Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 5:13
And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in [that] place.
13. had conveyed himself away ] Better, withdrew. Originally the word signified ‘to stoop out of the way of,’ ‘to bend down as if to avoid a blow.’ Here only in N.T. The word might also mean, ‘ swam out of,’ which would be a graphic expression for making one’s way through a crowd.
a multitude being in that place ] This is ambiguous. It may explain either why Jesus withdrew, viz. to avoid the crowd, or how he withdrew, viz. by disappearing among the crowd. Both make good sense.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Wist not – Knew not.
Had conveyed himself away – Was lost in the crowd. He had silently mingled with the multitude, or had passed on with the crowd unobserved, and the man had been so rejoiced at his cure that he had not even asked for the name of his benefactor.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. Jesus had conveyed himself away] Or, had withdrawn himself. And this he might easily do, as there was a crowd in the place. Some think the words indicate, that Jesus withdrew on seeing a multitude in the place, i.e. raising a tumult, because of the man’s carrying his bed. See the margin. He had not yet finished his work, and would not expose himself to the envy and malice of the Jewish rulers.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Christ came as a stranger to the pool, and only wrought this miracle, so as the impotent man that was healed had no time to inquire who he was: and there being there a crowd of people, Christ had through the people conveyed himself away; so as the man could not find him, to show them the man who had so said unto him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. he that was healed wist not,&c.That some one, with unparalleled generosity, tenderness andpower, had done it, the man knew well enough: but as he had neverheard of Him before, so he disappeared too quickly for any inquiries.
conveyed himself awayslippedout of the crowd that had gathered, to avoid both hasty popularityand precipitate hatred (Mt12:14-19).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he that was healed, wist not who he was,…. He had never seen, and perhaps had never heard of Christ before, and so knew him not; and besides, Christ gave him no opportunity of conversing with him, or so much as to ask him who he was:
for Jesus had conveyed himself away; had slipped away, as soon as ever he had wrought the miracle:
a multitude being in [that] place; or “from the multitude that were in [that] place”; not that he hid himself among them, and there remained undiscovered; but he passed through them, and went his way to the temple, where he found the man he had healed, as in the following verse.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He that was healed ( ). First aorist passive articular participle of (John’s usual word).
Who it was ( ). Present tense preserved in indirect question.
Had conveyed himself away (). First aorist active indicative of , old verb to swim out, to slip out, or from , to turn out, to turn the head to one side (to one side with which compare , they nodded, Lu 1:62). Either of these verbs can explain the form here. The aorist tense simply states an antecedent action without being a pastperfect.
A multitude being in the place ( ). Genitive absolute and the reason for Christ’s departure.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
He that was healed [] . Compare ver. 10, and note the different word for healing. See references there.
Who it was [ ] . The present tense, who it is.
Had conveyed Himself away [] . The verb means, literally, to turn the head aside, in order to avoid something. Hence, generally, to retire or withdraw. Only here in the New Testament.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And he that was healed wist not who it was: (ho de iatheis ouk edei tis estin) “Yet the one who was cured did not know who it was,” that had cured him. He could give them no information, if he had wanted to do so. He did not know the name of his healer, just as the man who was healed, who had been blind from his birth till he met Jesus, as recounted Joh 9:1-25; Joh 9:35-38.
2) “For Jesus had conveyed himself away,” (ho gar lesous ekseneusen) “For Jesus withdrew,” from the porch and pool area near the sheepgate. He had gone or turned aside, avoiding a public uproar over the miracle He had just performed, for His hour or time was not yet, Joh 2:4; Joh 7:30; Joh 8:20. Jesus knew a better opportunity would be His later, to instruct the man, Joh 4:19; Luk 4:29-30.
3) “A multitude being in that place.” (ochlou ontos en to topo) “As there was a crowd in that area or place,” and He sought to avoid observation by the crowd or multitude at the feast, Joh 5:1, as it is also related that at a former trip to Jerusalem, during a feast, many had believed in Him when they saw the miracles He did, Joh 2:23-24; Yet, He did not “commit Himself to them, “to any lingering fellowship with them, for He knew what was in man, his fickle nature.
THE SIX CURES PERFORMED BY JESUS ON THE SABBATH
WERE ALL UNSOUGHT
This is one special feature about them all. 1. The possessed man entreated Christ to leave him alone. 2. The man with the withered hand did not think of cure. 3. The infirm woman did not hope for healing. 4. The man with the dropsy did not ask for the blessing. 5. The infirm man was too paralyzed to seek Christ. 6. It was an unheard-of thing that the eyes of a man born blind should be opened, and therefore he did not expect it. This also is the Sabbath; let us look to the Lord of the Sabbath.
Spurgeon.
THE POWER OF ENVY
We shall find it in Cain, the murderer, who slew his brother at the instigation of envy. We shall find it in the dark and gloomy and revenged spirit of Saul, who, under the influence of envy, plotted for years the slaughter of David. We shall find it in the King of Israel, when he pined for the vineyard of Naboth, and shed his blood to gain it. Yes, it was envy that perpetrated that most atrocious crime ever planned in hell or executed on earth, on which the sun refused to look, and at which Nature gave signs of abhorrence by the rending of rocks: I mean the crucifixion of Christ; for the Evangelist tells us, that, for envy, the Jews delivered our Lord.
