Worthy.Bible » STRONG » John » Chapter 5 » Verse 30

John 5:30 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

30 I G1473 can G1410 of G575 mine own self G1683 do G4160 nothing: G3756 G3762 as G2531 I hear, G191 I judge: G2919 and G2532 my G1699 judgment G2920 is G2076 just; G1342 because G3754 I seek G2212 not G3756 mine own G1699 will, G2307 but G235 the will G2307 of the Father G3962 which hath sent G3992 me. G3165

Cross Reference

John 5:19 STRONG

Then G3767 answered G611 Jesus G2424 and G2532 said G2036 unto them, G846 Verily, G281 verily, G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 The Son G5207 can G1410 G3756 do G4160 nothing G3762 of G575 himself, G1438 but G3362 what G5100 he seeth G991 the Father G3962 do: G4160 for G1063 what things soever G3739 G302 he G1565 doeth, G4160 these G5023 also G2532 doeth G4160 the Son G5207 likewise. G3668

John 6:38 STRONG

For G3754 I came down G2597 from G1537 heaven, G3772 not G3756 to G2443 do G4160 mine own G1699 will, G2307 but G235 the will G2307 of him that sent G3992 me. G3165

John 4:34 STRONG

Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto them, G846 My G1699 meat G1033 is G2076 to G2443 do G4160 the will G2307 of him that sent G3992 me, G3165 and G2532 to finish G5048 his G846 work. G2041

Matthew 26:39 STRONG

And G2532 he went G4281 a little G3397 further, G4281 and fell G4098 on G1909 his G846 face, G4383 and G2532 prayed, G4336 saying, G3004 O my G3450 Father, G3962 if G1487 it be G2076 possible, G1415 let G3928 this G5124 cup G4221 pass G3928 from G575 me: G1700 nevertheless G4133 not G3756 as G5613 I G1473 will, G2309 but G235 as G5613 thou G4771 wilt.

John 8:28 STRONG

Then G5119 said G2036 Jesus G2424 unto them, G846 When G3752 ye have lifted up G5312 the Son G5207 of man, G444 then G3767 shall ye know G1097 that G3754 I G1473 am G1510 he, and G2532 that I do G4160 nothing G3762 of G575 myself; G1683 but G235 as G2531 my G3450 Father G3962 hath taught G1321 me, G3165 I speak G2980 these things. G5023

John 14:10 STRONG

Believest thou G4100 not G3756 that G3754 I G1473 am G2076 in G1722 the Father, G3962 and G2532 the Father G3962 in G1722 me? G1698 the words G4487 that G3739 I G1473 speak G2980 unto you G5213 I speak G2980 not G3756 of G575 myself: G1683 but G1161 the Father G3962 that dwelleth G3306 in G1722 me, G1698 he G846 doeth G4160 the works. G2041

Romans 15:3 STRONG

For G1063 even G2532 Christ G5547 pleased G700 not G3756 himself; G1438 but, G235 as G2531 it is written, G1125 The reproaches G3680 of them that reproached G3679 thee G4571 fell G1968 on G1909 me. G1691

Genesis 18:25 STRONG

That be far H2486 from thee to do H6213 after this manner, H1697 to slay H4191 the righteous H6662 with the wicked: H7563 and that the righteous H6662 should be as the wicked, H7563 that be far H2486 from thee: Shall not the Judge H8199 of all the earth H776 do H6213 right? H4941

Psalms 40:7-8 STRONG

Then said H559 I, Lo, I come: H935 in the volume H4039 of the book H5612 it is written H3789 of me, I delight H2654 to do H6213 thy will, H7522 O my God: H430 yea, thy law H8451 is within H8432 my heart. H4578

Isaiah 11:3-4 STRONG

And shall make him of quick understanding H7306 in the fear H3374 of the LORD: H3068 and he shall not judge H8199 after the sight H4758 of his eyes, H5869 neither reprove H3198 after the hearing H4926 of his ears: H241 But with righteousness H6664 shall he judge H8199 the poor, H1800 and reprove H3198 with equity H4334 for the meek H6035 of the earth: H776 and he shall smite H5221 the earth H776 with the rod H7626 of his mouth, H6310 and with the breath H7307 of his lips H8193 shall he slay H4191 the wicked. H7563

