. This highlights the tension between Jesus' ministry and the established religious order of the time.

said to the man who had been healed
The phrase emphasizes the miraculous nature of the man's healing, which was performed by Jesus earlier in the chapter. The Greek word for "healed" is "θεραπευθείς" (therapeutheis), indicating a complete restoration to health. This miraculous act should have been a cause for celebration, yet the focus of the Jewish leaders was on the perceived violation of the Sabbath law. This contrast underscores the spiritual blindness and legalism that Jesus often confronted.

This is the Sabbath!
The Sabbath, or "σάββατον" (sabbaton) in Greek, was a day set apart for rest and worship, as commanded in the Mosaic Law (Exodus 20:8-11). It was a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, a day to cease from labor and remember God's provision. However, by the time of Jesus, the Sabbath had become encumbered with numerous additional regulations imposed by religious leaders, which often overshadowed its original intent. This exclamation by the Jewish leaders reveals their prioritization of legalistic observance over the spirit of the law.

It is unlawful
The Greek word "οὐκ ἔξεστιν" (ouk exestin) translates to "it is not lawful," reflecting the leaders' strict interpretation of the Sabbath laws. According to their traditions, carrying a burden was considered work, which was prohibited on the Sabbath. This legalistic approach often missed the heart of God's commandments, which were meant to bring life and freedom, not bondage.

for you to carry your mat
The "mat," or "κράββατον" (krabbaton) in Greek, was a simple pallet or bedroll, likely the only possession of the man who had been healed. The act of carrying it was seen as a violation of the Sabbath by the religious leaders. However, this highlights a deeper spiritual truth: Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, had given the man new life and freedom, symbolized by his ability to carry his mat. This act was a testimony to the transformative power of Christ, challenging the rigid interpretations of the law and pointing to the greater rest found in Him.

(10) The Jews therefore said unto him.--But what they cannot deny they can cavil at. One might have expected from human hearts wonder and thankfulness that the man could walk at all. We find from the formalism which had bound the letter round men until it had well nigh crushed all heart out of them, the murmur that the carrying of his bed was not lawful on the Sabbath. This is not the only place in this Gospel where the words and works of Christ clashed with the current views of the sanctity of the Sabbath day. (Comp. John 7:23; John 9:14.) The general question has been treated in Notes on Matthew 12:10-12. Here it will be sufficient to note that the bearing of burdens was specially forbidden in the Prophecy of Jeremiah: "Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day" (Jeremiah 17:21; comp. Nehemiah 13:15 et seq.), and that the Rabbis pressed this to include a burden of any kind. They said, for example, "If any man on the Sabbath bring in or take out anything on the Sabbath from a public to a private place, if thoughtlessly he hath done this he shall sacrifice for his sin; but if wilfully, he shall be cut off and shall be stoned."

Verses 9b-16. -

(2) The outbreak of hostility due to the breach of the sabbatic law. Verse 9b. - Now it was the sabbath on that day. The form of the expression implies that it was one of the festival sabbaths rather than the weekly sabbath. These days, however, received the same reverence, and were observed with nearly the same rites and restrictions, as the ordinary sabbaths. This statement is the keynote of the great discourse which fellows, and it is made to prepare the way for the subsequent incidents. The Jews; i.e. the authorities, either the rabbis or Sanhedrists who were present in the crowd which gathered round the pool of Bethesda, or filled the neighbouring courts, are to be distinguished from "the multitude," or from the people generally. The designation evidently means the leading folk, the social censors, the hierarchy, who very soon displayed in marked fashion their jealousy and hatred of Jesus. The Jews therefore said to the man who had been healed, It is sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. Judging by the letter of the Law (Exodus 20:10 and Exodus 35:3), and by the precedents of Scripture (Numbers 15:32-35), and by the special injunctions of the prophets (Jeremiah 17:21-23; Nehemiah 13:15, etc.), the man was infringing a positive command. Rabbinism had indeed declared that, in cases affecting life and health, the law of the sabbath was legitimately held in abeyance; but this relaxation was so hedged about with restrictions that the poor man and the layman were unable to apply the rules. The rabbinic interpretations of the sabbatic law concerning burden bearing were so intricate and sophistical that the entire majesty of the law, and the merciful intent of the prohibition, were concealed and vitiated. Apart from these complications, the man was prima facie disobeying the letter of the law. 'Shabbath,' fol. 6, a, declares that if unwittingly a burden was carried on the sabbath, the transgressor was bound to bring a sin offering; if with knowledge, he must be stoned.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
so
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

the
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Jews
Ἰουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2453: Jewish. From Iouda; Judaean, i.e. Belonging to Jehudah.

said
ἔλεγον (elegon)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

to the [man]
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

who had been healed,
τεθεραπευμένῳ (tetherapeumenō)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2323: From the same as therapon; to wait upon menially, i.e. to adore, or to relieve.

“This is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

[the] Sabbath!
Σάββατόν (Sabbaton)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4521: The Sabbath, a week.

It is unlawful
ἔξεστίν (exestin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1832: It is permitted, lawful, possible.

for you
σοι (soi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

to carry
ἆραι (arai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 142: To raise, lift up, take away, remove.

your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

mat.”
κράβαττον (krabatton)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2895: A bed, mattress, mat of a poor man. Probably of foreign origin; a mattress.


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