John 5 6

John 5:6 kjv

When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

John 5:6 nkjv

When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"

John 5:6 niv

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"

John 5:6 esv

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?"

John 5:6 nlt

When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, "Would you like to get well?"

John 5 verses

John 5 6 Meaning

John 5:6 describes Jesus initiating interaction with a man who had been ill for a prolonged period at the Pool of Bethesda. Jesus' observation and divine knowledge of the man's long-term suffering precede His profound question, "Do you want to get well?" This seemingly obvious inquiry serves not as a mere check of physical desire, but to prompt the man's willingness to receive true healing, perhaps spiritual, from a source beyond his prevailing hope in the pool's waters, challenging his mindset of resignation and external reliance.

John 5 6 Context

John chapter 5 immediately follows Jesus' return from Galilee to Jerusalem for an unnamed feast, possibly Passover or Pentecost. This sets the stage for a significant public act that challenges prevailing religious norms. The Pool of Bethesda was a well-known gathering place for the infirm, with popular belief attributing healing powers to the disturbance of its waters by an angel (an interpolated verse in some manuscripts, John 5:4, highlights this popular belief). Jesus' encounter with the paralytic here is one of the "signs" (semeion) in John's Gospel, intended to reveal His divine identity and glory (John 20:30-31). The healing on the Sabbath, directly subsequent to this verse, immediately ignites intense theological and legal controversy with the Jewish authorities, forming the main theme of the rest of the chapter, where Jesus explicitly claims equality with God and elaborates on His relationship with the Father.

John 5 6 Word analysis

• When Jesus saw him (εἶδεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς αὐτόν - eiden ho Iēsous auton): "Saw" (eiden), from horao, implies more than just a glance. It denotes a perceiving, understanding gaze, reflecting Jesus' empathetic and discerning awareness of the man's state. It speaks to Jesus' divine knowledge and active compassion, not just a casual observation. This mirrors how God "sees" humanity's condition (Gen 6:5).
• lying there (κατακείμενον - katakeimenon): Describes the man's passive, prostrate state, indicating his helplessness and inability to move independently, emphasizing his paralysis and the burden of his infirmity.
• and knew (καὶ γνοὺς - kai gnous): From ginosko, indicating deep, intuitive knowledge, not merely deduction. This highlights Jesus' divine omniscience (John 2:25; Matt 9:4), knowing facts about the man's condition without being told.
• that he had already been there a long time (ὅτι πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον ἔχει - hoti polyn ēdē chronon echei): "A long time" (polyn ēdē chronon) is emphatic, possibly referring to the 38 years mentioned in verse 8. This stresses the chronic nature of the man's suffering and the deep-seated hopelessness that prolonged illness often instills. Jesus' knowledge underscores His preeminence over any physical or historical barrier.
• he said to him (λέγει αὐτῷ - legei autō): Jesus initiates the conversation. Unlike many other healings where the sick cry out, here Jesus approaches the man. This shows divine initiative and sovereign grace.
• "Do you want to get well?" (Θέλεις ὑγιὴς γενέσθαι; - Theleis hygiēs genesthai?):
  • Do you want (Θέλεις - Theleis): From thelō, indicating not just a passive wish, but a volitional desire, a settled inclination of the will. It probes the man's innermost longing. This is crucial because it suggests healing is not just something to be received, but actively desired or even willed by the recipient.
  • to get well? (ὑγιὴς γενέσθαι - hygiēs genesthai): Literally, "to become healthy/whole." It implies a return to full health, physical and perhaps also spiritual wholeness. The unexpected nature of this question, to someone visibly ill and surrounded by others seeking healing, suggests Jesus is looking beyond mere physical cure. He challenges the man's acceptance of his chronic state and his reliance on superficial means (the pool). This question might uncover a deeper resignation, lack of genuine faith in a greater power, or a mere acceptance of the current condition, or whether the man even comprehended a greater kind of "well-being" than simply walking.

John 5 6 Bonus section

The phrase "long time" (πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον - polyn ēdē chronon) in this verse takes on added significance when John specifies in verse 8 that the man had been ill for 38 years. This lengthy period of suffering might indicate deep-seated hopelessness, despair, and an entrenched victim mentality, which Jesus' question aimed to address. Furthermore, some scholars highlight the numerical coincidence of "38 years" as potentially symbolic. In the Old Testament, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years (Deut 2:14-15), thirty-eight of which were specifically due to their unbelief and rebellion after Kadesh-barnea. This connection could subtly imply a spiritual "paralysis" or inability to enter into God's promised rest, perhaps linking the man's physical ailment to a deeper spiritual ailment or the nation's spiritual state. Jesus' act of healing therefore bypasses the traditional Law and the superficiality of religious ritual (the pool) to usher in true spiritual freedom and health, an act that deeply challenged the religious authorities focused on legalistic observance.

John 5 6 Commentary

John 5:6 reveals Jesus' profound understanding of human suffering, both physically and spiritually. His direct gaze and divine knowledge signify His unique ability to see beyond outward appearances, penetrating to the heart of the matter – the man's prolonged suffering and perhaps his spiritual state. The question, "Do you want to get well?" appears counter-intuitive, yet it's deeply purposeful. It serves multiple layers: it exposes any underlying spiritual inertia or complacency developed over decades of sickness, prompts a conscious choice for change rather than passive expectation of external ritual (like the pool), and subtly contrasts Jesus' direct, personal intervention with the superstitious beliefs surrounding Bethesda. This question sets the stage for a revelation of divine power and challenges the man (and by extension, the reader) to examine their true desire for transformation from Christ Himself, beyond mere physical relief. The subsequent events prove Jesus is not interested in mere conformity to physical well-being, but desires complete holistic healing, that goes far beyond.