John 8:15-16 STRONG

Ye G5210 judge G2919 after G2596 the flesh; G4561 I G1473 judge G2919 no G3756 man. G3762 And G1161 yet G2532 if G1437 I G1473 judge, G2919 my G1699 judgment G2920 is G2076 true: G227 for G3754 I am G1510 not G3756 alone, G3441 but G235 I G1473 and G2532 the Father G3962 that sent G3992 me. G3165

Hosea 10:7-10 STRONG

As for Samaria, H8111 her king H4428 is cut off H1820 as the foam H7110 upon H6440 the water. H4325 The high places H1116 also of Aven, H206 the sin H2403 of Israel, H3478 shall be destroyed: H8045 the thorn H6975 and the thistle H1863 shall come up H5927 on their altars; H4196 and they shall say H559 to the mountains, H2022 Cover H3680 us; and to the hills, H1389 Fall H5307 on us. O Israel, H3478 thou hast sinned H2398 from the days H3117 of Gibeah: H1390 there they stood: H5975 the battle H4421 in Gibeah H1390 against the children H1121 of iniquity H5932 did not overtake H5381 them. It is in my desire H185 that I should chastise H3256 them; and the people H5971 shall be gathered H622 against them, when they shall bind H631 themselves in their two H8147 furrows. H5869

John 8:42 STRONG

Jesus G2424 G3767 said G2036 unto them, G846 If G1487 God G2316 were G2258 your G5216 Father, G3962 ye would G302 love G25 me: G1691 for G1063 I G1473 proceeded forth G1831 and G2532 came G2240 from G1537 God; G2316 neither G3761 G1063 came I G2064 of G575 myself, G1683 but G235 he G1565 sent G649 me. G3165

John 8:50 STRONG

And G1161 I G1473 seek G2212 not G3756 mine own G3450 glory: G1391 there is G2076 one that seeketh G2212 and G2532 judgeth. G2919

John 17:4 STRONG

I G1473 have glorified G1392 thee G4571 on G1909 the earth: G1093 I have finished G5048 the work G2041 which G3739 thou gavest G1325 me G3427 to G2443 do. G4160

John 18:11 STRONG

Then G3767 said G2036 Jesus G2424 unto Peter, G4074 Put up G906 thy G4675 sword G3162 into G1519 the sheath: G2336 the cup G4221 which G3739 my Father G3962 hath given G1325 me, G3427 shall I G4095 not G3378 drink G4095 it? G846

Romans 2:2 STRONG

But G1161 we are sure G1492 that G3754 the judgment G2917 of God G2316 is G2076 according G2596 to truth G225 against G1909 them which commit G4238 such things. G5108

Romans 2:5 STRONG

But G1161 after G2596 thy G4675 hardness G4643 and G2532 impenitent G279 heart G2588 treasurest up G2343 unto thyself G4572 wrath G3709 against G1722 the day G2250 of wrath G3709 and G2532 revelation G602 of the righteous judgment G1341 of God; G2316

Psalms 96:13 STRONG

Before H6440 the LORD: H3068 for he cometh, H935 for he cometh H935 to judge H8199 the earth: H776 he shall judge H8199 the world H8398 with righteousness, H6664 and the people H5971 with his truth. H530

Commentary on John 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 5

Joh 5:1-47. The Impotent Man HealedDiscourse Occasioned by the Persecution Arising Thereupon.

1. a feast of the Jews—What feast? No question has more divided the Harmonists of the Gospels, and the duration of our Lord's ministry may be said to hinge on it. For if, as the majority have thought (until of late years) it was a Passover, His ministry lasted three and a half years; if not, probably a year less. Those who are dissatisfied with the Passover-view all differ among themselves what other feast it was, and some of the most acute think there are no grounds for deciding. In our judgment the evidence is in favor of its being a Passover, but the reasons cannot be stated here.

