Chapter 5
2.3 Jesus and the Jewish Feasts (5:1–10:42374)
After the scenic-dialogical part “From Cana to Cana” (cf. 2:1–4:54), the Fourth Evangelist structured a “new part” of narrative stories and dialogues as a scenic-dialogical scene (cf. 5:1–10:42) during Jesus’ stays in Jerusalem because of the Jewish festivals (in Greek “heorté” in 5:1; 6:4; 7:2, 8, 10–11, 14, 37). With Chapter 11 Jesus starts His last days/Passion, Death and Resurrection around (cf. 11:1–12:11) and in Jerusalem (cf. v. 12–20:29).
Microstructure of John 5
Jesus’ third healing of a lame man on the Sabbath (cf. vv. 1–9 – note also John 9:1–7/41; Mark 3:1–6/Matthew 12:9–14/Luke 6:6–11; 13:10–17; 14:1–6) is the reason for a controversial discussion during the hearing (cf. vv. 10–18 and John 1:19–28; 9:8–34; 18:13–14, 19–24) of the cured man by “the Jews” (cf. vv. 10–13, 15) which becomes a (Christological) “monologue”375 (cf. vv. 19–47 – in two parts in vv. 19–30, 31–47) as His legitimation376 (cf. v. 17). The first part of His speech in verses 19–30 has the topic of His relationship with God the Father that Jesus “does nothing of himself, but the Father has given all things to him.” The second part in verses 31–47 emphasizes with “five arguments” that “God (Another) has testified on Jesus’ behalf” (cf. vv. 36b–38, 43); “so also” John the Baptist (cf. v. 36a), “and the works that Jesus is doing” (cf. vv. 36b–d), “and Scripture” (cf. vv. 39, 47), “and finally Moses who wrote about Jesus”377 (cf. vv. 45–46).
2.3.1 His Second Journey378 (to Jerusalem) (v. 1) and the Healing at the Pool (vv. 2–18)
- The Setting (vv. 1–3/4)
Who: Jesus, a lame man, other blind people, lame men, (v. 3), “the Jews” (vv. 10, 12, 15–16, 18)
Where: the “Pool of ‘Beth-…’” in Jerusalem (v. 2)
When: “a Jewish feast” (v. 1a), “on the Sabbath” (vv. 9d, 10b, 18c)
v. 1: “After” (in Greek “metà taũta” in vv. 1a, 14a and 3.22; 6:1; 7:1; 19:38; 21:1) the healing of the royal official’s son (cf. 4:43–54), Jesus, the Jew, “went up … to Jerusalem” (between 606 and 826 metres above sea-level – in Greek “eɩs Hierosóluma” in 2:13; 11:55; 12:12), the religious centre of the Jews, to visit a “feast of the Jews” (in Greek “heortè tõn ’Ioudaías” in v. 1a and 6:4; 7:2) as a pilgrim (cf. Exodus 23:14–17; 34:23–24).
v. 2: The scene of His healing of a lame man took place “in … Jerusalem” (in Greek “en toῖs Hierosolúmoɩs” in John 2:23; 4:20–21, 45; 10:22) by the so-called “Sheep379 Gate” (cf. Nehemiah 3:1, 32; 12:39) where is the “so-called”380 “Pool”381 (cf. John 9:7) of “Bethesda”382 (= “house of mercy”383), “Bethsaida”384, “Bethzathà”385, Belzethà386 which has “five” roofed/covered “colonnades”387 to divide the pool into sections.
v. 3: The Fourth Evangelist relates that there “lay388 a multitude of invalids389”. He lists: “blind390, lame391 paralyzed392” – note the allusion to the prophet Isaiah 26:19; 29:18; 35:5–6; 61:1 in Luke 7:22/Matthew 11:5 – who were [“waiting /for/ (moving) of the water ( )”.
v. 4: “/For an/ angel of the Lord, went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred the water: Whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease s/he had] – note the text-critical remarks by Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece.
- The Healing of a Lame Man at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath (vv. 4–9)
+ The Diagnose (v. 5)
One “man” was “there” who “had (his) sickness393 ( )” about “thirty-eight years” (cf. Deuteronomy 2:7, 14).
+ Jesus’ Initiative (vv. 6–7)
v. 6: Jesus realized/“saw” (in Greek “horáo”) this man “lying” (vv. 3a, 6a) there and “knew” (cf., for example, John 6:15; 13:1) of his 38-year-long (cf. John 9:1; Mark 5:21; 9:21; Luke 8:29; 13:11, 16) suffering, “saying”: “/Do/ you want /to/ (be) healed394 ( )”?
v. 7: The answer of the “sick” man emphasizes his necessity for help: “Lord, ( ) [ ] I have [no] (person) to “{ } put me into the pool {when / / the water /is stirred up/} and while I am going another /goes/steps down/ before me / /”
+ Jesus’ Healing by Word (v. 8)
Then Jesus said to this man in the form of an order (cf. Mark 2:9d–f, 11; Matthew 9:6d–f1; Luke 5:25) – note the three imperatives395:
“Rise/get up” (in Greek “egeíro” in Mark 2:9d, 11b/Matthew 9:6d/Luke 5:23c1, 25)
“pick/take up (your) bed396”/stretcher ( ), “and
walk away” – note the parallel with verses 9b–c, 10d, 11c–d, 12c–d and Mark 2:9e–f, 11c–d1/Matthew 9:6e–f1; Luke 5:23c2.
+ Note on the Healing (v. 9)
“Immediately”397 the man was “healed” (vv. 6d, 9a, 11b, 14b, 15c) and
“picked/took up (his) bed ( )” (vv. 8c, 9b, 10d, 11c and Mark 2:12b; Luke 5:25b) – note the parallel with verses 8b, 11d, 12c – “and
walked away” – note also the parallel with verses 8c, 11d, 12d.
The Fourth Evangelist emphasizes that this healing was on “the Sabbath398” (vv. 9d, 10b, 16b, 18b and 7:23; 9:14, 16).
- The Reaction of “the Jews” as a Dialogue (vv. 10–18)
+ “The Jews” and the Healed Man (vv. 10–13)
v. 10: Because of “the Sabbath” (vv. 9d, 10b, 16b, 18b and 7:23; 9:14, 16), “the Jews” (vv. 10a, 15a2, 16a, 18a) as “judges” of the Jewish authority in Jerusalem “said” to the “healed”399 man: “(/It/ is the Sabbath ( ),
and /it is/ not allowed/lawful400 /for/ you” (cf. Exodus 20:8–11; 31:12–17; 35:1–3; Leviticus 23:3; Deuteronomy 5:12–15 and Mark 2:24/Matthew 12:2/Luke 6:2401)
“to pick/take up [your] bed [ ]” (vv. 8c, 9b, 10d, 11c).
v. 11: He answered them that his “Healer” (in Greek “hugɩós” in vv. 6d, 9a, 11b, 14b, 15c) had said to him:
“Pick/take up (your) bed ( ), and