John Gill Commentary John 5:10

"So the Jews said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed." — John 5:10 (ASV)

The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured
When they saw him, either at the place, or as he walked through the streets, with his bed on his back:

it is the sabbath day :
do not you know it? surely you forget yourself, or you would never be guilty of such an action as this;

it is not lawful for you to carry your bed . It was forbid by the law, to carry any burden on the sabbath day; see (Nehemiah 13:15Nehemiah 13:19) (Jeremiah 17:22) ; for

``carrying out and bringing in anything, from one place to another, is said <sup>F24</sup> to be work, and one of the principal works;'' and therefore forbid by the law, which says, "you shall not do any work"; and one of the traditions of the elders is this <sup>F25</sup> , ``whoever carries anything out (i.e. on the sabbath day), whether in his right hand, or in his left, in his bosom, or (wpytk le) , "on his shoulder", is guilty; for so carried the Kohathites.''

And particularly it is said ^F26 , that ``he that rolls up a bed of the brasiers or tinkers (i.e. on the sabbath day) is bound to a sin offering.'' Which was a fold up bed, such as tinkers, and those that went from city to city to work, had; and who carried their beds with them, as the gloss observes; and were so far from being lawful to be carried by them, on the sabbath, that they might not fold them up.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F24: Maimon. Hilchot Sabbat, c. 12. sect. 6.
• F25: Misn. Sabbat, c. 10. sect. 3.
• F26: T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 47. 1. & 138. 1.