2, 3. sheep market—The supplement should be (as in Margin) "sheep [gate]," mentioned in Ne 3:1, 32.

Bethesda—that is, "house (place) of mercy," from the cures wrought there.

five porches—for shelter to the patients.

3. impotent—infirm.

4. an angel, &c.—This miracle differed in two points from all other miracles recorded in Scripture: (1) It was not one, but a succession of miracles periodically wrought: (2) As it was only wrought "when the waters were troubled," so only upon one patient at a time, and that the patient "who first stepped in after the troubling of the waters." But this only the more undeniably fixed its miraculous character. We have heard of many waters having a medicinal virtue; but what water was ever known to cure instantaneously a single disease? And who ever heard of any water curing all, even the most diverse diseases—"blind, halt, withered"—alike? Above all, who ever heard of such a thing being done "only at a certain season," and most singularly of all, doing it only to the first person who stepped in after the moving of the waters? Any of these peculiarities—much more all taken together—must have proclaimed the supernatural character of the cures wrought. (If the text here be genuine, there can be no doubt of the miracle, as there were multitudes living when this Gospel was published who, from their own knowledge of Jerusalem, could have exposed the falsehood of the Evangelist, if no such cure had been known there. The want of Joh 5:4 and part of Joh 5:3 in some good manuscripts, and the use of some unusual words in the passage, are more easily accounted for than the evidence in their favor if they were not originally in the text. Indeed Joh 5:7 is unintelligible without Joh 5:4. The internal evidence brought against it is merely the unlikelihood of such a miracle—a principle which will carry us a great deal farther if we allow it to weigh against positive evidence).

5-9. thirty and eight years—but not all that time at the pool. This was probably the most pitiable of all the cases, and therefore selected.

6. saw him lie, and knew, &c.—As He doubtless visited the spot just to perform this cure, so He knows where to find His patient, and the whole previous history of his case (Joh 2:25).

Wilt thou be made whole?—Could anyone doubt that a sick man would like to be made whole, or that the patients came thither, and this man had returned again and again, just in hope of a cure? But our Lord asked the question. (1) To fasten attention upon Himself; (2) By making him detail his case to deepen in him the feeling of entire helplessness; (3) By so singular a question to beget in his desponding heart the hope of a cure. (Compare Mr 10:51).

7. Sir, I have no man, &c.—Instead of saying he wished to be cured, he just tells with piteous simplicity how fruitless had been all his efforts to obtain it, and how helpless and all but hopeless he was. Yet not quite. For here he is at the pool, waiting on. It seemed of no use; nay, only tantalizing,

while I am coming, another steppeth down before me—the fruit was snatched from his lips. Yet he will not go away. He may get nothing by staying, he may drop into his grave ere he get into the pool; but by going from the appointed, divine way of healing, he can get nothing. Wait therefore he will, wait he does, and when Christ comes to heal him, lo! he is waiting his turn. What an attitude for a sinner at Mercy's gate! The man's hopes seemed low enough ere Christ came to him. He might have said, just before "Jesus passed by that way," "This is no use; I shall never get in; let me die at home." Then all had been lost. But he held on, and his perseverance was rewarded with a glorious cure. Probably some rays of hope darted into his heart as he told his tale before those Eyes whose glance measured his whole case. But the word of command consummates his preparation to receive the cure, and instantaneously works it.

8. Rise, take up thy bed, &c.—"Immediately" he did so. "He spake and it was done." The slinging of his portable couch over his shoulders was designed to show the perfection of the cure.

9. the same day was the sabbath—Beyond all doubt this was intentional, as in so many other healings, in order that when opposition arose on this account men might be compelled to listen to His claims and His teaching.

