Discovery BoxJohn 5:8-9 
Context5:8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up! Pick up your mat 1 and walk.” 5:9 Immediately the man was healed, 2 and he picked up his mat 3 and started walking. (Now that day was a Sabbath.) 4
John 5:14-16
Context5:14 After this Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “Look, you have become well. Don’t sin any more, 5 lest anything worse happen to you.” 5:15 The man went away and informed the Jewish leaders 6 that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
5:16 Now because Jesus was doing these things 7 on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders 8 began persecuting 9 him.
1 tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” Some of these items, however, are rather substantial (e.g., “mattress”) and would probably give the modern English reader a false impression.
2 tn Grk “became well.”
3 tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in the previous verse.
4 tn Grk “Now it was Sabbath on that day.”
sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
5 tn Since this is a prohibition with a present imperative, the translation “stop sinning” is sometimes suggested. This is not likely, however, since the present tense is normally used in prohibitions involving a general condition (as here) while the aorist tense is normally used in specific instances. Only when used opposite the normal usage (the present tense in a specific instance, for example) would the meaning “stop doing what you are doing” be appropriate.
6 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.
7 sn Note the plural phrase these things which seems to indicate that Jesus healed on the Sabbath more than once (cf. John 20:30). The synoptic gospels show this to be true; the incident in 5:1-15 has thus been chosen by the author as representative.
8 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.
9 tn Or “harassing.”
