John 5:12
New International Version
So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

New Living Translation
“Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.

English Standard Version
They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”

Berean Standard Bible
“Who is this man who told you to pick it up and walk?” they asked.

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore they asked him, "Who is the man having said to you, 'Take it up and walk'?"

King James Bible
Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

New King James Version
Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”

New American Standard Bible
They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick it up and walk’?”

NASB 1995
They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk ‘?”

NASB 1977
They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your pallet, and walk’?”

Legacy Standard Bible
They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’?”

Amplified Bible
They asked him, “Who is the Man who told you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?”

Christian Standard Bible
“Who is this man who told you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’? ” they asked.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Who is this man who told you, Pick up your mat and walk?” they asked.

American Standard Version
They asked him, Who is the man that said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

Contemporary English Version
They asked him, "Who is this man that told you to pick up your mat and walk?"

English Revised Version
They asked him, Who is the man that said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Jews asked him, "Who is the man who told you to pick it up and walk?"

Good News Translation
They asked him, "Who is the man who told you to do this?"

International Standard Version
They asked him, "Who is the man who told you, 'Pick it up and walk'?"

Majority Standard Bible
?Who is this man who told you to pick up your mat and walk?? they asked.

NET Bible
They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Pick up your mat and walk'?"

New Heart English Bible
Then they asked him, "Who is the man who said to you to pick it up and walk?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Then they asked him, What man is that who said to thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

Weymouth New Testament
"Who is it," they asked, "that said to you, 'Take up your mat and walk'?"

World English Bible
Then they asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your mat and walk’?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
they questioned him, then, “Who is the Man who is saying to you, Take up your bed and be walking?”

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore they asked him, "Who is the man having said to you, 'Take it up and walk'?"

Young's Literal Translation
they questioned him, then, 'Who is the man who is saying to thee, Take up thy couch and be walking?'

Smith's Literal Translation
Then they asked him, Who is the man having said to thee, Lift up thy couch, and walk?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They asked him therefore: Who is that man who said to thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, they questioned him, “Who is that man, who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk?’ ”

New American Bible
They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?”

New Revised Standard Version
They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they asked him, Who is this man who said to you, Take up your quilt-bed, and walk?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they asked him: “Who is this man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk?'”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Then they asked him: Who is he that said to you, Take up your bed and walk?

Godbey New Testament
They asked him, Who is the man who said to thee, Take thy bed, and walk about?

Haweis New Testament
Then they asked him, Who is the man that said to thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

Mace New Testament
then they asked him, who is he that said to you take up your bed and walk?

Weymouth New Testament
"Who is it," they asked, "that said to you, 'Take up your mat and walk'?"

Worrell New Testament
They asked him, "Who is the Man That said to you, 'Take up your bed, and walk?'"

Worsley New Testament
Therefore they asked him, Who is the man that said to thee, Take up thy bed and walk?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Pool of Bethesda
11But he answered, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ” 12“Who is this man who told you to pick it up and walk?” they asked. 13But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while the crowd was there.…

Cross References
John 9:16
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.

John 7:23
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?

Mark 2:9-12
“Which is easier: to say to a paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? / But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” He said to the paralytic, / “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” ...

Matthew 12:10-12
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? / How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Luke 6:7-9
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. / Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

John 7:21-24
Jesus answered them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. / 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.

Matthew 9:6-8
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” Then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” / And the man got up and went home. / When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Luke 13:14-16
But the synagogue leader was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. “There are six days for work,” he told the crowd. “So come and be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath.” / “You hypocrites!” the Lord replied. “Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it to water? / Then should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be released from her bondage on the Sabbath day?”

Luke 14:3-5
So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” / But they remained silent. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way. / And He asked them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?”

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. ...

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.

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? ...

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.


Treasury of Scripture

Then asked they him, What man is that which said to you, Take up your bed, and walk?

What.

Judges 6:29
And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

1 Samuel 14:38
And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.

Matthew 21:23
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

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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.