10-16. The Jews—that is, those in authority. (See on Joh 1:19.)

it is not lawful to carry thy bed—a glorious testimony to the cure, as instantaneous and complete, from the lips of the most prejudiced! (And what a contrast does it, as all our Lord's miracles, present to the bungling miracles of the Church of Rome!) In ordinary circumstances, the rulers had the law on their side (Ne 13:15; Jer 17:21). But when the man referred them to "Him that had made him whole" (Joh 5:11) as his authority, the argument was resistless. Yet they ingeniously parried the thrust, asking him, not who had "made him whole"—that would have condemned themselves and defeated their purpose—but who had bidden him "take up his bed and walk," in other words, who had dared to order a breach of the sabbath? It is time we were looking after Him—thus hoping to shake the man's faith in his Healer.

13. he that was healed wist not, &c.—That some one, with unparalleled generosity, tenderness and power, had done it, the man knew well enough: but as he had never heard of Him before, so he disappeared too quickly for any inquiries.

conveyed himself away—slipped out of the crowd that had gathered, to avoid both hasty popularity and precipitate hatred (Mt 12:14-19).

14. findeth him in the temple—saying, perhaps, "I will go into Thy house with burnt offerings, I will pay my vows which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble" (Ps 66:13, 14). Jesus, there Himself for His own ends, "findeth him there"—not all accidentally, be assured.

sin no more, &c.—a glimpse this of the reckless life he had probably led before his thirty-eight years' infirmity had come upon him, and which not improbably had brought on, in the just judgment of God, his chronic complaint. Fearful illustration this of "the severity of God," but glorious manifestation of our Lord's insight into "what was in man."

15. The man departed, and told, &c.—little thinking how unwelcome his grateful and eager testimony would be. "The darkness received not the light which was pouring its rays upon it" (Joh 1:5, 11) [Olshausen].

16. because he had done these things on the sabbath day—What to these hypocritical religionists was the doing of the most glorious and beneficent miracles, compared with the atrocity of doing them on the sabbath day! Having given them this handle, on purpose to raise the first public controversy with them, and thus open a fitting opportunity of laying His claims before them, He rises at once to the whole height of them, in a statement which for grandeur and terseness exceeds almost anything that ever afterwards fell from Him, at least to His enemies.

17, 18. My Father worketh hitherto and I work—The "I" is emphatic; "The creative and conservative activity of My Father has known no sabbath-cessation from the beginning until now, and that is the law of My working."

18. God was his Father—literally, "His own [or peculiar] Father," (as in Ro 8:32). The addition is their own, but a very proper one.

making himself equal with God—rightly gathering this to be His meaning, not from the mere words "My Father," but from His claim of right to act as His Father did in the like high sphere, and by the same law of ceaseless activity in that sphere. And as, instead of instantly disclaiming any such meaning—as He must have done if it was false—He positively sets His seal to it in the following verses, merely explaining how consistent such claim was with the prerogatives of His Father, it is beyond all doubt that we have here an assumption of peculiar personal Sonship, or participation in the Father's essential nature.

19, 20. the Son can do nothing of himself—that is, apart from and in rivalry of the Father, as they supposed. The meaning is, "The Son can have no separate interest or action from the Father."

for what things, &c.—On the contrary, "whatever the Father doeth that same doeth the Son,"

likewise—"in the like manner." What claim to absolute equality with the Father could exceed this: not only to do "the same things," but to do them as the Father does them?

20. Father loveth … and showeth him all, &c.—As love has no concealments, so it results from the perfect fellowship and mutual endearment of the Father and the Son (see on Joh 1:1; Joh 1:18), whose interests are one, even as their nature, that the Father communicates to the Son all His counsels, and what has been thus shown to the Son is by Him executed in His mediatorial character. "With the Father, doing is willing; it is only the Son who acts in Time" [Alford]. Three things here are clear: (1) The personal distinctions in the Godhead. (2) Unity of action among the Persons results from unity of nature. (3) Their oneness of interest is no unconscious or involuntary thing, but a thing of glorious consciousness, will, and love, of which the Persons themselves are the proper Objects.

show him greater things, &c.—referring to what He goes on to mention (Joh 5:21-31), comprised in two great words, Life and Judgment, which Stier beautifully calls God's Regalia. Yet these, Christ says, the Father and He do in common.

