John 5:1

Ver. 1. “ After these things, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ”

The connecting phrase μετὰ ταῦτα, after these things, does not-seem to us to indicate, notwithstanding the examples cited by Meyer, as immediate a succession as does μετὰ τοῦτο, after this. Whatever may be the feast to which we refer the event which is about to be related, it must have been separated by quite a long interval from the previous return. In fact, the feast which followed next after that return (in the course of December), that of the Dedication, at the end of this month, cannot be the one in question here. Jesus would not have returned to Judea so soon after He had left it for the reason indicated in John 4:1. After this came the feast of Purim in March, then that of the Passover in April.

If the article ἡ before ἑορτή, “ the feast,” is read, the meaning is not doubtful; the latter feast is the one in question; for it was the principal one among the Jewish festivals, and the one best known to Greek readers (John 6:4). But why should such a large number of documents have omitted the article, if it was authentic? We can much more easily understand the reason for its addition; it was supposed that the question was precisely of the Passover. If the article is rejected, not only is there no further evidence in favor of this feast, but it is even positively excluded. More than this, it would be excluded even with the article. For why should not John, who elsewhere names it distinctly, do the same here? Comp. John 2:13; John 6:4; John 11:55, etc. Moreover, immediately afterwards, the narrative speaks to us, John 6:4, of a Passover during which Jesus remains in Galilee.

We should, therefore, be obliged to suppose that between chaps. 5 and 6 a whole year elapsed, of which John does not say a single word a very improbable supposition. Besides, in chap. 7 (John 5:19-24), Jesus reverts to the healing of the impotent man which is related in chap. 5, for the purpose of justifying it; would He have proceeded thus with respect to it after an interval of more than a year? Chap. John 4:35 placed us in the month of December; chap. John 6:4 points to the month of April. Between these two dates, it is quite natural to think of the feast of Purim, which was celebrated in March. This feast had reference to the deliverance of the Jews by queen Esther. It was not, it is true, of Divine institution, like the three great feasts; but why should this fact have prevented Jesus from going to it, as He did to the feast of Dedication (chap. 10) which was in the same case?

And the expression: a feast, is exactly explained by this circumstance. As it was much less known than the others, outside of the Jewish people, and as by reason of its political character it had lost all importance for the Christian Church, it was needless to name it. Against this feast is alleged that it was not specially celebrated at Jerusalem. It consisted, in fact, in the reading of the book of Esther in every synagogue, and at banquets which took place throughout the country. But Jesus may have gone to Judea at that time with the intention of remaining there until the Passover feast, which was to be celebrated soon afterwards. The conflict that occurred on occasion of the healing of the impotent man was that which forced Him to return sooner to Galilee.

Although, therefore, de Wette pronounces his verdict by declaring, “that there is not a single good reason to allege in favor of the feast of Purim,” it appears to me that everything speaks in favor of this interpretation, which is that of Hug, Olshausen, Wieseler, Meyer, Lange, Gess, Weiss, etc. Irenaeus, Luther, Grotius, Lampe, Neander, Hengstenberg, etc., decide in favor of the Passover. Chrysostom, Calvin, Bengel, Hilgenfeld, etc., give the preference to Pentecost. The absence of the article and of a precise designation speak against the second supposition, as well as against the first. Besides, between John 5:1 (Pentecost) and John 6:4 (Passover of the following year), a period of more than ten months would have to be placed, respecting which John kept complete silence. Ebrard, Ewald, Lichtenstein, Riggenbach (doubtfully), pronounce for the feast of Tabernacles. This supposition is quite as improbable; for this feast is expressly named John 7:2: ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν᾿Ιουδαίων, ἡ σκηνοπηγία. Why should it not be named here, as well as there? Westcott thinks of the feast of trumpets, on the first of the month Tisri, which opened the civil year of the Hebrews. It is on this day that the Rabbis fix the creation of the world and the last judgment. This day was solemnly announced by the sound of the sacerdotal trumpets. But can we suppose that a whole year elapsed between chap. 5 and chap. 7, where we find ourselves again in the month of October? Lucke, de Wette, Luthardt, regard any determination of the point as impossible.

This question has more importance than appears at the first glance. If we refer John 5:1 to the feast of Purim, as we believe we should, the framework of the history of Jesus is contracted: two years and a half are sufficient to include all its dates: John 2:13 Passover (1st year); John 4:35, December (same year); John 5:1, Purim, March (2d year); John 6:4, Passover (April); John 7:1, Tabernacles (October); John 10:22, Dedication (December); John 12:1, Passover, April (3d year). If, on the other hand, John 5:1 designates a Passover feast, or one of those which followed it in the Jewish year, we are necessarily led to extend the duration of Jesus' ministry to three years and a half. Gess places this journey of Jesus at the time of the mission of the Twelve in Galilee (Matthew 11:1; Mark 6:7); this circumstance would explain why Jesus repaired to Judea alone or almost alone. This combination has nothing impossible in it (see on John 5:13). Has not Beyschlag good grounds for alleging in favor of John's narrative the very naturally articulated course of the history of Jesus which appears in it: Judea, chap. 1; Galilee, chap. 2a; Judea, chap. 2b, 3; Samaria, chap. 4a; Galilee, chap. 4b; Judea, chap. 5; Galilee, chap. 6; Judea, chap. 10, etc., in opposition to the strongly-marked contrast, without transition, which the Synoptical narrative presents: Galilee, Judea?