Who is this man
This question reflects the religious leaders' concern about authority and identity. In the context of John 5, Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath, which was seen as a violation of Jewish law. The leaders were more focused on the perceived breach of the law than the miraculous healing. This question also foreshadows the growing tension between Jesus and the Jewish authorities, which is a recurring theme in the Gospel of John. The identity of Jesus is central to the Gospel, as it seeks to reveal Him as the Son of God.

who told you
The emphasis on "who told you" highlights the importance of authority in Jewish culture. The religious leaders were concerned with who had the authority to override traditional Sabbath laws. This reflects the broader theme in the Gospels of Jesus' authority being questioned by the religious leaders. In Jewish tradition, rabbis and teachers held significant authority, and any deviation from established norms was scrutinized.

to pick it up and walk?
The act of carrying a mat on the Sabbath was considered work, which was prohibited by Jewish law. This reflects the strict interpretation of Sabbath laws by the Pharisees, who had developed an extensive list of activities forbidden on the Sabbath. The healing itself was not the issue; rather, it was the instruction to carry the mat that drew the leaders' ire. This incident highlights the conflict between Jesus' interpretation of the law, which emphasized mercy and compassion, and the Pharisees' legalistic approach. This theme is echoed in other Gospel accounts, such as Matthew 12:1-14, where Jesus challenges the Pharisees' understanding of the Sabbath.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
- The central figure in this passage, Jesus performs a miraculous healing at the Pool of Bethesda, demonstrating His divine authority and compassion.

2. The Healed Man
- A man who had been an invalid for 38 years, healed by Jesus, and instructed to pick up his mat and walk, which he does, sparking controversy.

3. The Jewish Leaders
- Religious authorities who question the healed man about carrying his mat on the Sabbath, reflecting their strict adherence to the law and their opposition to Jesus' actions.

4. The Pool of Bethesda
- A place in Jerusalem known for its healing waters, where the invalid man had been waiting for healing.

5. The Sabbath
- The day of rest in Jewish tradition, which becomes a point of contention as the healing occurs on this day, challenging traditional interpretations of the law.
Teaching Points
Understanding Authority
Jesus demonstrates His authority over physical ailments and religious traditions, reminding us to recognize His lordship in all areas of life.

Compassion Over Legalism
The healing at Bethesda highlights the importance of compassion and mercy over rigid adherence to rules, encouraging believers to prioritize love and grace.

Faith and Obedience
The healed man's response to Jesus' command illustrates the importance of faith and obedience, even when it challenges societal norms or expectations.

Sabbath Rest
This passage invites reflection on the true purpose of the Sabbath as a time for restoration and connection with God, rather than mere rule-following.

Witnessing Through Transformation
The healed man's testimony serves as a witness to Jesus' power, encouraging believers to share their own accounts of transformation.(12) What man is that which said unto thee . . .?--They pass over the giving of the power, and quote only the command which comes under their technical prohibition. The life and strength of once-palsied limb is as nothing; the fact that this man was breaking their tradition is secondary. The real motive is a charge against Him whose power the body of the Jewish people was feeling as a life-current, quickening deadened energies, and rousing men to a sense of God's presence in their midst. Aye, and these Jews of Judaism feel the thrill of this current all around them, though their will tries to isolate them by the coldness of unbelief from a power which they have not directed, and which they refuse to be directed by. Men and women who have been all their lives lying in moral helplessness, waiting and looking for God, yet never helped by God's priests and rulers, are now standing and moving in the strength that their new Teacher gives. They cannot deny it, but can they prevent it? This spirit is life, but there is still the letter which killeth. It cuts them to the heart to see His power in their midst, but there is the body of Rabbinic precept and oral law. He has now crossed that. They will apply it to stamp out His work and kill Him.

Take up thy bed, and walk.--Omit "thy bed," with the best MSS. It is inserted from the previous verse. Their passionate question expresses itself in the fewest words.

Verse 12. - [Then] they asked him, Who is the man (contemptuous use of ἄνθρωπος, as distinct from God's great messengers, or the legislators and prophets of the olden time, who have laid down the eternal Law of God) that said unto thee, Take up [thy bed], and walk? "The Jews" here ignore the work of healing and mercy, and seek to fasten a charge of overt criminality against some person unknown. A technical offence has been clone against the honour of their sacred place. The work of healing is an insignificant compensation for such a disgrace. They would be even with the heretical healer. Saving men by questionable methods is not to be endured. "Who is the man?" "Men and women lying in moral helplessness, not helped by God's priests and rulers, are now standing and moving in the strength their new Teacher has given. They cannot deny it; but can they prevent it? The rabbinic precept which he has crossed shall be applied to stamp out his work and kill him" (Watkins).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“Who
Τίς (Tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

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.

[this]
(ho)
Article - Nominative 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.

man
ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.

who
(ho)
Article - Nominative 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.

told
εἰπών (eipōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

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

to pick [it] up
Ἆρον (Aron)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 142: To raise, lift up, take away, remove.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

walk?”
περιπάτει (peripatei)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4043: From peri and pateo; to tread all around, i.e. Walk at large; figuratively, to live, deport oneself, follow.

they asked.
Ἠρώτησαν (Ērōtēsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2065: Apparently from ereo; to interrogate; by implication, to request.


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