Bible Strands
John 5:12
“Who is this man who told you to pick it up and walk?” they asked.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The Jewish authorities question the healed man, demanding to know who commanded him to carry his mat on the Sabbath. This interrogation follows his statement that the man who made him well gave the instruction.
The words — ἠρώτησαν (ērōtēsan) means “they asked,” marking the formal inquiry of the religious leaders. οὖν (oun) translates as “therefore,” connecting their demand directly to the man’s prior reply.
The thread — The authorities’ demand for identification mirrors the temple confrontation in Matthew 21:23 and the investigative questioning in Judges 6:29. It aligns with the theme of religious zeal operating without true knowledge, as noted in Romans 10:2.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to identify the source of the healing command and the Sabbath instruction. It demands a decision to either acknowledge Jesus’ authority or persist in hostile scrutiny.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
Cross-references
- Matthew 21:23 When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?”
- Judges 6:29 “Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
- Romans 10:2 For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.
- 1 Samuel 14:38 Therefore Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the troops, and let us investigate how this sin has occurred today.