John 5 18

John 5:18 kjv

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 nkjv

Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

John 5:18 niv

For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 5:18 esv

This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 5:18 nlt

So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

John 5 verses

John 5 18 Meaning

John 5:18 succinctly explains the escalating hostility of the Jewish leaders towards Jesus. They were determined to kill Him for two primary reasons. First, they believed He had flagrantly violated the Sabbath law by healing on that day and instructing the healed man to carry his mat. Second, and more critically from their perspective, Jesus' defense for His Sabbath actions—by claiming God as "His own Father" and asserting that "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working" (John 5:17)—was interpreted as making Himself equal with God. This claim was considered blasphemy, a capital offense under their law. Thus, the verse reveals the deepening conflict between Jesus' divine claims and the Jewish authorities' staunch opposition, viewing His actions and words as affronts to God and their law.

John 5 18 Context

John 5:18 immediately follows Jesus' pivotal declaration in John 5:17, where He states, "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working." This verse is central to understanding the escalating conflict between Jesus and the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. Jesus had just healed a man at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, instructing him to pick up his mat, which was deemed a violation of the Sabbath law by the Jewish leaders. When confronted, Jesus did not deny His action but rather justified it by equating His ongoing work with the continuous work of God, who never rests from sustaining creation.

The religious leaders understood the profound implications of this statement. Jesus was not merely presenting a new interpretation of the Sabbath, but He was placing Himself on the same divine plane as God the Father, acting with divine prerogative and authority. This implicitly claimed equality of nature and function, transgressing their deeply held monotheistic convictions and appearing as blatant blasphemy (the claim to be God), which was punishable by death under Mosaic Law. The phrase "the Jews" in John's Gospel often refers specifically to the hostile religious authorities, like the Pharisees and Sanhedrin, who relentlessly opposed Jesus throughout His ministry, rather than the entire Jewish populace.

John 5 18 Word analysis

• For this reason: διὰ τοῦτο (dia touto) – Directly links back to Jesus' immediate previous statement in v. 17. It means "because of this thing" or "for this cause," indicating a direct consequence.
• therefore: An explanatory conjunction, emphasizing the logical consequence of Jesus' statement in v. 17.
• the Jews: οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι (hoi Ioudaioi) – In the Gospel of John, this term often specifically designates the opposing religious authorities in Jerusalem, who are hostile to Jesus, rather than the entire Jewish people. It reflects their unified institutional rejection.
• were seeking: ἐζήτουν (ezētoun) – An imperfect tense verb, indicating an ongoing, persistent, or repeated effort. Their intention to kill Jesus was not a sudden impulse but a sustained, deliberate goal.
• all the more: μᾶλλον (mallon) – An adverb of degree, meaning "more," "rather," or "even more." It shows the intensification of their hostility; Jesus' latest words dramatically increased their determination.
• to kill Him: ἀποκτεῖναι αὐτόν (apokteinai auton) – Their ultimate objective. Their hatred had progressed from mere criticism or persecution to the desire for His death, a consequence for perceived blasphemy or serious law-breaking.

Words-group analysis

• because He not only had broken the Sabbath: ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἔλυε τὸ σάββατον (hoti ou monon elye to sabbaton)

  • had broken: ἔλυε (elye) – From λύω (lyō), meaning "to loosen," "untie," "destroy," "dissolve," "annul." The charge was not just a minor infraction, but an outright violation or undoing of the Sabbath law, as interpreted by their traditions (e.g., prohibition of healing, carrying burden). The imperfect tense suggests He was breaking it, implying an ongoing practice or habitual disregard in their eyes.
  • the Sabbath: Refers to the seventh day of the week, consecrated for rest and worship according to God's commandment (Exod 20:8-11), which the Jewish authorities guarded fiercely with many specific regulations. Their primary concern was often with the traditions built around the law rather than its divine intent.

• but also was calling God His own Father: ἀλλὰ καὶ πατέρα ἴδιον ἔλεγεν τὸν Θεόν (alla kai patera idion elegen ton Theon)

  • but also: ἀλλὰ καὶ (alla kai) – Introduces the second, and graver, accusation. This clause presents the primary reason for their intense murderous intent, surpassing the Sabbath issue.
  • was calling: ἔλεγεν (elegon) – Imperfect tense, again denoting an ongoing claim or persistent declaration from Jesus.
  • God His own Father: πατέρα ἴδιον τὸν Θεόν (patera idion ton Theon) – The Greek word ἴδιον (idion) is crucial. It signifies "one's own," "private," or "peculiar to oneself," denoting a unique, intimate, and exclusive relationship, not just the general fatherhood of God over creation or even over Israel. This implied an inherent, ontological relationship, signifying shared nature and authority. This distinct phrasing heightened the perceived blasphemy.

• making Himself equal with God: ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ποιῶν τῷ Θεῷ (ison heauton poiōn tō Theō)

  • making Himself equal: ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ποιῶν (ison heauton poiōn) – ποιῶν (poiōn) is a present participle, indicating a continuous or resulting action: "by doing, He was making Himself equal." ἴσον (ison) means "equal" or "equivalent." This phrase is the Jewish leaders' interpretation and conclusion based on Jesus' words in John 5:17 and His use of ἴδιον πατέρα. They understood that a son who does what his father does (as in v. 17) and refers to Him as "his own Father" claims a status equal to that Father. This was not a claim Jesus explicitly uttered with these exact words ("I make myself equal"), but their direct inference from His unique claim of Sonship. From their perspective, it was usurpation of divine identity.

John 5 18 Bonus section

The profound impact of John 5:18 reverberates through subsequent chapters of John's Gospel, where Jesus' claims of deity are met with increasing opposition and attempts to stone Him for blasphemy (e.g., John 8:58-59, John 10:30-33). The charge of breaking the Sabbath was serious (sometimes punishable by stoning as seen in Num 15:32-36), but the claim of making oneself equal with God, if interpreted as usurpation of YHWH's unique sovereignty, was the ultimate blasphemy (Lev 24:16). This verse succinctly outlines the two foundational pillars of accusation against Jesus by the Jewish religious elite, setting the stage for the dramatic confrontation that defines much of John's narrative. The leaders correctly understood that Jesus claimed divine status; their error lay in rejecting this claim rather than discerning its truth.

John 5 18 Commentary

John 5:18 pinpoints the dual catalysts for the escalating conflict that ultimately leads to Jesus' crucifixion. While His alleged breaking of the Sabbath regulations was indeed a serious offense in the eyes of the Jewish authorities, it was His radical claim of divine Sonship that sealed their determination to kill Him. By declaring God His "own Father" and acting with divine prerogative, Jesus effectively positioned Himself as equal to God in nature, authority, and ongoing work. This assertion challenged their monotheistic theology and legal understanding to its core, interpreting it as blasphemy worthy of death. The verse is pivotal, revealing the profound misunderstanding and rejection of Jesus' true identity by those in power. It highlights that the central offense of Christ in the eyes of His opponents was His divine self-disclosure, His inherent claim to be God's unique Son, active alongside His Father. This was not merely a spiritual fatherhood in the general sense, but an ontological one, implying co-existence, co-equality, and co-operation in power.