21-23. raiseth the dead and quickeneth them—one act in two stages. This is His absolute prerogative as God.

so the Son quickeneth them—that is, raiseth up and quickeneth.

whom he will—not only doing the same divine act, but doing it as the result of His own will, even as the Father does it. This statement is of immense importance in relation to the miracles of Christ, distinguishing them from similar miracles of prophets and apostles, who as human instruments were employed to perform super-natural actions, while Christ did all as the Father's commissioned Servant indeed, but in the exercise of His own absolute right of action.

22. For the Father judgeth no man, &c.—rather, "For neither doth the Father judge any man," implying that the same "thing was meant in the former verse of the quickening of the dead"—both acts being done, not by the Father and the Son, as though twice done, but by the Father through the Son as His voluntary Agent.

all judgment—judgment in its most comprehensive sense, or as we should say, all administration.

23. honour the Son as … the Father—As he who believes that Christ in the foregoing verses has given a true account of His relation to the Father must of necessity hold Him entitled to the same honor as the Father, so He here adds that it was the Father's express intention in making over all judgment to the Son, that men should thus honor Him.

honoureth not the Father—does not do it in fact, whatever he may imagine, and will be held as not doing it by the Father Himself, who will accept no homage which is not accorded to His own Son.

24. believeth on him that sent me—that is, believeth in Him as having sent Me. I have spoken of the Son's right not only to heal the sick but to raise from the dead, and quicken whom He will: And now I say unto you, That life-giving operation has already passed upon all who receive My words as the Sent of the Father on the great errand of mercy.

hath everlasting life—immediately on his believing (compare Joh 3:18; 1Jo 5:12, 13).

is passed—"hath passed over"

from death unto life—What a transition! (Compare 1Jo 3:14).

25-29. The hour cometh—in its whole fulness, at Pentecost.

and now is—in its beginnings.

the dead—the spiritually dead, as is clear from Joh 5:28. Here He rises from the calmer phrase "hearing his word" (Joh 5:24), to the grander expression, "hearing the voice of the Son of God," to signify that as it finds men in a dead condition, so it carries with it a resurrection-power.

shall live—in the sense of Joh 5:24.

26. given to the Son, &c.—Does this refer to the essential life of the Son before all time (Joh 1:4) (as most of the Fathers, and Olshausen, Stier, Alford, &c., among the moderns), or to the purpose of God that this essential life should reside in the Person of the Incarnate Son, and be manifested thus to the world? [Calvin, Lucke, Luthardt, &c.] The question is as difficult as the subject is high. But as all that Christ says of His essential relation to the Father is intended to explain and exalt His mediatorial functions, so the one seems in our Lord's own mind and language mainly the starting-point of the other.

27. because he is the Son of man—This seems to confirm the last remark, that what Christ had properly in view was the indwelling of the Son's essential life in humanity as the great theater and medium of divine display, in both the great departments of His work—life-giving and judgment. The appointment of a Judge in our own nature is one of the most beautiful arrangements of divine wisdom in redemption.

28. Marvel not at this—this committal of all judgment to the Son of man.

for the hour is coming—He adds not in this case (as in Joh 5:25), "and now is," because this was not to be till the close of the whole dispensation of mercy.

29. resurrection of life—that is, to life everlasting (Mt 25:46).

of damnation—It would have been harsh to say "the resurrection of death," though that is meant, for sinners rise from death to death [Bengel]. The resurrection of both classes is an exercise of sovereign authority; but in the one case it is an act of grace, in the other of justice. (Compare Da 12:2, from which the language is taken). How awfully grand are these unfoldings of His dignity and authority from the mouth of Christ Himself! And they are all in the third person; in what follows He resumes the first person.

30-32. of mine own self do nothing—that is, apart from the Father, or in any interest than My own. (See on Joh 5:19).

as I hear—that is, "My judgments are all anticipated in the bosom of My Father, to which I have immediate access, and by Me only responded to and reflected. They cannot therefore err, as I live for one end only, to carry into effect the will of Him that sent Me."

