Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 5:6
When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time [in that case,] he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
6. knew ] Or, perceived, perhaps supernaturally (see on Joh 16:19), but He might learn it from the bystanders: the fact was very likely notorious.
Wilt thou? ] Or, more strongly, Dost thou will? Note that the man does not ask first. Here and in the case of the man born blind (9), as also of Malchus’ ear (Luk 22:51), Christ heals without being asked to do so. Excepting the healing of the royal official’s son all Christ’s miracles in the Fourth Gospel are spontaneous. On no other occasion does Christ ask a question without being addressed first: why does He now ask a question of which the answer was so obvious? Probably in order to rouse the sick man out of his lethargy and despondency. It was the first step towards the man’s having sufficient faith: he must be inspired with some expectation of being cured. The question has nothing to do with religious scruples; ‘Art thou willing to be made whole, although it is the Sabbath?’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 6. Wilt thou be made whole?] Christ, by asking this question, designed to excite in this person faith, hope, and a greater desire of being healed. He wished him to reflect on his miserable state, that he might be the better prepared to receive a cure, and to value it when it came. Addresses of this kind are always proper from the preachers of the Gospel, that the hearts, as well of hardened as of desponding sinners, may be stirred up to desire and expect salvation. Do you wish to be healed? Do you know that you are under the power of a most inveterate and dangerous disease? If so, there is a remedy – have immediate recourse to the physician. Questions of this kind are frequently asked in the secret of our souls, by the inspirations of God’s Spirit. Happy those who pay attention to them, and give right answers.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Christ, as God, knew the particular time when this infirmity seized him, which was eight years or upward before our Saviours birth, and about the time when the temple was re-edified, or rather enlarged and further adorned, by Herod. As man, he pitieth his case; he asketh him if he was willing to be made whole. Not that he doubted of his willingness; for what sick man was ever unwilling to be healed? Besides that, he knew that the poor man lay there for that very purpose; but that he might make him declare his miserable, helpless state and condition, and draw out his faith and hope in himself; and from his answer take an occasion to heal him, and make the spectators more attentive to his miracle.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. saw him lie, and knew, c.AsHe doubtless visited the spot just to perform this cure, so He knowswhere to find His patient, and the whole previous history of his case(Joh 2:25).
Wilt thou be madewhole?Could anyone doubt that a sick man would like to be madewhole, or that the patients came thither, and this man had returnedagain and again, just in hope of a cure? But our Lord asked thequestion. (1) To fasten attention upon Himself (2) By making himdetail his case to deepen in him the feeling of entire helplessness;(3) By so singular a question to beget in his desponding heart thehope of a cure. (Compare Mr10:51).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
When Jesus saw him lie,…. In such a helpless condition:
and knew that he had been now a long time, [in that case], or “in his disease”, as the Ethiopic version supplies; even seven years before Christ was born; which is a proof of his omniscience: the words may be literally rendered, as they are in the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions, “that he had had much time”; or as the Arabic version, “that he had had many years”; that is had lived many years, and was now an old man; he had his disorder eight and thirty years, and which seems from Joh 5:14 to have arisen from some sin of his, from a vicious course of living, perhaps intemperance; so that he might be a middle aged man, when this distemper first seized him, and therefore must be now stricken in years:
he saith unto him, wilt thou be made whole? which question is put, not as if it was a doubt, whether he was desirous of it, or not; for to what purpose did he lie and wait there else? but partly to raise in the man an expectation of a cure, and attention in the people to it: and it may be his sense and meaning is, wilt thou be made whole on this day, which was the sabbath; or hast thou faith that thou shall be made whole in this way, or by me?
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Knew that he had been a long time ( ). How Jesus “knew” (, second aorist active participle of ) we are not told, whether supernatural knowledge (2:24f.) or observation or overhearing people’s comments. In we have a progressive present active indicative, “he has already been having much time” (, accusative of extent of time).
Wouldest thou be made whole? ( ;). “Dost thou wish to become whole?” Predicate nominative with (second aorist middle infinitive). It was a pertinent and sympathetic question.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Had been now a long time [ ] . Literally, he hath already much time.
Wilt thou [] . Not merely, do you wish, but are you in earnest? See on Matthew 1. 19. Jesus appeals to the energy of his will. Not improbably he had fallen into apathy through his long sickness. Compare Act 3:4; Joh 7:17.
Whole [] . Sound.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “When Jesus saw him lie,” (touton idon ho lesous katakeimenon) “Jesus looking upon this man lying out there,” moved as so often he was with compassion upon the physically and spiritually ailing, ignorant, and deranged, Mat 9:36; Mat 14:14.
2) “And knew that he had been now a long time in that case,” (kai gnous hoti polun ede chronon echei) “And knowing that he had already been much time in that condition,” for He knows the paths of all men, Psa 139:1-3; Psa 142:3. Jesus needed not that any person explain to Him what was wrong with this man.
3) “He saith unto him,”(Iegei auto)”He said personally and directly to him,” who was perhaps the most and longest afflicted of all who lay in the porches that day, Joh 5:3.
