John 5:18
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
John 5:18 in other translations
| BSB | Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. |
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| WEB | For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God. |
| ASV | For this cause therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only brake the sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God. |
| YLT | because of this, then, were the Jews seeking the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the sabbath, but he also called God his own Father, making himself equal to God. |
| DARBY | For this therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he had not only violated the sabbath, but also said that God was his own Father, making himself equal with God. |
| BBE | For this cause the Jews had an even greater desire to put Jesus to death, because not only did he not keep the Sabbath but he said God was his Father, so making himself equal with God. |
| Webster | Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. |
What does John 5:18 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 5:17-18
17-18. My Father worketh hitherto and I work--The "I" is emphatic; "The creative and conservative activity of My Father has known no sabbath-cessation from the beginning until now, and that is the law of My working."
Barnes' Notes
2nd. That we are not to keep back truth because it will irritate and enrage sinners. The fault is not in the truth, but in the sinner.
3rd. That when any one portion of truth enrages hypocrites, they will be enraged the more they hear.
Had broken the sabbath. They supposed he had broken it.
Making himself equal with God. This shows that, in the view of the Jews, the name Son of God, or that calling God his Father, implied equality with God. The Jews were the best interpreters of their own language, and as Jesus did not deny the correctness of their interpretations, it follows that he meant to be so understood. See Jn 10:29-38. The interpretation of the Jews was a very natural and just one. He not only said that God was his Father, but he said that he had the same right to work on the Sabbath that God had; that by the same authority, and in the same manner, he could dispense with the obligation of the day. They had now two pretences for seeking to kill him--one for making himself equal with God, which they considered blasphemy, and the other for violating the Sabbath. For each of these the law denounced death, Nu 15:35, Lev 24:11-14.
(p) "making himself equal with God" Zech 13.7, Jn 10:30,33, Php 2:6
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 5:17-23
The Divine power of the miracle proved Jesus to be the Son of God, and he declared that he worked with, and like unto his Father, as he saw good. These ancient enemies of Christ understood him, and became more violent, charging him not only with sabbath-breaking, but blasphemy, in calling God his own Father, and making himself equal with God. But all things now, and at the final judgment, are committed to the Son…
John 5:18 in the original Greek
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Cross references for John 5:18
- John 10:30
I and my Father are one.
- John 10:33
The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
- John 19:7
The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
- John 8:58
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
- John 14:23
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
- John 5:23
That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
- John 8:54
Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
- Revelation 22:1
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
- Philippians 2:6
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
- John 7:1
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
- John 7:19
Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
- Zechariah 13:7
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- John 5:17
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
- John 5:18
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
- John 5:19
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
John 5:18 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Entonces, por tanto, más procuraban los Judíos matarle, porque no sólo quebrantaba el sábado, sino que también á su Padre llamaba Dios, haciéndose igual á Dios. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | À cause de cela donc les Juifs cherchaient d’autant plus à le faire mourir, parce que non seulement il violait le sabbat, mais aussi parce qu’il disait que Dieu était son propre Père, se faisant égal à Dieu. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Darum nun suchten die Juden noch mehr, ihn zu töten, weil er nicht allein den Sabbath brach, sondern auch Gott seinen eigenen Vater nannte, sich selbst Gott gleich machend. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Propterea ergo magis quærebant eum Judæi interficere: quia non solum solvebat sabbatum, sed et patrem suum dicebat Deum, æqualem se faciens Deo. Respondit itaque Jesus, et dixit eis: |