31. If I … witness of myself—standing alone, and setting up any separate interest.

32. There is another—that is, the Father, as is plain from the connection. How brightly the distinction of the Persons shines out here!

and I know that the witness, &c.—"This is the Son's testimony to the Father's truth (see Joh 7:28; 8:26, 55). It testifies to the full consciousness on the part of the Son, even in the days of His humiliation, of the righteousness of the Father" [Alford]. And thus He cheered His spirit under the cloud of human opposition which was already gathering over His head.

33-35. Ye sent unto John—(See Joh 1:19, &c.).

receive not testimony … from man—that is, depend not on human testimony.

but … that ye might be saved—"I refer to him merely to aid your salvation."

35. He was a burning and a shining light—literally, "the burning and shining lamp" (or torch):—that is, "the great light of his day." Christ is never called by the humble word here applied to John—a light-bearer—studiously used to distinguish him from his Master, but ever the Light in the most absolute sense. (See on Joh 1:6).

willing for a season—that is, till they saw that it pointed whither they were not prepared to go.

to rejoice in his light—There is a play of irony here, referring to the hollow delight with which his testimony tickled them.

36-38. I have greater witness—rather, "The witness which I have is greater."

the works … bear witness of me—not simply as miracles nor even as a miracle of mercy, but these miracles, as He did them, with a will and a power, a majesty and a grace manifestly His own.

37. the Father himself … hath borne witness of me—not referring, probably, to the voice of His baptism, but (as seems from what follows) to the testimony of the Old Testament Scripture [Calvin, Lucke, Meyer, Luthardt, &c.].

neither heard his voice, &c.—never recognized Him in this character. The words are "designedly mysterious, like many others which our Lord uttered" [Stier].

38. not his word abiding in you—passing now from the Witness to the testimony borne by Him in "the lively oracles" (Ac 7:38): both were alike strangers to their breasts, as was evidenced by their rejecting Him to whom all that witness was borne.

39-42. Search the scriptures, &c.—"In the Scriptures ye find your charter of eternal life; go search them then, and you will find that I am the Great Burden of their testimony; yet ye will not come to Me for that life eternal which you profess to find there, and of which they tell you I am the appointed Dispenser." (Compare Ac 17:11, 12). How touching and gracious are these last words! Observe here (1) The honor which Christ gives to the Scriptures, as a record which all have a right and are bound to search—the reverse of which the Church of Rome teaches; (2) The opposite extreme is, resting in the mere Book without the living Christ, to direct the soul to whom is its main use and chiefest glory.

41. I receive not honour from men—contrasting His own end with theirs, which was to obtain human applause.

42. not the love of God in you—which would inspire you with a single desire to know His mind and will, and yield yourselves to it, in spite of prejudice and regardless of consequences.

43-47. if another shall come, &c.—How strikingly has this been verified in the history of the Jews! "From the time of the true Christ to our time, sixty-four false Christs have been reckoned by whom they have been deceived" [Bengel].

44. How can ye believe, &c.—(See on Joh 5:40,41). The "will not" of Joh 5:40, and "cannot" here are just different features of the same awful state of the human heart.

45. Do not think I will accuse you to the Father—"My errand hither is not to collect evidence to condemn you at God's bar."

one that accuseth you, even Moses, &c.—"Alas! that will be too well done by another, and him the object of all your religious boastings—Moses," here put for "the Law," the basis of the Old Testament Scriptures.

46. he wrote of me—"an important testimony to the subject of the whole Pentateuch—'of Me'" [Alford].

47. If ye believe not—(See Lu 16:31).

his writings … my words—a remarkable contrast, not absolutely exalting Old Testament Scripture above His own words, but pointing to the office of those venerable documents to prepare Christ's way, to the necessity universally felt for documentary testimony in revealed religion, and perhaps (as Stier adds) to the relation which the comparative "letter" of the Old Testament holds to the more flowing "words" of "spirit and life" which characterize the New Testament.