4) “Wilt thou be made whole?” (theleis hugies genesthai) “Do you wish to become healthy or wholly well?” Is that your priority will? Our Lord sought a testimony from the man, not for His own benefit, but to secure a confession from a needy man, for the benefit of those who heard. Are the spiritually ailing for 12 years, 18 years, or 38 years now willing, desiring to be made whole, anew in Jesus? This is a matter for serious consideration of every unbeliever, Luk 8:43; Luk 13:10-13; Luk 13:16-17.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
6. Wilt thou be made whole? He does not inquire about it, as if it were a doubtful matter, but partly in order to kindle in the man a desire of the favor which was offered to him, and partly to quicken the attention of the witnesses who were present, and who, if they had been thinking of something else, might not have perceived the miracle, as frequently happens in sudden occurrences. For these two reasons, therefore, this preparation was necessary.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(6) And now Jesus sees him lying there among the throng of sufferers, and every ache of every limb, and. every sorrow of every heart told of the perfection of life marred by the curse of sin; but this mans own sin had left its mark upon him, which men may read and condemn, though within the whited fairness of their own outer deeds, the souls life was by sin palsied to its very core. But he hears, in tones that went to the heart as he listened to them, the strange question, stranger indeed than Wilt thou. . . ., Wiliest thou to be made whole?
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. Wilt thou Our Lord puts the question as part of the manifestation that the healing is produced by his own divine will. But it is in truth the same great question which Jesus is putting to a world of sinners lying in disease and death. It is his will to save them, but not without their wilt thou concurring.
Whole The word whole is cognate with the words heal and hale, health. In the old English a man is called whole as free from any wound or disease.
Joh 5:6. Wilt thou be made whole? Our Lord proposed this question, that the man might have an opportunity of declaring his case in the hearing of the multitude; (see Joh 5:13.) because such a declaration tended to make the miracle more conspicuous. It seems he designed to arouse the attention of the inhabitants of the capital; resolving to lay the evidences of his mission before them in the discourse which this miracle was to occasion.
Joh 5:6-7 . ] two points which excited the compassion of Jesus, where , however (as in Joh 4:1 ), does not denote a supernatural knowledge of this external (otherwise in Joh 5:14 ) and easily known or ascertained fact (against Godet and the early expositors).
] i.e. , Joh 5:5 .
, . . .] Wilt thou become whole ? The self-evident nature of this desire made the question an appropriate one to rouse the sufferer’s attention and expectation , and this was the object Jesus had in view in order to the commencement of His miraculous work. This question was inappropriate for the purpose (de Wette thinks) of merely beginning a conversation upon the subject . Paulus falsely supposes that the man might have been a dishonest beggar, feigning sickness, and that Jesus asks him with reproving emphasis, “Wilt thou be made whole? art thou in earnest?” So, too, Ammon; while Lange regards him as simply languid in will , and that Christ again roused his dormant will; but there is nothing of this in the text, and just as little of Luthardt’s notion, that the question was meant for all the people of whom the sick man is supposed to be the type. This miracle alone furnishes an example of an unsolicited interrogation upon Christ’s part (a feature which Weisse urges against it); but in the case of the man born blind, chap. 9, we have also an unsolicited healing .
] ad morbum accedebat inopia , Grotius; . emphatically takes the lead; the follows answers to it.
] The occasional and intermittent disturbance of the water is not to be understood as a regular occurrence, but as something sudden and quickly passing away . Hence the man’s waiting and complaint.
] throw , denoting a hasty conveyance before the momentary bubbling was over.
] he therefore was obliged to help himself along, but slowly.
] so that the place where the bubbling appeared was occupied by another. Observe the sing .; the short bubbling is to be regarded as occurring only in one fixed springing-point in the pool, so that one person only could let it exert its influence upon him. The apocryphal Joh 5:4 has perverted this circumstance, in conformity with a popular superstition, which probably reaches as far back as the time of Christ.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case , he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
Ver. 6. And knew that he had been, &c. ] Christ’s eye affected his heart, Lam 3:51 , he could not but sympathize, and succour this poor cripple, out of his mere philanthropy, which moveth him still, , to show mercy according to the measure of our misery, whereof he bears a part,Heb 5:2Heb 5:2 .
6. ] , i.e. , as on other similar occasions. Our Lord singled him out, being conscious of the circumstances under which he lay there, by that superhuman knowledge of which we had so striking an example in the case of the woman of Samaria.
. . ] Lightfoot and Semler would supply, “licet sit sabbatum.” But this is very improbable, see Joh 5:17 . Our Lord did not thus appeal to his hearers’ prejudices, and make His grace dependent on them. Besides, the had in the mind of the man no reference to a healing such as there would be any objection to on the Sabbath; but to the cure by means of the water , which he was there to seek.
The question is one of those by which He so frequently testified his compassion, and established (so to speak) a point of connexion between the spirit of the person addressed, and his own gracious purposes. Possibly it may have conveyed to the mind of the poor cripple the idea that at length a compassionate person had come, who might put him in at the next troubling of the water. It certainly is possible that the man’s long and apparently hopeless infirmity may have given him a look of lethargy and despondency, and the question may have arisen from this: but there is no ground for supposing (Schleiermacher) blame conveyed by it, still less that he was an impostor labouring under some trifling complaint (Paulus and others), and wishing to represent it more important than it was.
