Ezekiel, Chapter 47, verses 1-9, 12
1 The vision of the holy waters, 6 The virtue of themJohn, Chapter 5, verses 1-16
1 Jesus on the Sabbath day cureth him that was diseased eight and thirty years, 10 The Jews therefore cavil and persecute him for it5
5:1 A feast - Pentecost.
5:2 There is in Jerusalem - Hence it appears, that St. John wrote his Gospel before Jerusalem was destroyed: it is supposed about thirty years after the ascension. Having five porticos - Built for the use of the sick. Probably the basin had five sides!Bethesda signifies the house of mercy.
5:4 An angel - Yet many undoubtedly thought the whole thing to be purely natural. At certain times - Perhaps at a certain hour of the day, during this paschal week, went down - The Greek word implies that he had ceased going down, before the time of St. John's writing this. God might design this to raise expectation of the acceptable time approaching, to add a greater lustre to his Son's miracles, and to show that his ancient people were not entirely forgotten of him. The first - Whereas the Son of God healed every day not one only, but whole multitudes that resorted to him.
5:7 The sick man answered - Giving the reason why he was not made whole, notwithstanding his desire.
5:14 Sin no more - It seems his former illness was the effect or punishment of sin.
5:15 The man went and told the Jews, that it was Jesus who had made him whole - One might have expected, that when he had published the name of his benefactor, crowds would have thronged about Jesus, to have heard the words of his mouth, and to have received the blessings of the Gospel. Instead of this, they surround him with a hostile intent: they even conspire against his life, and for an imagined transgression in point of ceremony, would have put out this light of Israel. Let us not wonder then, if our good be evil spoken of: if even candour, benevolence, and usefulness, do not disarm the enmity of those who have been taught to prefer sacrifice to mercy; and who, disrelishing the genuine Gospel, naturally seek to slander and persecute the professors, but especially the defenders of it.
47 The vision of the holy waters, Eze 47:1-12.
The borders of the land of Canaan, Eze 47:13-23.
47:1 Eastward - The fountain lay to the west, the conduit pipes were laid to bring the water to the temple, and so must run eastward, and perhaps one main pipe might be laid under the east - gate of the temple.The right side - On the south - side of the temple.
47:2 Out - Of the inmost court. The outer gate - The outmost north - gate in the wall that compassed the whole mountain of the Lord's house.
47:3 He measured - By the line in his hand. He brought me - Went before, and the prophet followed; all this was in vision.
47:8 The sea - The Dead - sea, or lake of Sodom.Shall be healed - The waters of the sea shall be healed, made wholesome.So where the grace of God from his temple and altar flows, it heals the corrupt nature of man, and renders barren terrible deserts, as a land of waters and gardens.
47:9 Shall live - Be preserved alive, and thrive, whereas no fish can live in the Dead - sea. For they - The poisonous waters of the Dead - sea shall be made wholesome for fish. Shall live - Thrive, and multiply in the virtue of the healing streams. Thus is the fruitfulness of the grace of God in the church set forth.