James.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
13. And he who had been cured knew not who he was. Christ certainly did not intend that the glory of so great a work should pass away, but he intended that it should become generally known before that he acknowledged himself to be the Author of it. He therefore withdrew for a little, that the Jews might have it in their power to judge of the fact itself, without reference to any person. And hence we learn that the cure of this man cannot be ascribed to his faith, since, even after having been cured, he does not acknowledge his Physician; and yet, when he was ordered, he carried his bed, which appears to have been done by the guidance of faith. For my own part, as I do not deny that there was in him some secret movement of faith, so I say that it is clear from what follows, that he had no solid doctrine or clear light on which he could rely.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) For Jesus had conveyed himself away.The second clause of this verse, as is shown by the marginal rendering, was not intended by our translators to convey the impression that a crowd had assembled round the scene of the miracle, and that to avoid this Jesus passed away from the place. In that case the man must have known who He was. Still the English does probably convey this meaning to most readers, and it would be better to give a freer renderingFor Jesus disappeared among the multitude which was in the place. The presence of the multitude is not given as the reason for His going away, but as explaining the fact that He passed on with them after having spoken to the man, and was thus unknown to him.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. Wist not Knew not; from the old Saxon verb witan, to know, whence our words wit and wise. Conveyed himself away Quietly and silently glided through the multitude as the excitement at the cure commenced. The man had thus no chance to identify his unknown benefactor.
In that place At the porches of the pool.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joh 5:13. Had conveyed himself away, Casaubon observes, that the wind , by which the evangelist expresses Christ’s escape, being a metaphor borrowed from swimming, signifies, that he glided through the multitude, leaving no trace behind him of the way that he had taken.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
Ver. 13. Had conveyed himself away ] Lest by his presence that work should be hindered. True goodness is public spirited, though to private disadvantage, and works for most part unobserved, as the engine that doth all in great businesses is often inward, hidden, not taken notice of.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
13. ] Difficulty has been found here from the supposed improbability that some should not have told him, seeing that Jesus was by this time well known in Jerusalem. But this is wholly unnecessary. His fame had not been so spread yet, but that He might during the crowd of strangers at the feast pass unnoticed.
, passed on unobserved: just spoke the healing words, and then went on among the crowd; so that no particular attention was attracted to Himself, either by the sick man or others. The context requires this interpretation: being violated by the ordinary one, that Jesus ‘ conveyed himself away , because a multitude was in the place:’ for that would imply that attention had been attracted towards him which He wished to avoid; and in that case he could hardly fail to have been known to the man and to others. Observe, has for its understood object, the man subjectively; escaped his notice, a crowd being in the place: not referring to any thing which Jesus had done himself.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 5:13 . But the man could give them no information. He did not know the name of his healer. , “for Jesus had withdrawn” or “turned aside”. , from , to bend the head, rather than , to swim out. Cf. Jdg 4:18 (where, however, Dr. Swete reads ), Joh 18:26 . See also Thayer and Wetstein. The reason why Jesus took Himself away, and the explanation of His doing so without observation, are both given in . He did not wish observation and it was easy to escape in the crowd.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
And = But.
was healed = had been healed.
wist = knew. App-132. Anglo-Saxon wit an = to know.
conveyed Himself away = turned aside, as if to avoid a blow. Greek ekneuo. Occurs only here.
multitude = crowd.
that = the.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
13.] Difficulty has been found here from the supposed improbability that some should not have told him, seeing that Jesus was by this time well known in Jerusalem. But this is wholly unnecessary. His fame had not been so spread yet, but that He might during the crowd of strangers at the feast pass unnoticed.
, passed on unobserved: just spoke the healing words, and then went on among the crowd; so that no particular attention was attracted to Himself, either by the sick man or others. The context requires this interpretation: being violated by the ordinary one, that Jesus conveyed himself away, because a multitude was in the place: for that would imply that attention had been attracted towards him which He wished to avoid; and in that case he could hardly fail to have been known to the man and to others. Observe, has for its understood object, the man subjectively;-escaped his notice, a crowd being in the place: not referring to any thing which Jesus had done himself.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 5:13. ) knew not, being intent on carrying his bed, and perplexed by the interruption on the part of the Jews.-, withdrew) The Septuag. use this verb to express and . Jesus shunned noise. Mat 12:10, etc., He charged them that they should not make Him known;-He shall not strive, nor cry, neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets.-, a multitude) Many were witnesses of the healing.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 5:13
Joh 5:13
But he that was healed knew not who it was; for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in the place.-The man had to tell them he did not know who had wrought the great cure by his word as he had gone away.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
he that: Joh 14:9
had: Joh 8:59, Luk 4:30, Luk 24:31
a multitude being: or, from the multitude that was
Reciprocal: Exo 34:29 – wist Luk 8:44 – immediately Joh 5:16 – and sought
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3After Jesus cured the weak man, He took advantage of the crowd to disappear. Hence the former victim of the affliction told the truth, if he stated he did not know who it was who told him to carry his bed.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 5:13. But he that was healed wist not who it was. We need not wonder that this man, unable to move from place to place, perhaps only recently come to Jerusalem, had no previous knowledge of Jesus.
For Jesus withdrew himself, a multitude being in that place. After his cure, too, he could hear nothing of his benefactor, for, to avoid the recognition and enthusiasm of the multitude (comp. chap. Joh 6:15), Jesus withdrew,literally slipped aside, became suddenly lost to sight.Here, as always, the multitude or mass of the people is to be carefully distinguished from the Jews. The conflict between Jesus and the Jews has begun: all His actions deepen their hatred against Him. The multitude, on the other hand, is the object of His compassion: from time to time they follow Him eagerly, however slight may be their knowledge of His true teaching and aims (Joh 6:2; Joh 6:15). In subsequent chapters we shall often have to call attention to the contrast between the Jews and the multitude; and it will be seen that some passages are almost inexplicable unless this most important distinction is kept clearly in view.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 13
Had conveyed himself away, to avoid the danger of a tumult.