Joh 5:6 . Jesus when He saw the man lying and had ascertained ( , having learned from the man or his friends) that already he had passed a long time (in that infirmity) says: ; “Do you wish to become whole (healthy)?” This question was put to attract the man’s attention and awaken hope. But the man is hopeless: it is not a question of will, he says, but of opportunity. His very weakness enabled others to anticipate him; , “while I am coming,” he could, then, move a little, but not quickly enough. At each bubbling up of the water, apparently only one could be healed. The was a great aggravation of his case.
saw = seeing. App-133. The Lord, in this and the sixth sign, takes the initiative (Joh 9:1).
knew = knowing. App-132. See note on Joh 1:10. Not the same word as in Joh 5:32. a long time. Compare Joh 9:2.
Wilt thou = Desirest thou to. Greek. thelo. App-102.
6.] , i.e. , as on other similar occasions. Our Lord singled him out, being conscious of the circumstances under which he lay there, by that superhuman knowledge of which we had so striking an example in the case of the woman of Samaria.
. .] Lightfoot and Semler would supply, licet sit sabbatum. But this is very improbable, see Joh 5:17. Our Lord did not thus appeal to his hearers prejudices, and make His grace dependent on them. Besides, the had in the mind of the man no reference to a healing such as there would be any objection to on the Sabbath; but to the cure by means of the water, which he was there to seek.
The question is one of those by which He so frequently testified his compassion, and established (so to speak) a point of connexion between the spirit of the person addressed, and his own gracious purposes. Possibly it may have conveyed to the mind of the poor cripple the idea that at length a compassionate person had come, who might put him in at the next troubling of the water. It certainly is possible that the mans long and apparently hopeless infirmity may have given him a look of lethargy and despondency, and the question may have arisen from this: but there is no ground for supposing (Schleiermacher) blame conveyed by it, still less that he was an impostor labouring under some trifling complaint (Paulus and others), and wishing to represent it more important than it was.
Joh 5:6. , lying) He seems by this time to have habitually given up the attempt to get before others.-, knowing) though no one informed Him.-, He saith) of His own accord. Christ gives both a handle for His seeking aid, and the help itself.
Joh 5:6
Joh 5:6
When Jesus saw him lying, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case,-Jesus knew either by inquiry or from his superhuman power of knowing things. The context does not show the source of this knowledge. His helplessness appealed to the Master.
he saith unto him, Wouldest thou be made whole?-Jesus doubtless knew he wished to be healed and asked this question by way of introduction to the sufferer.
and knew: Joh 21:17, Psa 142:3, Heb 4:13, Heb 4:15
Wilt: Isa 65:1, Jer 13:27, Luk 18:41
Reciprocal: Mar 5:25 – twelve Mar 9:21 – How Luk 5:18 – General Luk 8:43 – twelve Luk 13:11 – eighteen Act 3:4 – Look
6
Of course Jesus knew the history of the case, but his approach to the patient was made in the spirit of a sympathetic well-wisher. The patient did not know the identity of Jesus (verse 13) until sometime afterward.
When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case; he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
[Wilt thou be made whole?] it is no question but he desired to be healed, because for that very end he had lain there so long. But this question of our Saviour hath respect to the sabbath; q.d. “Wouldst thou be healed on the sabbath day?” For that they were infinitely superstitious in this matter, there are several instances in the evangelists, not to mention their own traditions, Mar 3:2; Luk 13:14; Luk 14:3.
Joh 5:6. Jesus seeing him lying there, and perceiving that he hath been now a long time in that case, saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The first movement is altogether on the side of Jesus: comp. Joh 5:21 (whom He will). His knowledge of the case is by direct intuition (comp. Joh 2:25), not, as we believe, the result of inquiry. In Mat 8:2 the lepers words to Jesus were, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean, and the answer was, I will. Here the address of Jesus contains His I will, for His question to the man is Dost thou will? if thou dost I do also. Jesus has the will to heal him: does he answer this with a corresponding will, or is he like those to whom Jesus would have given life, but who would not come to Him? (Joh 5:40). It will be observed that there is no broad separation made between bodily and spiritual healing. The man certainly understood the former, but we cannot limit the meaning of Christs words by the apprehension of those to whom He speaks, and the subsequent narrative seems to imply more than the restoration of bodily health.
Jesus could have learned about the man’s condition from others, or John may have written what he did to impress his readers with Jesus’ supernatural knowledge. In Capernaum Jesus healed another paralytic lowered through the roof in front of him (Mar 2:1-12), but at Bethesda He reached out to the man as one among many invalids. Jesus’ question may have probed the man to discover if he had a desire for healing. Some people are perfectly content to remain in their miserable condition (cf. Joh 3:19-20). Jesus apparently only delivered people who wanted His help. Evidently this is the only person He healed this day even though there were many more whom He could have healed (Joh 5:3; cf. Act 3:2). He only saves people who want salvation and whom He sovereignly chooses to save (cf. Joh 6:37).
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)