For this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill him, because he did these things on the Sabbath.
Parallel translations
- KJV And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
- BSB Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews began to persecute Him.
- ESV And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.
- NKJV For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.
- NASB For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on a Sabbath.
- NLT So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- John 10:39They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their hand.
- Acts 9:4–5He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
- Mark 3:6The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
- Matt 12:13Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other.
- John 7:19–20Didn’t Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill me?”
- John 15:20Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
- John 7:25Therefore some of them of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this he whom they seek to kill?
- John 5:13But he who was healed didn’t know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place.
- Luke 6:11But they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 5:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.