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And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
John 5:9 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and walked. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.
  • BSB Immediately the man was made well, and he picked up his mat and began to walk. Now this happened on the Sabbath day,
  • NKJV And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
  • NASB Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was a Sabbath on that day.
  • NLT Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath,

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.

Quick answer

At once the man was healed, took up his mat, and walked, and it was the Sabbath. The instant cure and the Sabbath setting drive the conflict that follows.

Overview

The immediacy of the healing confirms its miraculous nature. John pointedly notes it occurred on the Sabbath, introducing the controversy over Jesus' authority. The episode shows Jesus as Lord over both disease and the Sabbath, themes he will soon expound.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 13

  • Acts 3:7–8And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
  • John 9:14And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
  • Mark 3:2–4And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
  • Mark 5:41–42And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
  • Mark 5:29And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
  • Mark 1:31And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
  • Luke 13:10–16And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
  • Mark 1:42And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
  • Matt 12:10–13And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
  • Mark 10:52And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
  • John 5:14Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
  • John 5:10–12The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
  • John 7:23If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 5:9YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 5:9 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.